In many countries, backpacks are heavily identified with students, and are a primary means of transporting educational materials to and from school. In this context they are sometimes known as book bags or schoolbags. The purchase of a suitably fashionable, attractive, and useful backpack is a crucial back-to-school ritual for many students.
Typical school backpacks generally lack the rigid frame of an outdoor-style backpack and include only a few pockets in addition to the main holding space of the pack. While traditionally very simple in design, school backpacks are often made with padded straps and backs as well as additional reinforcement to hold large numbers of heavy textbooks, as well as safety features such as reflective panels to make the wearer of the pack more visible at night and ergonomic features such as padded straps and waist straps to distribute weight across the body. It is very common for schools (especially colleges and universities) to sell backpacks decorated with the school logo.
Backpacks are sometimes worn as fashion accessories, in which they perform the same function as a purse. Some such backpacks designed specifically for women are no larger than a typical purse, and are generally associated with younger, often college-age women.
Some backpacks are specifically designed to carry certain items. Common examples include backpacks for small, high-value items such as laptops and cameras (see photo); backpacks designed to hold laptop computers in particular generally have a padded compartment to hold the computer and medium sized pockets and flaps to accommodate accessories such as charger cables and cordless/corded mice. These are especially common in college and university settings. It is also possible to buy picnic basket backpacks that come with plastic dishes and utensils, a tablecloth, etc. In order to supply these devices with electricity, a few high-end backpacks are equipped with solar panels.
There are also single-strap packs that are essentially a hybrid between a backpack and a messenger bag.
Inexpensive, very simple packs that combine the drawstring and straps into a single piece of cloth or webbing are occasionally sold for use at sporting events and the like. Some high-end retailers (notably Apple Stores) use a similar design for their shopping bags as well.
Rolling backpacks are backpacks with wheels on the bottom and an extending handle to ease carrying objects inside the backpacks. Because of its design, rolling backpacks reduce the strain on one's back, which is more ergonomic than regular backpacks, though some rolling backpacks can be carried on the back as well. Rolling backpacks are most commonly used to carry extensive amounts of items or moderately to very heavy items in places such as airports and international/transstate train stations.
Similar in function to backpacks, messenger bags ensure comfort to people carrying heavy and/or bulky items, while allowing easy access to the contents. Messenger bags typically incorporate features that make them particularly suitable for cycling, such as fittings that make it easy to adjust the shoulder strap, quick release buckles, an adjustable hinged buckle, and the ability to attach a variety of accessories, such as lights, phone holsters, or U-locks. Contemporary stabilizing straps help to prevent the bag from shifting while riding. The top-opening one-strap design allows messenger bags to be easily swung around front so that their contents can be accessed without having to remove the bag. Messenger bags are often used as a fashion accessory. While they can be found in the possession of either gender, they are often commonly employed by men in a function analogous to a woman's purse (that is, to carry bulky items that do not fit into pockets, or a large number of items, while doubling as a fashion accessory). Messenger bags have also become fashionable in urban environments, among cyclists and commuters. Many college and high-school students make use of them for fashionable and functional purposes, especially those who commute on bicycles. Compared to a backpack, it is much easier to place and remove text-books, notebooks, essays and supplies from a messenger bag because they lie on the side of the body, granting the wearer better accessibility. Messenger bags also provide more weather resistance than traditional leather satchel-style school bags.
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