Backpacks for Elementary School Through High School

I was a junior in high school when the Columbine shootings happened. After that, students across the country were required to start carrying see through backpacks. To this day students in elementary through high school are still required to carry this type of backpack. If you have a student that is just starting school, has been there for a few years, or is about to graduate, I have some suggestions on what type of backpack to get them. But first we will discuss what to stay away from.

My school required we start carrying see through backpacks my senior year. I decided to get a $30 mesh (also called net) backpack from JanSport. My mother was reluctant at first, but I told her it would be sturdy enough for me. I was wrong. A few weeks after school started one of the straps ripped halfway across the top of the right side. They do come with a warranty, but according to the warranty this was everyday wear and tear and didn’t count. So I tried to make do, but it just didn’t work, so back to the store I went and this time I found a winner.

What you should be looking for is a plastic or vinyl backpack. I found the one I used for the rest of the year for only $10, a third of what the JanSport had cost. The plastic was really thick and held up to the books I was carrying, which were huge. It was also very roomy, big enough to carry college sized books. The straps never ripped and the straps were thick enough to where my back didn’t hurt when carrying large loads of books. The brand I bought was an Eastport and Wal-Mart still carries them for under $10, check them out here.

If your child is stuck having to carry a clear backpack make it fun for them (if they are little of course) and buy them some stickers to put on it and some gel pens to write on the straps. Just make sure they don’t cover it up too much or the school might have a problem with it.