History of Backpacks Timeline

Colorado outdoor innovator Gerry Cunningham developed lightweight packs and climbing equipment. His designs used improved materials and construction methods and helped establish specialized packs for mountaineering and technical outdoor recreation.

Image source: Gerry (company)

Dick Kelty began producing lightweight aluminum-frame backpacks in California. Kelty packs became influential among American hikers and campers by combining durable fabric bags with adjustable external frames and padded hip belts.

Climber and designer Greg Lowe developed an early internal-frame backpack in 1967. The design placed stays and support structure inside the bag, improving freedom of movement and reducing the snagging associated with external frames.

Greg Lowe and his brothers established Lowe Alpine Systems in Colorado. The company commercialized advanced climbing and backpacking equipment, including internal-frame packs, compression systems, and load-stabilizing features.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, improvements in aluminum stays, molded frames, foam padding, and adjustable suspension made internal-frame backpacks increasingly comfortable and stable. They gradually displaced external-frame packs for many serious backpackers.

Michael Eidson created an early hands-free hydration system during a bicycle race in 1988 by placing an intravenous fluid bag inside a sock and carrying it in a cycling jersey. The concept became the basis for CamelBak hydration packs.

CamelBak began commercializing backpacks with integrated water reservoirs and drinking tubes. Hydration packs spread through cycling, running, hiking, military training, and other activities where users needed frequent access to water.

Osprey’s Atmos line, introduced around the end of the 1990s, helped popularize trampoline-style suspended back panels. The design created an air gap between the wearer and the pack while maintaining a supportive hip-belt system.

Ultralight backpacking and modular pack systems grew during the 2010s and early 2020s. Dyneema composite fabrics, frameless designs, removable components, and interchangeable hip belts allowed users to reduce weight or tailor packs to particular trips.

JanSport was founded in Seattle in 1967 by Murray Pletz, Skip Yowell, and his cousins. The company’s lightweight packs, including its early daypacks, helped make backpacks practical for students and everyday users as well as hikers.

Fjällräven introduced the Kånken backpack in Sweden in 1978 to help reduce schoolchildren’s back problems. Its simple rectangular form, lightweight Vinylon fabric, and broad color range later made it a global lifestyle and school accessory.

From designer leather bags to streetwear collaborations, backpacks became a major fashion category alongside their practical uses. Brands increasingly treated the backpack as an everyday style object, with designs aimed at students, commuters, travelers, and luxury consumers.

Large-capacity JanSport school backpacks became especially prominent in North American education during the 1990s. Their durable fabric, multiple compartments, and lifetime-repair reputation helped define the everyday student backpack market.

As portable computers became common in workplaces and schools, manufacturers added padded sleeves, organizer panels, and cable compartments to backpacks. The laptop backpack emerged as a major category between traditional briefcases and outdoor packs.

Low-cost air travel, restrictive baggage fees, and short business trips drove widespread use of compact backpacks as airline personal items. Travel-focused packs added clamshell openings, passport pockets, luggage sleeves, and dedicated electronics protection.

Water-resistant roll-top backpacks became increasingly popular with bicycle commuters and urban travelers in the 2000s and 2010s. The closure provided adjustable capacity and improved protection from rain while retaining a streamlined form.

GoRuck founder Jason McCarthy designed a rugged backpack influenced by military equipment and intended for travel, work, and rucking. The company later helped popularize highly durable, laptop-compatible urban packs with tactical styling.

Outdoor and fashion companies increasingly introduced packs made with recycled polyester, recycled nylon, organic fibers, and lower-impact coatings. Repair programs and lifetime warranties also became more prominent responses to the environmental cost of disposable bags.

Image source: Recycling

A new generation of urban backpacks incorporated USB charging ports, tracking compartments, solar panels, LED lighting, and reinforced laptop storage. These features reflected the backpack’s evolution into a mobile workstation and electronic-accessory carrier.

School closures, remote work, and reduced commuting disrupted the everyday backpack market during the COVID-19 pandemic. As education and work returned to shared spaces, demand shifted toward adaptable laptop, travel, and commuting packs.

Image source: COVID-19 pandemic