Bag Wars: Messenger vs Backpack

Yea, I know. I’ve heard it all my life. Backpacks on gay*.

Well, all I can say is that if backpacks are gay* then you’ll see me at the next pride parade. Why Max?! Why do you love backpacks now? Why are you so…..well, backpacky now?

I’ll tell you why. It all started with my pursuit of the perfect messenger bag. As you can see in my previous projects, I’ve been researching and reading and drawing and wearing myself half to death to find a great fitting, great wearing, weather-all messenger bag to make my life wonderful. Well, I found the perfect messenger bag…and sorry folks, but it’s a backpack. With every incarnation of my messenger bag pattern, shaping into perfection, I stepped ever so closer to the world of backpacks. Although I didn’t even see this until now.

It was last week. I had to help Genevieve take some books down to Powells and a bundles of clothes over to Buffalo Exchange. She had packed up the books in an old backpack, and although I felt silly wearing it, I knew I didn’t want to throw the thirty pound bag on her back. But this is when I realized it. As I donned the book-filled backpack, I realized it felt like half the wieght of my messenger bag, although it was holding four times as much stuff. The backpack made as easy ride and walk to the bookstore, and I suffered nothing in back strain.

That was the last straw for me…. backpacks from now on. Gay* or not, they kick ass.

Things backpacks do better:

• Dual Straps (symmetrical weight distribution - more natural)
• OVER Shoulder Carrying (keeps weight above back, not slacking under shoulders)
• Parallel Content (instead of diagonally bisecting the back, it parallels allowing more space in bag design)
• Harness Simulation (usage of the sternum strap, simulates extreme sports similar to the early effects of Mountain Dew)
  

  *Note: DO NOT wear sternum strap and drink Mountain Dew simultaneously. You WILL uncontrollably gel your hair and wear boardshorts everywhere.

• Hipster Hyperbolic Statement (Since backpacks are the standard, then messenger bags are the subversive method of baggage. However, since Hipsters are now the standard, then the truly subversive Hipster method of baggage would be the original non-Hipster standard, the backpack. It all makes sense once you watch season 3 of the hit TV Show Sliders)

*Please see Nick Swardson on using the term “gay”