5 Perfect Packs for Every School Year

Whether you’ve got a little tike getting ready for the first day of class, a teen taking the next step into high school, a grad preparing for the move on to higher education, or a budding professional heading off to the start of a career, we’ve got perfect packs for every chapter of life.

Elementary

You’ve got a little one taking the first big steps in school. Kids have smaller frames and require a much different pack from their older siblings. Choose a pack that’s scaled down in both size and capacity to suit the little loads that little folks need to carry. Our Skyline Rolldown Pack offers a small profile, with capacity to spare, thanks to the adjustable rolltop. A front zippered slip and back slip pocket offer spots for quick to reach items, while narrow side pockets give a spot for pens and pencils.

Freshman

The step into high school is a big one, a watershed moment. Classes and schools get bigger, talents are refined, brains get filled and books get heavy. For the halls of high school, we’ve got a few options to keep a student ready for period 1-7 and all the adventures beyond. Take a look at our Mesabi for classic pack lines with brass roller buckles and the Itinerant for a more simple zippered pack. Our favorite though is the North Bay. Inspired by daypacks from the 80’s and built like they were in the 1800s, the North Bay is an amalgamation of thoughtful features in a clean silhouette. Students appreciate the spacious interior, organizing panel and two front pockets. Adventurers appreciate that it doesn’t skip a beat going from classroom to road trip.

Ivy-Covered Walls

For many, a higher education means opportunity, and the fundamental development of a student into their professional adult self. It’s a time of transition, often away from home, living with folks from different places and doing all sorts of activities from sports, to class, to volunteering and studying abroad. Our Arrowhead Trail Rolltop Packs excel just about anywhere you use them. They feature a leather-strapped roll top that adjusts to small workloads or a pack full of 1000-level textbooks. A brass ring yoke with wide cotton web straps carries the pack comfortably, and can be upgraded to buckskin-padded leather for even more cushion. Slip side pockets and padded back panel or expandable ECO pockets with padded sleeve give options to suit personal preference.

The 9 to 5

There are many packs and bags suited to the workweek, but with the start of a career is the beginning of an evolving journey. Pick a pack that’s ready to go with them every step of the way with our Voyageur Backpack Brief. Excelling at the polished look and function of a brief, and carrying comfortably as a backpack, the Voyageur is ready for high-speed adventurous pursuits or hauling a laptop, reports and lunch to the boardroom. It’s a great pack to cover all of life’s big and small adventures. Available in Field Tan or Heritage Black to suit an array of different styles.

The Everything

All of the packs above excel equally well at education and outdoorsy pursuits, but our Summit Expedition is in a class by itself. Patterned after classic rucksacks of olde, the Summit is upgraded with twin 2-in-1 side pockets that each comfortably hold a large water bottle, the front boats a gusseted zippered pocket, and the lid has four leather lash squares to attach more gear. It shares the classic features of its two siblings, too, with a drawstring top, zippered pocket lid, and brass ring yoke for the shoulder straps. Like the Arrowhead, the straps are upgradeable, and like the Voyageur, this pack is available in both Field Tan and Black. Use this pack anywhere.