Get: The Best Backpack Ever

Jul 8

Jul 8 Get: The Best Backpack Ever

Ten days of silence. This is my longest stretch since launching Simply Silicon Valley in March, and there's one reason: children. It's proven difficult to be a summer mom and publish content, so I'm going to continue my hiatus until school begins in 6 weeks. But before I disappear, I have one more idea to share!

If your child needs a backpack, L.L. Bean's Original Book Pack is currently on sale. I've found this to be the best backpack ever for a few reasons:

Good looking.
Simple.
Durable.
Guaranteed for life. They gladly and promptly replace any backpack that doesn't hold up appropriately.
Inexpensive. It's already a great deal at $29.95, and right now it's 10% off.

I have a personal relationship with L.L. Bean backpacks that dates back to 1990. When I moved from California to Massachusetts at the start of 5th grade, everyone had an L.L. Bean backpack. One classmate used the same one all the way thru high school graduation; it was an emblem of pride that earned her bragging rights.

Moving cross-country as a 10-year-old was hard. I was up for anything that might help me break into the social circles, so I got an L.L. Bean backpack: a navy Deluxe Book Pack. Boy was that a mistake. I do not recommend the Deluxe Book Pack; it's enormous and leads to toting around too much weight. The Original Book Pack is the perfect size. The only thing it lacks is an exterior pocket for a water bottle. I recommend buying a solid color (as opposed to a print), so your child won't age out of it. Keep in mind that dark colors are better at hiding the stains and dirt of life.

When it came time for each of my children to start school, I refused to buy new backpacks every few years and I liked the idea of paying homage to my New England adolescence. So, on the eve of kindergarten, each of my children has been presented with a glistening L.L. Bean Original Book Pack and told the tale of how this backpack will be their companion through thirteen years of school. Thirteen years of school?!! Now that's the topic of a future post.