A Brief History of the Backpack: From Survival to Study Hall

From primitive storage to military rucksacks and nylon daypacks, backpacks have evolved from ancient survival tools to the school-day staples we know today.

Backpack-like carriers date back to ancient civilizations. Ötzi the Iceman—a Copper Age glacier mummy discovered in Italy in 1991—was found with what is believed to be a rucksack. Constructed from hazel rods and wooden boards, likely fastened with string and attached to a net or animal-hide sack, this discovery is one of the earliest known examples of a portable storage solution.

While early iterations of backpacks served practical survival needs, the modern version began to take shape during the military innovations of the 19th century. The first early modern-era style is often traced to Major General Henry Clay Merriam, whose nearly four-decade military career began with the Civil War. Dissatisfied with heavy Army-issued knapsacks, he created a design in 1875 that shifted weight to the hips for better functionality. Although he registered three U.S. patents, the Army never adopted Merriam's improved design, writes historian Jack Ballard in From Commander and Builder of Western Forts: The Life and Times of Major General Henry C. Merriam.

In the early 20th century, outdoor enthusiasts like Norwegian inventor Ole F. Bergan and Lloyd F. Nelson revolutionized backpack design with ergonomic frames that distributed weight more comfortably. By 1938, Gerry Cunningham—founder of Gerry Outdoors in Boulder, Colorado—introduced the first backpack with zippers, adding a new level of functionality. And in the post-World War II era, inventors like Americans Dick and Nena Kelty, as well as Åke Nordin—founder of Fjällräven—introduced lightweight materials, such as aluminum and nylon for better comfort and balance. 

The invention of lightweight nylon daypacks reshaped the backpack industry in the late 1960s, making them smaller, lighter and more practical. Gerry Outdoors introduced the first modern nylon backpack in 1967. That same year, JanSport was founded by Murray (Pletz) McCory and Skip Yowell, selling a convertible aluminum-frame backpack meant for mountaineering. By 1970, their cross-country ski packs were popular with students at the University of Washington, after a nearby bookstore started selling them. “Because of Seattle’s world-renowned rainfall, students were actually buying the packs to carry their books and keep them somewhat dry,” Yowell writes in The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder and Other Mountains: How JanSport Makes It Happen. “The Ski N’ Hike inadvertently proved to be the first JanSport bookbag."

As students increasingly adopted outdoor packs for academic use, other innovators followed. In 1974, student Gary Kirk designed a backpack with extra room for textbooks. His prototype, called the Cricket, initially faced skepticism from the campus bookstore at Chico State in California, but quickly sold out. In 1982, L.L. Bean adapted Briggs’ design and released the Book Pack, which became a top-selling product.

By the 1980s, backpacks designed for students became essential school supplies. Features like additional compartments, ergonomic padding and weather-resistant materials made the bags more functional. In 2024, backpack sales globally reached $19 billion. 

Today’s backpacks include added innovations like wheels, laptop sleeves, mesh water bottle holders, USB charging ports, Bluetooth technology and more, reflecting their evolution beyond outdoor and military use.