The History of Backpacks 

This is my first try at using a green screen - I thought it made sense with the content. What'd ya'll think?

I thought my RU-vid search was going to be useless. The joke is on me. This a very welled edit and easy to listen.

What a world we live in. I was curious about the history of backpacks - 90 seconds later, I'm watching this. I liked everything about this video. The intro told me, "this guy has a sense of humour and style". I actually was interested in pre-modern "backpacking", and this was covered briefly. But I kept watching because it was so well done. Thanks.

Just when I thought every topic has been overdone you come up with this. Outstanding.

Your content is original, unique, and interesting, no one will cover your topics that interest me.

I remember in the early 1960’s, Richard Mack founded the Himalayan Pack and outfitted the 1963 Mt. Everest expedition lead by Jim Whitaker of REI fame. His factory was on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. I owned several of his great packs, including an external frame model mace from red anodized titanium. They were real innovations in their day.

Thank you. I remember when Kelty came out. I still have a Kelty external frame. I’m thinking about using it on the CDT this year. Thanks for the god video.

Nice idea for video- I like older style packs because of their looks and newer style packs because of their size

My first pack from the late 70's was the Coleman Peak One. Coleman made an external frame made of "plastic". All along the plastic frame were 1" slots. The actual pack attached to the frame will buckets that slide thru the slots. The frame extended above and below the pack giving you an almost endless attachment points to run 1" webbing straps. Long since out of production you can still find them for sale from individuals on-line. Coleman made an entire system around the Peak 1 brand. I still have two of their Peak 1 (Model 400) backpacking stoves. They even made a square aluminum carry case where the bottom was a one-liter pot and the top was a half liter pot. Yes, still have them. Just for fun last year, after sitting in a box for 40 years, I pulled them out, filled them with Coleman fuel and both stoves still work and the flame control rivals anything on the market today. they're just heavy(by today's standard).

The Bergen backpack was the pack used by British Commandos, SAS and OSE in WW2. The nickname Bergen is still used to describe military issue backpacks. The Kelty brand was the design used by Royal Marines Commandos for Arctic warfare. Images of the Falklands islands war of 1982 shows the Paras and Marines carrying crushing loads up to 60kg with their Bergens and Arctic rucksacks.

I have used a hand made (by myself) canvas and leather knapsack, tumpline bedroll, ALICE Medium and Large pack, CFP90 pack (huge 90L internal frame military pack), MOLLE II Large, and a few modern cheap internal framed packs. Of all of them, my prefered is still the ALICE system packs. The history of backpacks is interesting since it is really the history of being able to move with stuff easier. Is there a perfect backpack? Maybe in 10000 more years we will have it, but right now it is a question of what do you want it to do. I love camping, so I focus on that. Even in camping there are so many different ways of camping that there are almost innumerable variations on design. Very few designs from 50 years ago even are considered popular today. I've seen a couple videos of yours, but this is the one that gets my subscription.

I love the way you talk and how you edit this video🥰🥰 Thank you for making this video, it's easier to watch than read 😆

Oh God has really blessed you 😊

Excellent video at a perfect length. My favorite pack was the JanSport D5 from the early 80's... I still have and use today. Recently bought the Vargo AR2 as a light weight framed alternative.

That was a fun walk through time. I had the 70’s era Kelty framed orange backpack. No hip belt though. Ugh! 😅

I still have one of those aluminum external frame packs in the middle. at 6:50

Yes! I’ve been waiting for this! Love the rocket man pic as the future! Haha. That was awesome Doug! 👍 Love this!

Sewing has been around for millenia. Surely all that became new, was once old. The basic principles of human load carrying do not change. I believe that ALL of the ancients had something like a backpack.

Maybe it’s just old school mentality but I like my Osprey 70 purchased in 2011. The Dynema packs just feel like there’s not enough “there” there. Those of us who came up in the 80’s & 90’s were happy to retire the Kelty e-frames & Jansport I-frames and move on to the 2010’s suspension systems but (and this is just my opinion) it seems like a lot of ultra light through hikers these days lack comprehensive problem solving capabilities on-trail. They carry little to no tools. Little to no survival gear. The cute folding spork does not replace a Buck knife. Hiking without 50-100 feet of cordage & a rain poncho is something I’d never do. Heck even my under 4 pound survival kits roll with the 10C’s covered. Lastly I’m dismayed to see so many people completely disregarding redundancy in their gear. I’ve witnessed or heard of packs being stolen while taking a shit. Tumbling into rivers or down into canyons that are 100% inaccessible. In 2009 my last 1.5L of water was booted off a cliff by a gaggle of drunk Russian dudes in Echo Canyon at 2pm, on a 100F day. They neither stopped nor acknowledged what they did! One second I was wiping my brow, the next I was 100% waterless. Sure I had a “kitchen drawer” survival kit scattered throughout my cargo pockets, but it lacked a backup water vessel & no filter, nor H20 tabs. Thankfully I was 4 miles from the car so I found a round pebble, popped it into my mouth and cooked for 2 hours under fierce white sun, inhaling the harsh, dusty downhill and with zero relief. These things happen. We came up in the era of no cell phones & no PLB’s. There was no “911 a helo! I have a boo boo” option. Note the gear dumps/load out videos these enthusiastic 20-something’s put up on youtube and they have NOTHING with which to improvise should something happen to their 6 ounce backpack. God bless them and I sincerely hope the Swiss cheese theory of wilderness survival never catches them off guard. Maybe this is getting preachy but fellas? If you can’t tolerate 30 pounds of gear when trekking off onto a 12 mile loop with 2 overnights, the place you need to visit isn’t REI-it’s the gym. 3-5 pounds of redundancies worn in a low profile fanny pack positioned over the pelvis, under the hip belt provides enough equipment to facilitate a decent survival camp should any of the aforementioned mishaps occur. Another great option is to cross load survival redundancies into your pockets. An average pair of trekking shorts provide 5-6 pockets. Add another 1-2 from a shirt. And 2-5 in a light jacket. That’s a lot of pocket space to afford fire backup, cordage, a Sawyer mini, and few 3mil contractors bags (40-50 gallon) I fold mine into 4”x6”‘craft baggies and that makes one of the most versatile pieces of survival gear no bigger than a deck of cards. Plus the baggies hold 6.5 to 8 ounces of water in a pinch. There are TONS of awesome videos on youtube to help the novice but if I name any the algo will delete this comment (that I spent 30 minutes writing) One last trick? Carry one of those $16 green laser pens. They are mini light sabers at night & are easily seen by SAR aircraft during daylight hours too. They weigh nothing & are USB rechargeable. So why the long essay? I live at the base of Olympic National Park. The number of missing hikers has absolutely exploded in recent years. Be trail wise. Don’t become the next face on the bulletin boards up here. At every gas station & grocery store. Reconfigure your gear. Plan for contingencies. Ray Jardin was a SERIOUS big wall climber & gear innovator long before he launched the ultra light craze. Respectfully, very few reading this are in the Ray Jardin category of outdoorsman. I’m certainly not. God bless. Happy trails.

This is fascinating, Doug - thanks for putting it together.

Well done! Loved the introduction. Awesome idea for a video. Loved this video. Crow✌️

I love this video idea! Great information and a fun look back. I always thought it would be fun to go out on a short trip using only retro gear when possible. Great video!

This was so interesting man! Great job on the video!

This was awesome! Well done!

Love it!!! Great job.

I love a good history lesson. Thank you!

Amazing! Love this - great work

Cool fade in!

Muito bom o conteúdo! Parabéns!

Interesting stuff! Most of this was new to me. Thanks for putting it together. I've toyed with the idea of taking a trip using an entire loadout of gear from a certain time period in the past, say 50 or 100 years ago. If I could ever find the gear at a decent price, that is. Although I should probably finish upgrading all my current gear before I do that, haha. Looking forward to the review of your "new" backpack!

If you haven't done so already you should do a "history of" series for camping gear. Gonna check 😁

12:13 That’s my pack.

Having to buy a new Uber eats bag lead me to this video. Haha

Do you the prices of that backpack made in 1800s

No mentioning of use of backpacks in Napoleonic wars? Well before US civil war..

history of *western backpacks