backpacks Archives - Jen is on a Journey

My youngest daughter started Kindergarten last week and one of the most important items I believe she needed was a backpack. It’s the essential bag for all your daily needs, it holds your lunch, your school supplies, your sweater, and school notes. It’s a daily tool for school that needs to last the entire year. Luckily backpacks aren’t like shoes and in the course of the year you don’t need to buy more than one due to a growth spurt, so it’s important to make a smart investment, and that investment is one with Land’s End!

To ensure superior quality and durability, Lands’ End backpacks endure rigorous abrasion,seam strength and pull testing. Superior details such as double-strength bottoms, reinforced sail stitching on grab handles and binding on interior seams add extra value by helping packs last all year long. For safety, reflective trim keeps kids visible while padded C-shaped shoulder straps add comfort. Kids can “Make it Your Own” with a monogram, embroidery and heat transfers.

Lands’ End makes it easy for parents to pick the perfect pack by testing each backpack’s capacity and providing details on “what it fits.” The 2011 Backpack Headquarters also features handy guidelines that call out which packs will fit best based on a child’s height, including (also has L and XL):

Small – Fits Kids 3’ – 3’6
ClassMate TinyTake: The smallest in its class, but still built to last. This pack is designed to carry everything a pre‐schooler needs without weighing little ones down. It features a clear front pocket that lets kids display artwork and long zipper pulls that are easier for little hands, $24.50
Extra Activity Cinch Bag: An excellent take‐along for kids’ after‐school activities. Perfect for dance class, sports practice or field trips, the drawstring closure cinches shut for easy packing and unpacking. A zippered exterior pocket keep small items close at hand, $19.50.

Medium – Fits Kids 3’6 – 4’
ClassMate SmallHaul: Multiple pockets, a removable organizer pouch and side mesh water bottle sleeve help younger grade school kids keep everything in its place. This pack also has a quick‐release buckle that makes attaching its coordinating lunch box a snap, $29.50.
ClassMate Shoulder Bag: Kids looking for something other than a traditional backpack will love this style. One large main compartment hauls most gear while a removable pouch and exterior zippered pocket keeps small supplies organized, $34.50.
FeatherLight 100 Backpack: Believe it or not, a pack itself can add unnecessary weight to a child’s schoolwork load. This pack takes advantage of super‐strong ripstop nylon to shave off unnecessary ounces while preserving superior durability, $29.50.
FeatherLight Messenger Bag: This updated version of the traditional messenger style is anything but light on carrying capacity! Kids can express their personality by adding a pop of color with a replacement set of compression straps, $34.50 (extra straps, $5).

Our Take: My little girl (hitting just about 3 foot 4 inches) received the Featherlight 100 backpack from Land’s End. Slightly bigger to adjust to her growth over the next year (or two), this pink flower decorated pack is great! With a large zipped pouch to fit her lunch, sweater, notes, and supplies, it feels light weight even fully packed.

We had her name embroidered on the front for easy identification, inside there is also a patch inside the pack for name/address/phone number. She loves that her pack is “hers” with her name on it and it’s comforting for her first experience in an elementary school. There’s a pouch that’s inside that can hold tissues, pencils, hand sanitizer what have you. Also the front pouch has lots of room, plus side pockets for water bottles!

The side straps are adjustable to fit comfortably and we have them pulled to the tightest length at this point which leaves the excess hanging. I worry about her tripping on the excess, so I think I will pin it up with a safety pin and even higher so it doesn’t sit so low on her back.

Overall we’re really pleased by Land’s End’s quality and their commitment to make a great product for match the student and the prices are competitive. I hope we can use this backpack for at least the next 2 school years!

Find Land’s End online, http://www.landsend.com/ on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/landsend, and Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/LandsEndChat.

We were sent product for honest review. All opinions are our own.

Back to school means backpack time! Kids love picking out backpacks with their favorite superheroes or Disney stars but overstuffed packs can take a toll on young bodies. Are your kids wearing their backpacks the right way?

Parents should be aware that overloaded backpacks can cause back pain if worn improperly. Last year, my oldest opted for a satchel style for her school books and came home about half of the year with shoulder pain since there was only one strap. Needless to say, she chose a standard two-strap pack this year!

Dr. Andrew Casden, associate director of Beth Israel’s Spine Institute, says “overloaded backpacks can lead to fatigue, muscle irritation and tiny muscle tears that bring kids into the office with pain. Students should know the proper way to wear their backpacks to avoid pain.”

The good news is that most times the damage isn’t permanent and pain can be alleviated by minor behavior adjustments. Dr. Casden recommends the following 5 Tips for Wearing Your Backpack Comfortably :

· Reduce the weight in the pack – weight should not exceed 20% of the child’s body weight.

· Bend at the knees, not at the waist when lifting heavy packs.

· Wear the backpack over both shoulders, not slung over only one.

· Place heavy items in the back of the pack.

· Consider a pack on wheels that can be dragged rather than carried.

Back pain in children is rarely serious, but should not be ignored either. If children complain of persistent pain, you should consult a physician to rule out any medical problems.
Info provided for the benefit of my readers, I was not compensated in any way for this post.