<p>I got a swiss army backpack – some of my friends have it and they say it’s very durable.</p>
<p>Yeah my brother used the north face backpack (bigshot I think it was called) for about 5 years before it finally broke. It was big, and since he was a guy, he just lugged everything around in it - extra clothes, school stuff, computer, sports gear. He threw it down and dragged it on the gravel and all that stuff and it didn’t break.</p>
<p>Yeah I love L.L. Bean bags. Quick question: for school, what is the best size for their totes?</p>
<p>During parents’ weekend at my son’s school I noticed that he had two backpacks. When I asked why, he said that he packs one for the morning classes and the other for the afternoon. At first I thought it was a bit silly, but he explained that it helps him stay more organized (he needs all the help he can get!) and also lightens a heavy book load. He stops by his dorm midday and makes the switch.</p>
<p>jansport? u could try a hiking backpack lolll</p>
<p>@Cutiedida I was looking at their (LL Bean) catalog and was considering getting one of their totes too. For boarding school the right size would be large or extra large, however I was leaning toward the large, because I already have another backpack, but I would defenitely get a zipper top in case of rain. Hope that helped.</p>
<p>Get a Microsoft backpack.</p>
<p>Hi Neatoburrito,</p>
<p>I bought my son a Maxpedition bag that I use to carry in the army. It is made to withstand the rigors of a combat environment with some niffy features - if you want a bag that will last four years this is it as LL Bean or any other commercially available civilian stuff won’t come close to the same level of durability. My son has the Vulture II which is very roomy but expensive but you won’t buy one every year. Son’s pack still looks new after two school years. [Maxpedition.com</a> - MAXPEDITION HARD-USE GEAR Tactical Nylon Gear for Military, Law Enforcement, Tactical Concealed Carry; Tailored to Perform Tactical](<a href=“http://www.maxpedition.com%5DMaxpedition.com”>http://www.maxpedition.com).</p>
<p>Lastly, there are couple of other bag manufacturers that produce combat type gear and heard they are decent - might want to google “tactical gear and backpacks”. I have personal experience with maxpedition and know them to be exceptional.</p>
<p>Also, here is a youtube gear review part I:</p>
<p><a href=“Gear Review - Maxpedition Vulture II (Part 1) - YouTube”>Gear Review - Maxpedition Vulture II (Part 1) - YouTube;
<p>Part II:</p>
<p><a href=“Gear Review - Maxpedition Vulture II (Part 2) - YouTube”>Gear Review - Maxpedition Vulture II (Part 2) - YouTube;
<p>Thanks exsrch! It’s so funny that you posted those links because I had a student this week with one of these. He had completed a police camp (kids summer camp) and learned about them there. The only problem was that he couldn’t stop fiddling with it. What year is your son entering? Exeter, right?</p>
<p>Hope your son likes the bag also. They look slick and the teflon coating makes them bullet proof. My son is a prep this year and is repeating - can’t remember if your son/daughter is going to Exeter also?</p>
<p>Eddie Bauer - The Adventurer Backpack.</p>
<p>I had several LL Bean packs. Shame on you who return the bags every year for a fresh one and drive the price up for everyone else! If they discontinue their nice policy I’ll know why. I’ve also had a Jansport that was equally as sturdy. I think the zipper on the Jansport was a bit stronger than the LL Bean pack, but the LL Bean had better stitching. The idea of a tactical military bag is nice. Since you sometimes find yourself in a crowded hall, sometimes bigger isn’t better. And having things hanging off every corner of the bag isn’t necessary. Some people pack enough stuff in their bags on campus, you’d think they are going on an overnight expedition. Overloading the bag was my problem. I put every book I needed for the day in the bag so I didn’t have to go back to the dorm, but then had to carry 30 lbs. of books and other unnecessay stuff all day.</p>