Jansport Rucksack.com

Jansport rucksack is a brand of rucksack or backpack owned by one of the world’s largest apparel companies VF Corporation. Founded in Seattle in 1967 the company was formed by Jan Lewis, Skip Yowell and Murray Pletz. The company is no longer based in Seattle having relocated to San Leandro, California where  the VF Corporation’s headquarters are. Amongst it’s siblings are Napapijri and The North Face. Jansport is actually the world’s biggest rucksack maker and along with it’s sibling The North Face they happen to sell nearly half of all small rucksacks bought in the United States of America. A major attribute to be known by is that Jansport rucksack come with a lifetime warranty on all of it’s products which just shows the confidence the company has in the quality of it’s good’s. Jansport also has a very long history of innovations in rucksack or backpack design and along with Kelty and Coleman they are one of a very few companies that manufacture external frame rucksacks or backpacks.

The word rucksack is a German word used mainly in the United Kingdom and the U.S.A army for a backpack. Rucksacks generally come in four different categories. These are frameless, external frame, internal frame and body pack.

The frameless rucksack or backpack is the simplest form of a rucksack. It is a bag with shoulder straps attached and is used for general transportation of goods and comes in a variety of sizes depending upon what you want to transport. The simplest form of frameless rucksack just consists of one main pocket and can be combined with webbing or cordage straps so they can be carried on the back. There are more sophisticated versions of the frameless rucksack which come with extra added pockets, waist straps, chest straps, padded shoulder straps, padded backs and can also have reflective materials added to the main body of the rucksack or backpack for extra safety when the user is out in the night time darkness. These frameless rucksacks are in general rather inexpensive to manufacture and so hence are not expensive to purchase.

Invented in 1967 by Greg Lowe the internal frame rucksack is a fairly new innovation. The internal frame rucksack or backpack has a large cloth section in which a small frame is integrated within it. The frame is usually made of metal or plastic and is able to mold itself to the wearers back to give a very comfortable fit. It comes usually with a series of straps  that work together with the frame to evenly distribute the weight inside the sack and hold it in place. The only problem with this is that it does reduce ventilation and these Jansport rucksack or backpacks are hence more sweaty that external frame alternatives. Because the carrying sack on the internal frame is larger you can carry much more inside the sack but to the expense of being able to carry bulkier items such as tents and sleeping bags.

In the olden days internal framed rucksacks or backpacks were not so viable as they only carried small loads and were not so comfortable during steady walking. However with improved innovations they are now greatly improved and because of their snug fit they are much better in activities that use a lot of upper body movement such as trekking and skiing. So really you must look at what purpose you want your rucksack or backpack for before deciding on whether you acquire an external or internal frame Jansport rucksack. As you have read they both have plus and minus attributes.

Jansport Rucksack

There are many uses for rucksacks or backpacks. Students in many countries use them to carry educational materials to their place of learning. The rucksacks have even become a fashion statement within the circles of educational establishments and buying a fashionable, attractive and useful rucksack or backpack is essential for many students. A typical student backpack does not have the rigid frame of the outdoor style rucksack and include only a few pockets along with the main space of the pack. They are very simple in design and are adequately reinforced to be able to carry heavy text books. They can also have reflective panels to help protect the student in darkness.

Backpacks are used by infantry in most countries and as a civilian you can acquire a similar army backpack from most army surplus stores. These army backpacks tend to be external frame and can be very heavy. The reason for this is of course that the soldier needs to carry an awful lot of supplies when going in to combat zones. Rucksacks can also be used as luggage in the travel and leisure sector. They are very convenient to be able to be used as carry on baggage with aeroplanes .

For outdoor activities however such as backpacking the rucksack is more complex as they are required to carry much heavier loads and are subject to a vast array of weather conditions.. They have additional hip straps which distribute the weight evenly to the back and legs for better balance and comfort. They usually have a frame of some sort to also help with this and tend to have sub divided main compartments for better selective carrying. They have more additional pockets for smaller items and have lash points in which to attach further equipment. The most common materials used for these rucksacks are canvas, polyester, with ripstop fabric for lightweight packs and cordura for the heavier backpacks.

So the usage for backpacks is vast. When going to buy yourself a jansport rucksack you must take into consideration what you will be using the pack for and then decide on that basis. Yes you will use you backpack for many tasks but on choosing you must focus on the main use for your Jansport rucksack.

External frame Jansport rucksack traditionally use a rigid external frame which you strap on to the back and carries and supports a cloth or leather sack. The external frame rucksack or backpack can be used to carry heavier weights than the frameless Jansport rucksack and also give the wearer more protection and support and better weight distribution than the frameless version. In the olden days wooden pack frames were used but nowadays the modern pack frames tend to be made of lightweight metal tubes which is usually aluminium because of it durability and lightness. Titanium and scandium is also used but aluminium is the most popular. The good thing about the frame is the system of straps and pads which keep the frame and sack from actually contacting the body. This helps with ventilation and the problem of sweatiness. The frame is bigger than the sack which allows you to be in a position to attach additional items such as sleeping bags, tents or thermal pads. So the main internal compartment is reduced thus allowing you to carry more bulky items. The problem with this though is that it is less smooth and you have less control over the load than you do have with an internal frame rucksack. You may also suffer from bruising caused by the un cushioned frame banging or rubbing against the body. They are however very durable.