Tactical backpacks on campus. Thoughts

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bowieknifenick

Joined
Dec 7, 2015
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I go to a college, in a relatively rural area, nice college, mostly white, demographic from fresh out of high school to retirees taking courses out of boredom.

Is there some new fad that I don't know about? Because it seems like every other kid is wearing a tan tactical backpack complete with molle webbing.

I have nothing against these kinds of backpack, as my disaster bag is a tactical backpack with molle webbing that serves an actual purpose, like attaching my knife to the outside of the pack along with other pouches for gear that I might need to get at quickly without searching through my bag

This bag does not see the light of day unless I am moving it from my trunk to the house after the day is done. I do not walk around with it, it is kept out of sight, but if I need it, or the supplies I have stashed in it, it's there.

I have some sort of issue with seeing people, mainly girls walking around with these backpacks on, complete with their yoga pants and Starbucks in hand. These bags do serve a purpose, for the military and for people looking for a rugged use bag that can hold accessories that other bags can't hold , but not as a fashion accessory or a book bag. I actually tried putting my books into my disaster bag (cleared out of course) and it made for a really crappy book bag, the weight distribution was off and the books just jostled around in there.

Is there a new trend I don't know of? It's really kind of irritating to see these people, some guys, some girls, who don't look like they would spent a minute outdoors, wearing these outdoor, rugged use backpacks. The people who look like outdoors types, the ones wearing dirty jeans, carhart jackets and beards don't carry these kinds of bags.

carrying books around doesn't seem like rugged use to me. I've had the same backpack, a Swiss gear one, since my senior year of high school 3 years ago and I've put it through hell and back and it looks new.

Just don't understand what is up with kids trying to look cool or whatever. Just needed to rant haha

Tell me what you think
 
bowieknifenick said:
I have nothing against these kinds of backpack, as my disaster bag is a tactical backpack with molle webbing that serves an actual purpose, like attaching my knife to the outside of the pack along with other pouches for gear that I might need to get at quickly without searching through my bag
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I don't load up my pack with a bunch of extraneous pouches and pockets if I'm using it around campus. If I'm hiking or traveling, I might want the extra storage space or quick access to a particular item, so I throw on some extra pouches, or a knife, or rig up a system for carrying my camera tripod. That's what MOLLE is for- Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.

bowieknifenick said:
This bag does not see the light of day unless I am moving it from my trunk to the house after the day is done. I do not walk around with it, it is kept out of sight, but if I need it, or the supplies I have stashed in it, it's there. I have some sort of issue with seeing people, mainly girls walking around with these backpacks on, complete with their yoga pants and Starbucks in hand. These bags do serve a purpose, for the military and for people looking for a rugged use bag that can hold accessories that other bags can't hold , but not as a fashion accessory or a book bag.
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So.... because MOLLE is for "hard use", you shouldn't use it in any other situation? In what way is that logical? For that matter, not all packs are made the same- I've seen cheap, shitty MOLLE packs that fell apart just as quickly as cheap, shitty "regular" backpacks. MOLLE != hard use.

bowieknifenick said:
I actually tried putting my books into my disaster bag (cleared out of course) and it made for a really crappy book bag, the weight distribution was off and the books just jostled around in there.
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Probably because your disaster bag is on the larger side. Lots of companies make backpacks with MOLLE attachment points, in a variety of different styles. Maxpedition, Goruck, Triple Aught Design and Timbuk2 are the first few companies I can think of that produce small (20L or less) that feature MOLLE. Some of them are uber-tactical and practically made of MOLLE, others (Timnbuk2) are more "traditional" packs with small patches of MOLLE to enhance the versatility of the pack.

bowieknifenick said:
Is there a new trend I don't know of? It's really kind of irritating to see these people, some guys, some girls, who don't look like they would spent a minute outdoors, wearing these outdoor, rugged use backpacks. The people who look like outdoors types, the ones wearing dirty jeans, carhart jackets and beards don't carry these kinds of bags. carrying books around doesn't seem like rugged use to me. I've had the same backpack, a Swiss gear one, since my senior year of high school 3 years ago and I've put it through hell and back and it looks new.
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I spent the first 19 years of my life living on a small farm in a rural area. Still go back whenever I get the chance. At the same same time, I can't grow a beard to save my life, and when I'm not working, I like to dress up a bit. Can't change my looks, but I can change out of my worn carhartts and into a decent pair of Prana pants and a nice button-up shirt. When I want to hike, bike, or work outside, I change, but because I hate moving stuff around from bag to bag (and usually end up forgetting something important), I tend to use one pack for most activities. My point being your snap judgement of people's character, based entirely on their choice of backpack, come off as awfully elitist. Who says these people you meet don't use their packs for more than just books? And for that matter, even if they never spend a minute outside, why does their choice of backpack matter?

Tell me what you think
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I think you're being awfully judgmental over what is, at the very worst, a fashion statement.
 
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I think it is a good thing. When you are majoring in gender studies with a focus on 18th century queer musicology it's smart to be prepared. You never know when you might have to rustle up some squirrel meat between classes.
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I suspect the whole rich kid, gear centric, prepper movement is built on anxiety rooted in the skill gap (c) mike rowe. These are kids trying to fix with a credit card what would be better fixed with a more employable degree.

Or it could be fashion. In which case who cares.... Wear whatever you like as long as it isn't a burka because you can fit scary stuff under a burka.
 
Oh and by the way... those tacticool bags make for poor disaster bags. They are designed for selling not for hiking. You are much better served with a lighter, fitted bag with a real suspension system from one of the usual outdoor outfitters. Osprey for example has an awesome lineup.
 
Can't say I've seen it at the college I attend, other than ROTC/military who attend classes there, however,I'm do see combat boots, boots in general and other "outdoorsy/working" wear more commonly within the last year or two, which may be rad, may be a change in mindset, I'm not sure. However, I do agree it'd be goody to see a girl in yoga pants with a "tactical" bag... But, I've seen goofier...
 
bowieknifenick said:
Is there a new trend I don't know of? It's really kind of irritating to see these people, some guys, some girls, who don't look like they would spent a minute outdoors, wearing these outdoor, rugged use backpacks. The people who look like outdoors types, the ones wearing dirty jeans, carhart jackets and beards don't carry these kinds of bags.
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To each his own. Let them exercise their liberty to carry whatever bag/pack they choose. It's no skin off your back so don't allow it to bother you. Why should you even care?

Once you quit empowering others by letting their mundane choices in trivial matters irritate you, you'll feel much better by liberating yourself from such unimportant concerns. Just a thought -- you asked for it.
 
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Be really careful about telling others how to enjoy things, or the "right way" or "wrong way" to do something. That makes you sound like a hipster. Just let it be. Even if its all in your own head, it'll just make you mad. Let people like what they like, if someone else liking a thing takes away your enjoyment of the thing, you are just being a hipster, and you should go do your thing instead, because you didn't really like that first thing in the first place.
 
How about...who cares?

Maybe they want to have one bag that can do everything from carrying books to hiking.
Maybe they just got sick of backpacks that fall apart after one semester.
Maybe they got it as a present.

But I'll never know, because I don't care enough to ask them. :)
 
bowieknifenick said:
Is there a new trend I don't know of? It's really kind of irritating to see these people, some guys, some girls, who don't look like they would spent a minute outdoors, wearing these outdoor, rugged use backpacks.
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Fashion knows no boundaries.

People who can barely get out of their own way wear matching jogging outfits.
Guys wear sunglasses on top of their head. Inside a bar. At midnight.
Motocyclist wear leather chaps to protect their legs, but refuse to wear a helmet.
People carry their car keys with a carabiner that can support 500 lbs.
People carry a knife for "self defense" but would not have a clue what to do if the SHTF.
People buy a $500 knife and dress it up with knotwork, titanium beads, custom scales, and carry it every day with no intention of cutting anything more than an apple.

To each his or her own (even if a bunch of people end up doing the same exact "individual" thing...
 
robgmn said:
Fashion knows no boundaries.

People who can barely get out of their own way wear matching jogging outfits.
Guys wear sunglasses on top of their head. Inside a bar. At midnight.
Motocyclist wear leather chaps to protect their legs, but refuse to wear a helmet.
People carry their car keys with a carabiner that can support 500 lbs.
People carry a knife for "self defense" but would not have a clue what to do if the SHTF.
People buy a $500 knife and dress it up with knotwork, titanium beads, custom scales, and carry it every day with no intention of cutting anything more than an apple.

To each his or her own (even if a bunch of people end up doing the same exact "individual" thing...
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Don't forget all the Jeeps on the road that will never see anything other than pavement. ;)

I use a molle (5.11) backpack everyday. I carry books, two laptops, an iPad, cables of all sorts, batteries, first aid kit, etc. Am I in the military? Not any more, but that doesn't mean I can't use a pack that allows me to prepare for any adventure - be it on a campus, on a hiking trail, or on a weekend trip. The benefit of these backpacks is that you can configure them for whatever you are doing rather than have a separate pack for each purpose.

If you like wearing what you do, carrying the knife you do, using the backpack you do, by all means carry on! Spend your life being happy rather than worrying about what others think is wasteful or inappropriate.
 
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It's no different to using a sports bag to carry books. Its just fashion. Back when I was at school everyone had a sports bag on their back and a pair of Nikes on their feet. Were they the most appropriate for the job? No, sports bags are huge unstructured bags designed for clothes and shoes, not books. Nikes aren't warm or waterproof and its cold and wet 3/4 of the year here. But everyone did it. You can't rationalise fashion other than explaning it with the sheep mentality. It doesn't make any other sense.

What I have noticed is people get offended if their anti-fashion niche becomes mainstream fashion. I've definitely found myself doing it over the years.
 
I would think it's cool that more people are carrying tactical backpacks. It's a free country and anybody could wear what ever they want or use what ever backpacks they want.

A lot of dudes wear their sister's tight jeans/skinny jeans......personally I would never wear skinny jeans but everybody has the freedom to choose what clothes they wear and what gear they use.
 
Must be a terrible place.

Post up the location and we'll try to find you a new school not over run by merchants of war.
 
Danke42 said:
Must be a terrible place.

Post up the location and we'll try to find you a new school not over run by merchants of war.
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LMAO

My daughter is one of those kids carrying a molle backpack, with patches on it. Tactical Tailor makes a good bag, she does carry books in it and her computer. It is also in regs for wear with her uniform.
 
bowieknifenick said:
I have some sort of issue with seeing people, mainly girls walking around with these backpacks on, complete with their yoga pants and Starbucks in hand.
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And that doesn't make them hotter? Yoga pants+ridiculous militaryesque equipment? Maybe you're too young, but google babes+machineguns for me and tell us what you think.
bowieknifenick said:
Is there a new trend I don't know of? It's really kind of irritating to see these people, some guys, some girls, who don't look like they would spent a minute outdoors, wearing these outdoor, rugged use backpacks.
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You could look at it as an opportunity to teach them how they can actually use the MOLLE that they likely never have, and thank them for making it seem more common place so if you did end up moving your disaster bag or carrying it, people would just think you were one of those people. Camouflage isn't something you should complain about.
bowieknifenick said:
Just don't understand what is up with kids trying to look cool or whatever.
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Seriously? You belong in the 1950s, or maybe you should just hang out with Clint Eastwood from "Gran Torino".

Zero
 
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