Recommendation for rugged rolling backpack/bag?

[Pegasus]

DD currently does fine with a regular JanSport backpack but only needs to carry one or two courses worth of books/supplies with her at a time as she is commuting to the very close by community college and usually comes home between classes. Once she transfers to a state university, she will need to be able to carry a full-day's worth of books/supplies and a laptop with her.  The commuting lots are on the outskirts of the large campus so running back and forth to her vehicle won't be practical.  

 

Any recommendations?  Preferred features would include:

 

1. Large enough for several texts, binders, laptop

2. Rolling - she's petite and has some joint issues so not carrying that much weight would be best

3. Rugged - this is a large hilly campus so wheels and fabric would need to be robust

4. Water resistant base - we get lots of rain and the bag will be rolled over wet ground regularly

5. Cost - willing to pay more for the perfect bag that will last

 

If your student has found other commuting solutions, I'd be all ears!

 

Thanks,

Pegasus

[Jen in NY]

We have not used the backpacks, but both of my girls have absolutely giant LLBean Rolling duffles that are indestructible.

 

LLBean has a great replacement policy, too, so if it wears out, they will give you a new one, no questions.

 

They have a couple of backpacks.

[Pawz4me]

JanSport backpacks have served both of our boys well.  Youngest DS is in an early college high school program but is essentially a full time college student. He doesn't come home between classes and so carries all the books and other supplies he needs each day as well as his laptop.  He uses this JanSport rolling backpack. He's used it for three years now and it's still holding up perfectly well.  Oldest DS is at a large state university and walks everywhere with his backpack.  His doesn't roll, but it's otherwise pretty much the same as the one linked.  He also still has and uses the JanSport backpack he used throughout high school.  He could have continued to use it in college since it was in fine shape, but I thought new beginnings deserved new gear. ;)  We're Jansport fans.

[regentrude]

Not what you asked, but a comment: she should first see whether she can lighten the load.

Most classes do not require students to carry the physical textbook. Many students acquire a pdf of their textbooks for use on their portable devices and leave their hardcopy at home.

I have been teaching on a college campus for fifteen years and almost never have seen a student with a rolling backpack.

Edited June 4, 2016 by regentrude

[elegantlion]

You might see if there are any lockers available. Our non-traditional and commuter center has some available (not in the building I need...). 

[goldberry]

Not what you asked, but a comment: she should first see whether she can lighten the load.

Most classes do not require students to carry the physical textbook. Many students acquire a pdf of their textbooks for use on their portable devices and leave their hardcopy at home.

I have been teaching on a college campus for fifteen years and almost never have seen a student with a rolling backpack.

 

The algebra textbook we had to buy was never used.  The other class she had, the book was used for homework only, never in class.

 

What a great investment of money, huh? ;)

[regentrude]

The algebra textbook we had to buy was never used.  The other class she had, the book was used for homework only, never in class.

 

What a great investment of money, huh? ;)

 

In my college classes, I don't use the textbook in class, nor assign homework from it. The students have reading assignments they are expected to complete before coming to lecture. That's what they are required to buy the book for.

Lectures highlight the most important concepts, but cannot cover all material comprehensively - so it is essential that students use the book to study.

Now, many students simply won't do the reading - they may well complain about the investment. But the fact is that they should have used it.

Edited June 7, 2016 by regentrude

[DebbS]

I have seen rolling backpacks on campus but it is still quite rare. Yet, if your daughter does have physical problems that would be exacerbated by wearing a backpack, then for sure get one!  Even if she doesn't need her large textbooks for class, she might need them for studying between classes. Who cares what everybody else does!  She might just start a trend.

 

You might want to consider the one from LL Bean. I haven't purchased one of these but I know that LL Bean has a good reputation for quality backpacks and they replace them if they break.

[goldberry]

In my college classes, I don't use the textbook in class, nor assign homework from it. The students have reading assignments they are expected to complete before coming to lecture. That's what they are required to buy the book for.

Lectures highlight the most important concepts, but cannot cover all material comprehensively - so it is essential that students use the book to study.

Now, many students simply won't do the reading - they may well complain about the investment. But the fact is that they should have used it.

 

That's no doubt true.  DD doesn't learn well as well through reading.  For math, she focused on the class teaching and taking extensive notes.  It worked for her in math, but I'm worried about her future college classes that don't work so much like that. 

 

Apologies, I was being kinda snarky!  Books are just SO expensive and overpriced....

[regentrude]

Apologies, I was being kinda snarky!  Books are just SO expensive and overpriced....

 

yes, the expense is ridicuous. That's why a good strategy is to ask the instructor  before purchase whether an older edition of the book would be acceptable as well, and whether the access code will be required for mandatory work (and not as an auxilliary resource).

This is one of several reasons I no longer assign homework from the book: my students can use any of the prior three editions for their reading, which makes it inexpensive.

Edited June 7, 2016 by regentrude

[quark]

DS uses this rolling backpack by High Sierra. Very sturdy and rugged. Love the waterbottle sized zipped side pockets (his water container kept falling out of his earlier backpack's side pocket). Takes a lot of stuff AND bulky lunch boxes too.

[Arcadia]

We have a High Sierra one which survives rain and muddy football fields but is heavy if your daughter have to lug it up stairs. We stuff laptops, binders, textbook and notebooks into it. Sometimes my boys are lazy to wait for the elevators so they just carry it up flights of stairs.

 

My nearest state university has plenty of stairs and we use the multistorey library there sometimes.

 

http://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Freewheel-Wheeled-Backpack/dp/B003R5097E

[Pegasus]

Wow!  Thanks, everyone.  These suggestions will give DD a good place to start her search and develop a strategy.  She wouldn't give a second thought even if she was the only one on the campus of 28,000 students with a rolling backpack.  She's not a trend follower, to put it lightly.

 

However, I appreciate the reminder that a rolling bag is going to be even heavier if she has to pick it up for stairs. The campus is hilly and has a lot of stairs.  

 

Checking to see if there are lockers is a great idea.  She prefers to study from real books as opposed to e-books.  I'll remind her to check the campus library as well to see if they make the textbooks available in the reference area. It may be possible to do studying there if she doesn't need the text in class.