MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and
chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.
It wouldn't occur to me to carry a two-strap backpack using only one strap. What's the point of that? The whole idea of the two straps is to distribute the weight evenly.(I realise I sound like an old codger and have probably totally missed the point, being the least cool person on the planet.)
We didn't have any straps back in the dark ages that I went to high-school in. Seems kind of dumb looking back but for some reason it never occurred to us to put our books in a bag.
I don't think it's a matter of being cooler. It's a matter of survival. You should have seen the tonnage of books my daughter had to lug to high school. She had to two-strap just to be able to carry the load. It was easily ten pounds, no joke. AP classes love their books, I guess.
Two straps makes so much more sense. I always wanted to use two straps but felt like a tool doing so in a non-hiking environment. I'm glad kids today are smarter!
I feel somewhat bad for kids these days. The probably get better educations than I did but school seems so hard now. I barely paid attention in high-school and seldom bothered to do any homework or study and graduated with a B- or so.
Two straps does make more sense. I, however, am squarely in the demographic for whom it would have been inconceivable. I don't even remember wishing I could use two straps - the thought never entered my head.
I never had a backpack at school, because way back then, backpacks were for hiking only. My kids always wear theirs with both straps, but the two girls still at school don't have much choice, with the weight of books they have to carry. Can't wait until their school goes into full laptop mode in two years, because carrying that sort of weight is all kinds of bad for growing bodies.
Two-strapping seemed to coincide with a move towards more "serious" backpacks--lots of pockets and loops and carabiners and buckles, I think meant to imply that the wearer is engaged in Serious Business. Not only two-strapping, but also the chest strap. Sure, there's practicality and ergonomics and today's larger loads, but I do think it's a fashion thing.
I've had it wrong every time. I two-strapped it in pre-1994 college days, mostly because my books were fucking heavy. Now I one strap it with my mini backpack purse. If there's too much stuff in it I'll two-strap.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
