It’s that time of year again. While going back to school may not be everyone’s favorite thing, choosing the right backpack is a sure way to make a year’s worth of learning suck way less. When it comes to picking a pack, the days of grabbing any collection of cloth with a few zippers is over. Now, you have to trust your backpack to do so much more than haul around a couple of books and your collection of Sharpies.

With school bags there are of course the classic options like Jansport backpacks. Serious amounts of style make the Jansport Superbreak an iconic bag that will instantly be recognized on any campus. If you plan on lugging around more school stuff than those slackers in the back row, the Big Student Backpack delivers tons of space and organizational omnipotence so you can stay on top of that workload.

If you have a Denali Jacket, then you already know all about how awesome The North Face is. Owners of the Denali will no doubt want to pair it up with a bag from The North Face like the Recon or Borealis Backpack. Don’t have the jacket yet? No worries, because one of these packs is a great place to start. From crowded cafeterias to the rugged backcountry, The North Face backpacks have got you covered.

Tend to find yourself day dreaming through class about that next hiking trip?
Well, then hopefully you’ve got an Osprey stashed in your locker. While the Osprey Daylite and Talon 22 Backpack do a superior job of hauling your books around, they truly flourish when on the trail. Load up these spacious Osprey packs with all your essentials and tackle any trek without doubt. They are completely satisfied helping you pull an all-nighter to finish up that massive project too.

It just doesn’t get any sweeter than Oakley’s Flak Pack. Safely stash your laptop in the dedicated sleeve or load it up with shorts, wax, and sunscreen for a surf session while the weather is still nice. The Oakley Peak Load Daypack doesn’t mess around when it comes to homework, exams, or shred sessions. Basically, all Oakley bags are stuffed with style and packed with performance.

If a backpack exists that is too cool for school, it might just be the Dakine Terminal. This coming spring, you will look back on the year and notice increased levels of awesomenessthanks to the Terminal. Plan on getting in a few days at the mountain this winter? The Dakine Heli Pro Backpack is a stud in the hallways, but an absolute beast on the mountain, and not just because it can carry your board or skis.

On campus or on the mountain, you have got to pick out the best backpack that is going to support your studies as well as fuel all your favorite extracurricular activities. Best of luck to everyone this school year and may those GPAs not be too crushed by powder days.

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