The origin of the backpack

The origin of the backpack

Dick Kelty in 1952 invented the backpack that is also known as packsack, pack, rucksack and knapsack. To carry heavy loads backpack is very beneficial. Greg Lowe invented the internal-frame packs in 1967.

Dick Kelty, developed the aluminium frame backpack and was therefore partly responsible for encouraging more people to get out and explore the wilderness. Kelty himself was hiker and interested to explore places but at that time the best backpacks available were army rucksacks which are very heavy and uncomfortable to carry.

Kelty got the idea for his backpack in 1951 when he and a friend were hiking in the Sierra Nevada. He noticed that his friend had inserted the wooden supports of his rucksack into his trouser pockets, transferring much of the weight on to his hips, an innovation which enabled him to stand up straight and move with greater comfort. When he arrived home, Kelty began making backpacks in his kitchen out of nylon and lightweight aluminium tubing, adding padded shoulder straps and waist-straps to transfer much of the weight to the hips.

Kelty then started working on this idea in his garage after borrowing some 500$ loan against his house. He used aluminium frames and stitched with nylon to make the light weight backpacks. They sold the finished backpacks for $24 apiece.

In 1972, they sold their company Kelty Pack to the Boston-based CML Group, and he become chairman of that company. After that they keep on adding other range of products and also the backpack get evolved to its modern look and this is how the backpack came got invented which now been used by adventure enthusiast throughout the world.