Three of The Best - Backpacks
Many years ago, before I moved to London, I was under the impression that backpacks were the carrier of choice solely for school kids. It was to my surprise, as I embarked upon my first Northern Line commute, that every man and his dog bore the weight of their daily essentials on their shoulders.
Maybe it’s the fact that so many less people use cars, and therefore don’t have the boot (or passenger’s footwell) space in which to chuck their kit. Maybe it’s just that a sturdier lunch is required to sustain a working day in the Capital. Either way; as the good people of London hop onto their bike, bus, train or tube to work of a morning; many of them reach for their trusty backpack.
As it withstands rain, wind and public transport floors, it has to be one of the hardest working items in your arsenal. For this reason, we feel it’s worth investing in a decent one. So without further ado, these are three of our picks that’ll stand the test of time, and look going doing so.
Fjållraven Kånken
The sight of a red curled up arctic fox on backpacks has become commonplace across London and far beyond, and for good reason.
The story of the Kånken goes back to 1978 in Sweden, when it was reported that up to eighty percent of the population suffered with back pain. Worse yet, the problems were starting to arise in childhood.
Founder Ake Nordin took it upon himself to design a school bag that would spread the load better than the customary shoulder bags of the time. It was made of the sturdiest material that he could source, was big enough to fit in A4 school books, and even had a removable foam “seat” for kids to use when stationary. All of these key components remain to this day. Clever fella old Ake.
My current Kånken is still going (somewhat) strong after seven years of commuting, drops and spillages. In more recent times it is as likely to contain my daughter’s changing gear as my sandwiches.
You can fit a lot into a seemingly small space and the aforementioned A4 school book pocket is ideal for a laptop, protected by the foam “seat” (punctuation used as I imagine the levels of buttock comfort would actually be pretty low).
Now available in a wide range of colours and sizes, these bad boys really do stand the test of time. Worth every penny.
Ally Capellino Fin
Ally Capellino are like the Margaret Howell of the backpack world. London born with timeless, simple yet distinctive designs having minimal branding but maximum practicality.
With a standalone store in Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch and a presence in such high end stores as Liberty and Selfridges as well as collaborations with Tate, Apple and Norse Projects amongst others, they’ve become the considered choice for style conscious Londoners.
The Fin is one of their longest standing items and, whilst it doesn’t come cheap, it is a top shelf bit of gear. Currently available in sturdy recycled ripstop, this season’s iteration follows the tried and tested design that has made it so consistently popular.
The ideal size for a laptop, lunch, a bit of gym kit and a water bottle or Keepcup, it has high quality Italian “veg leather” trims and subtle features such as a key holder and double side pockets.
If you choose to drop the big bucks on one you won’t regret it. And you’ll likely have many a fellow commuter asking where you acquired it from.
Snowpeak Day Pack
Snowpeak was founded way back in the late 50’s by an esteemed Japanese mountaineer who was unimpressed with the gear on offer for such activities in his native country.
Specialising for many years in high quality camping and hiking staples such as titanium cups, compact camping stoves and, erm, collapsible coffee drippers, it wasn’t until in 2014 that the founder’s granddaughter - a fashion graduate and now brand President - launched the apparel line.
One item within this line is their excellent day pack. As you can imagine from a brand specialising in gear designed to get you up and down Japan’s toughest mountain ranges, it should be adequately equipped to get you across The Smoke many a time.
It follows the brand’s functional but sleek aesthetic and is made of water-resistant Nylon with their patented “Magic Protection ™” and concealed zips to protect your swag from those customary London showers.
It has two internal pockets for small laptops and a further exterior pocket for additional storage. It also boasts Snowpeak’s simple branding.
Maybe it’s the fact that so many less people use cars, and therefore don’t have the boot (or passenger’s footwell) space in which to chuck their kit. Maybe it’s just that a sturdier lunch is required to sustain a working day in the Capital. Either way; as the good people of London hop onto their bike, bus, train or tube to work of a morning; many of them reach for their trusty backpack.
As it withstands rain, wind and public transport floors, it has to be one of the hardest working items in your arsenal. For this reason, we feel it’s worth investing in a decent one. So without further ado, these are three of our picks that’ll stand the test of time, and look going doing so.
Fjållraven Kånken
The sight of a red curled up arctic fox on backpacks has become commonplace across London and far beyond, and for good reason.
The story of the Kånken goes back to 1978 in Sweden, when it was reported that up to eighty percent of the population suffered with back pain. Worse yet, the problems were starting to arise in childhood.
Founder Ake Nordin took it upon himself to design a school bag that would spread the load better than the customary shoulder bags of the time. It was made of the sturdiest material that he could source, was big enough to fit in A4 school books, and even had a removable foam “seat” for kids to use when stationary. All of these key components remain to this day. Clever fella old Ake.
My current Kånken is still going (somewhat) strong after seven years of commuting, drops and spillages. In more recent times it is as likely to contain my daughter’s changing gear as my sandwiches.
You can fit a lot into a seemingly small space and the aforementioned A4 school book pocket is ideal for a laptop, protected by the foam “seat” (punctuation used as I imagine the levels of buttock comfort would actually be pretty low).
Now available in a wide range of colours and sizes, these bad boys really do stand the test of time. Worth every penny.
Ally Capellino Fin
Ally Capellino are like the Margaret Howell of the backpack world. London born with timeless, simple yet distinctive designs having minimal branding but maximum practicality.
With a standalone store in Calvert Avenue, Shoreditch and a presence in such high end stores as Liberty and Selfridges as well as collaborations with Tate, Apple and Norse Projects amongst others, they’ve become the considered choice for style conscious Londoners.
The Fin is one of their longest standing items and, whilst it doesn’t come cheap, it is a top shelf bit of gear. Currently available in sturdy recycled ripstop, this season’s iteration follows the tried and tested design that has made it so consistently popular.
The ideal size for a laptop, lunch, a bit of gym kit and a water bottle or Keepcup, it has high quality Italian “veg leather” trims and subtle features such as a key holder and double side pockets.
If you choose to drop the big bucks on one you won’t regret it. And you’ll likely have many a fellow commuter asking where you acquired it from.
Snowpeak Day Pack
Snowpeak was founded way back in the late 50’s by an esteemed Japanese mountaineer who was unimpressed with the gear on offer for such activities in his native country.
Specialising for many years in high quality camping and hiking staples such as titanium cups, compact camping stoves and, erm, collapsible coffee drippers, it wasn’t until in 2014 that the founder’s granddaughter - a fashion graduate and now brand President - launched the apparel line.
One item within this line is their excellent day pack. As you can imagine from a brand specialising in gear designed to get you up and down Japan’s toughest mountain ranges, it should be adequately equipped to get you across The Smoke many a time.
It follows the brand’s functional but sleek aesthetic and is made of water-resistant Nylon with their patented “Magic Protection ™” and concealed zips to protect your swag from those customary London showers.
It has two internal pockets for small laptops and a further exterior pocket for additional storage. It also boasts Snowpeak’s simple branding.
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