For most of us, choosing a backpack isn't really that big of a deal. Whether we're grabbing one for our kids first day back to school or need one to carry the bits and goodies of life around, a backpack is a simple contraption without too much room for error. Lately however, the backpack world has taken a turn for the complicated, requiring insight and understanding before hitting the "buy now" button. It has finally become possible to mess up the ordeal of backpack ordering.

Its obvious, I believe, the difference between a backpack for taking a quick hiking trip somewhere and storing books on the way to class. These two types of backpacks have always been rather distinguishable from each other and (as and sixth grader will explain should you try to stuff the books into the one designed for hiking) completely not interchangeable based on social standards more than functional-ability. Its also rather obvious that you dont order a backpack with a cute little cartoon character on it for a child past the second grade without being specifically asked to do so. You can completely ruin your childs first day back to school by sending him as the only kid with a little kid backpack when all the other kids have graduated to big kid backpacks. It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to them.

This scenario has ruined many various first days of school for various children. Of course, we should never allow our children to believe that it is okay to judge a person by their backpack, but our kids have to live in the shadow of the opinions of their classmates. Girls arent immune from all of this, but the fourth grade boy who shows up with Elmo slapped on his backpack is definitely in more trouble than the girl that does it. This is one of the unfortunate side effects of our society.

Aside from all the usual backpack difficulties one may have when trying to select the right kind, there is now a new type which has hit the market, one which is throwing the less technologically savvy for a loop. It was one thing when we brought computers into our homes, to sit placidly on the desk where they were to be until their eventual death. Now, because we have computers that like to travel, they come with their own special backpack, ready to go in an instant. It created such an awkward scene, when well meaning parents or grandparents wrapped up a new backpack for one of the many gifts of celebration only to find that somewhere in the stack of gifts the child was expecting a laptop to fit into their new backpack. Because of course children know about these things the instant that they hit the market. Who knew that the handy Velcro strap inside was designed to hold a small computer instead of keeping books from jostling about? Oh, well. Live and learn and then consult the internet before making your next purchase, even for something that used to be as routine as a backpack.

So how does one avoid these simple and honest mistakes? Were not talking about a complicated piece of equipment that should require hours upon hours of research. We are talking about a bag, that we put stuff in, and carry it around for our own personal use. This should not be a complicated deal, in fact it should be one of the simpler aspects of life.

In order to avoid some of the more unreasonable discomforts of life, youre going to have to start reading labels. Not glancing over them as I still tend to do, but really reading them, looking at them for a clue about what they actually are. I did manage to find a backpack not long ago that was definitely designed for a small child (it had the tell tale Disney character on the back of it) with a laptop. What kindergartener is going to need to haul their $2000 laptop to school is beyond me, but there it was. A laptop backpack designed for a five year old. Reading the label affirmed this, as laptop backpacks quite simply state “laptop backpacks" somewhere on their labeling.

Reading labels can help keep you out of a world of trouble with other bags and luggage as well, although I can honestly say that I can squeeze my clothes into most designer bags regardless of what they were originally designed for. What matters most is the recipient of the bag. Most often, bags are designed for a specific reason so that they work well with that reason in mind, leaving them falling short as stand ins for other types of bags. Some people will vehemently disagree with this statement, claiming that if its a bag, you can just work with what is in front of you. This is partially true. Many people will find trying to use a laptop backpack to lug their books around works only if they have a few books. Eventually, the books no longer fit correctly because the space designed for the laptop is too small to support a great deal of books. Its simple like that. Once you identify the type of bag it is, your backpack shopping worries are pretty much over. Thankfully, the small disasters of life are just as easy to avert as they are to get into.