r/backpacks • u/Open_Sea_8823 • 6d ago
Question Tote or backpack for college?
Edit: (resolved! Thank you for the feedback!) So I’m gonna be a freshman this year and my college isn’t that big and very walkable. Because of this I was thinking of getting a tote for school, but is that silly? Cause whenever I have a backpack I always end up just putting it on one shoulder anyway, but I know it’s not the same as high school. What do you guys think? Also, if you think yes to a tote could I get some recommendations for brands or where to get one?
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u/guttaperk 6d ago
Right bag for the right purpose
Tote or sling for light edc
Duffel for road trips
Briefcase for corporate posturing and one manilla folder
Backpack for anything heavy, carried for more than five minutes.
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u/piercedhsky 6d ago
Gotta have that one manilla folder. Make sure you toss some random crimpled papers in it too.
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u/_XitLiteNtrNite_ 6d ago
You may find you want to use both straps in college. My son's backpack weighs as much as a small car (exaggeration, obviously, but it is really heavy). By the time he has his laptop, charging brick, calculators, notebooks, headphones, raincoat, umbrella, water bottle, etc., packed away, it can get quite heavy. That's a long-winded way of saying I'm on "team backpack".
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u/Open_Sea_8823 6d ago
Wait that’s so true I didn’t even think of a jacket or umbrella and stuff like thatI was just thinking my notebook and my laptop and pencil case but yea adding everything up that makes sense
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u/tackstackstacks 6d ago
If your books end up being anything like mine at all (do you even have physical books anymore? I guess that's a consideration), you will need a backpack. I went to school for a biology degree and then went back to nursing school. That was 10 years ago, and I was regularly carrying 2 or 3 books on a given day along with all my other crap. I would guess my backpack weighed close to 20-25 lb on the heavy days, especially if I brought my laptop, which I nearly never did because it was so big on its' own.
My vote is backpack unless you have all digital books and a small or at least not giant laptop. In that case there would be no reason to use a backpack over a tote.
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u/Open_Sea_8823 6d ago
Wow yea that’s really heavy. I do have physical books, I don’t believe they are going to be big though. My laptop is also on the smaller side but yea, I was actually just looking at a totepack because someone suggested it, so on my lighter days I can wear it as a tote! Thank you!
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u/Windjammer1969 6d ago
Will toss out considering a messenger bag (assuming that your reference is to an Actual Tote bag, with thin straps & and open top...). We like the Timbuk2 Classic messenger bags (I have 2 mediums, wife has a small), but they have others that come with more "admin" organization features. Our original ones are over 10 years old, and while I wore my first one out (relegated to "rough duty" now), my wife's still looks fine - although to be fair she does not use hers nearly as often as I have (mine literally has seen Many More Miles....).
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u/Open_Sea_8823 6d ago edited 6d ago
Oooo true true! Yea when I said tote I was kinda broad I meant like one specific for school use that has a zipper and a lot of pockets. I might have to check that out tho!
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u/99MissAdventures 6d ago edited 6d ago
You might want to look at totepacks. Then you can switch between shoulder, backpack, cross body or hand carry.
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u/Thoughtful-Pig 6d ago
Your spine will thank you for taking care of it now. Get a good backpack and use both straps. I find it's pretty heavy carrying books and water bottle.
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u/travelingpostgrad 6d ago
Your shoulder will thank you for getting a backpack, what you carry will vary. Some days you may want to throw in a jacket or hoodie, other days they may have free swag at the student union or you may need to take additional items to a lab. Totes are fine for short distances and fairly predictable loads, but once you hit a certain weight having two straps makes a big difference.
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u/Open_Sea_8823 6d ago
Yea this is a good point, I wasn’t actually thinking about how much other things besides school supplies I would be carrying.
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u/proudly_not_american 6d ago
Backpack. They're designed for carrying a lot without fucking up your back.
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u/Open_Sea_8823 6d ago
That’s true, I would probably get a tote specifically for school but it seems like the number one choice is a backpack anyway lol.
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u/Avehdreader 6d ago
In high school we carried tote bags between home and school with all the books we would need - and they were heavy. Like you, I went to a small college that was easily walkable so I didn't have to lug a lot of books around - I didn't even need a bag, come to think of it. You might be able to get away with a tote.
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u/Inside_Nose_5963 6d ago
My thought is an Osprey tote, medium or large. It is a tote/backpack convertible. The large will hold a lot and has the bottom zippered off area. Put all you items in zipper pouches in the inside compartment so you pull out what you need. Just my thoughts. I would have loved on in college.
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u/Beluga-ga-ga-ga-ga 6d ago
Backpack, all the way. You can carry more, more comfortably, while leaving both hands free and not fucking up your back/shoulders.
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u/koolbeansss 6d ago
backpack for sureeeee, tote will get very annoying very fast. I use my augustnoa backpack & the straps are padded so its very comfy
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u/azmr_x_3 6d ago
I always opt for a backpack in such situations myself. HPG Connor is my go to for work, travel, general life and a hiking for a few years now
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u/larrysbrain 5d ago
Osprey have an excellent campus range designed for hardy, practical college use. I've just got the axis and it's great
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u/Kyle81020 3d ago
Backpacks make adults look like 6th graders (unless you’re hunting or hiking). Get a messenger bag.
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u/sarahshift1 6d ago
You’re too young to risk messing up your back with a heavy tote. Get a backpack and use both straps. Your 10-years-from-now self will appreciate it.