As a student living with chronic pain, I often joke with my friends that I have to over-think several decisions, which includes choosing a backpack for bringing materials to class. Choosing a backpack with chronic pain isn’t as straightforward as just making an aesthetic choice (though I do that as well since I also have to account for my visual impairment), as the right backpack design can play a significant role in either helping me to avoid pain flares, or it can be the source of daily flares if the construction is not appropriate for my needs. Here are my tips for choosing a backpack with chronic pain and features to consider for students of all ages.
First question: what needs to be in the backpack?
I’ve used different backpacks for middle school, high school, college, professional internships, and even traveling because the exact contents of my backpack vary wildly depending on these environments. For example, in college I typically only carry what I need for 1-3 classes and switch out items in my dorm, or may only need to bring a small bag if I am going to a lab-based class where I’m expected to use school computers. I also carry far less papers than I did in middle and high school, and have fewer bulky items as well. Taking an audit of what the user really needs to bring with them on a given day is important when choosing a backpack with chronic pain, as carrying unnecessary items can be a literal pain!
Related links
- What’s In My Backpack: Commuting To Satellite Campus
- What’s In My Backpack: Program Management Intern With Low Vision
- What’s In My College Backpack As A Low Vision Student
- What’s In My High School Backpack As A Low Vision Student
Find ways to reduce the weight of the backpack
Speaking of what’s inside a backpack, there are a few strategies I have used over the years to make it easier to carry backpacks to school and that have made the backpack lighter to carry. Some of my favorite strategies have included:
- Carrying an empty water bottle and filling it up with filtered water once I get to school
- Switching to digital textbooks and storing them on an iPad
- Choosing a lightweight laptop that I can comfortably fit in my backpack
- Regularly cleaning out papers to keep them from building up over time
One of my friends whose school had an A-B block schedule with different classes every day had an “A” backpack and “B” backpack, since they had specific items that they had to bring for their classes. Their school laptop would be taken out of the backpack every day to charge, but they would keep individual class notebooks and other items in their designated backpack, which also helped streamline getting ready for school.
Related links
- Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA
- Why I Prefer My Schoolwork Digitally: Updated Edition
- School Cafeterias and Low Vision
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
Choose a backpack with a solid base
Ideally, the bottom of the backpack should be sturdy enough so that it does not cave in when items are added, and can stand up on its own to minimize the risk of tips and having the user bend over to reposition the backpack. In addition, it’s also important to ensure that items won’t fall through the bottom of the backpack, both to avoid items being damaged as well as someone having to pick everything up and find another solution.
Related links
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For POTS
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
Weigh the backpack without anything inside
While this wasn’t exactly a backpack, I found this amazing looking bag in one of my favorite colors and immediately started imagining how I would look carrying it around… until I put it on my shoulder. The outer material was super heavy, and even without anything in it I realized that it was too bulky and would be uncomfortable to carry around. Checking the backpack weight before purchasing and taking the time to “try it on” can help prevent frustration later on from too-heavy backpacks.
Ensure pockets and zippers are easy to access and locate
When examining the pockets and zippers of a backpack, check to see if they are easy to pull independently and can be located/reached easily. Adding additional zipper pulls or using a zipper tool can make it easier to open bags, and I recommend adding a small colored outline to the edge of the zipper tape or box that can serve as a visual reminder to check that the backpack has been closed all of the way.
Another benefit of ensuring zippers and pockets are easy to access and locate is to make sure that items don’t get lost/forgotten. At some point in high school, I put a half-eaten cereal bar in my backpack, forgot about it, and then found it during my third year of college!
Related links
- Tips For Keeping A Dorm Room Clean With Chronic Illness
- How I Set Up My College Desk With Low Vision
Look for easily adjustable and padded straps
When choosing a backpack with straps, features to look for include easily adjustable straps that can be customized to accommodate the user’s height/body type, as well as padded straps that can absorb some of the pressure from carrying a backpack with chronic pain. The straps should also be checked to ensure they are even, as lopsided weight distribution can make it painful to carry items.
Before adjusting backpack straps, fill up the backpack with weight (preferably with items that will be brought to school/work) and completely loosen the straps. Working with another person, adjust the straps so that there are no gaps between the shoulders and the backpack remains flat against the back/hips.
Consider a backpack with wheels
When I was in high school, one of my doctors told me that I needed to switch to using a backpack with wheels instead of carrying my backpack from class to class on my back. After receiving permission from the school principal since wheeled backpacks were otherwise banned from the school, I noticed a huge difference in my pain levels, though I often had to avoid crowds and leave for class during off-peak times to avoid running into anyone.
A few students asked me why I was carrying a wheeled backpack, and I told them that my backpack was getting way too heavy, and they agreed that it was annoying to carry so many things to class— I had been worried about teasing, but I was so happy to have the weight off my shoulders that I didn’t pay much attention to what others had to say. I stopped using a wheeled backpack in college because I carry fewer things to class, and because I needed a free hand when navigating with a blindness cane/white cane.
Related links
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
- Having An Undiagnosed Chronic Illness In High School
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Eyes
- Learning to Self-Advocate
Make sure items inside the backpack can be opened/retrieved
While it’s fun to pick out backpacks based on what they look like, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Items inside the backpack should be easy to retrieve, whether they are containers with smaller items, bags, or things like technology items or notebooks/binders. The backpack or pocket openings shouldn’t require the user to twist items or squeeze through small gaps or spaces to retrieve items, and should ensure that items are protected against being broken or shifted around too much during transit.
Related links
More tips for choosing a backpack with chronic pain
- Students may need to request an accessible locker, either one that can be easily reached or that contains an alternative lock. I share more about this in School Lockers and Low Vision
- Instead of walking across campus, students with disabilities that include chronic pain may qualify for door-to-door paratransit services. Learn more in Using Disability Transportation Services In College
- Interested in choosing a backpack that’s easy to see? Read Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
Published September 4, 2019. Updated November 2024