Debate: Backpack, Book Bag or Knapsack? What Do You Call It?

Is there a difference?

As most of us prepare for schools to reopen across Connecticut, and the Hudson Valley many parents and children are out back-to-school shopping. Kids need quite a bit of things to head back to school every year, they need new sneakers, new outfits and of course numerous school supplies.

School supplies is where our debate started today. Over the weekend I had my kids over, and we were talking about all of the new things that they have already for the new school year. After they ran through their list of new things, I asked them if they got new knapsacks and they both looked at me like I was speaking a different language.

My daughter said,

"what the heck is a knapsack?"

I explained to her the thing you carry all of your school supplies in, she looked at me and said, "do you mean a back pack?" Yes my dear that's what I mean...LOL!

I'm not sure why I've always called it a knapsack but Jess couldn't believe it either, so we had to ask everyone, What do you call it? Backpack, Book Bag or Knapsack? We got some great responses including Joe who called us to tell us that "if your carrying alcohol in it its called a Knapsack, anything else its a backpack." Denise texted us, "All my years of school, there were no back packs/ knapsack/book bag…..With my kids it’s always been back pack …We had to carry everything in our arms !" Sharon called to tell us that she always thought that the "stick with bandanna thing that hobos carry over their shoulder was a knapsack".

The one call that change everything was when Nathanial called in to let us know that when he was younger, his grandma called it a knapsack and he questioned it. He questioned it until one day he fell asleep on the bus with his head on his KNAPSACK! Get it?? Its a sack you can use to take a nap on!! OMG!! I now has the answer I've been searching for my whole life...HAHAHA!

WHEW!! The world makes sense once again! LOL!