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Thursday, 01 January 2009 02:20 |
Backpacks are available almost everywhere when the back to school shopping frenzy begins and you can find inexpensive backpacks in drugstores, supermarkets, discount stores and department stores. Sometimes you can even find them in craft stores, for decorating yourself. Sporting goods stores, luggage and leather stores also sell a lot of backpacks, but these are generally more expensive.
You can get backpacks for as little as $10.00 all the way up to well over $200.00, this price range, is for backpacks that young children up to college level use for book bags. If you want packs for camping or serious hiking, you can expect to pay much more. Here we will deal with backpacks that are generally used by students of all ages.
With very young children who don’t really need a backpack, but who want them because they’ve seen one with Spider Man or Barbie, or because their older sibling has one. Sometimes nursery schools will allow a child to bring a pack to school with their “lovey” in it, and others will not allow them. For this age and purpose an inexpensive character backpack would be fine, in fact this type of bag might even work through first grade.
After that, you will need to find a bigger, sturdier backpack, that can hold textbooks, workbooks, papers, crayons, and pencils, plus whatever else your daughter decides to bring to school. You can still find inexpensive backpacks for the older children. The question is, are they safe and back friendly?
Many America children above the 2nd grade level, carry backpacks that weigh as much as ¼ of their body weight. Because of this, Pediatricians, Orthopedists and parents are seeing an increasing number of complaints about back, neck and shoulder pain as well as numbness in the arm and hands, which can not be attributed to anything other than too heavy, improperly worn backpacks. Some experts say that a child can safely carry 20% of their body weight, but most recommend no more than 10-15% of the child’s body weight.
Doesn’t sound so bad does it? But for a 50 pound child that is 7and ½ pounds bouncing against her back, every day morning and evening, which can cause repetitive impact injury. Another problem is that narrow unpadded shoulder straps, can dig into the shoulder causing pain, numbness and tingling in the hands and arms. Can these problems be solved?
Yes if you get your child the right backpack and insist that she wear it properly. At the very least you should get a backpack that has wide padded shoulder straps, padded back and a waist belt. This belt helps to stabilize the load and keeps the pack from bouncing against the back. These packs are more expensive than the ones most kids carry but well worth the extra money.
You can get one from a well known reputable company, for about $60.00 which isnÂ’t as bad as it sounds, These bags are made of very durable material, have the basic safe backpack features, and have a lifetime warranty. If a zipper breaks, you send it back and the company will replace or repair it.
There are additional features on some backpacks that add to the price of the pack. Some of these bags come with chest and side straps that help in stabilizing the load and also distribute the weight of the load across the back and abdominal muscles, the two strongest muscle systems in the body.
These added features can add significantly to the cost of the backpack. My advice is to get the best you can afford and definitely get one that has at least the waist strap. If you do a web search, you can often find a wholesaler for these back packs, which can actually make this backpack inexpensive in reality.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
About the Author
Elaine Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of School Backpacks,
Backbacks,and more! her numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.
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Monday, 29 December 2008 01:10 |
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Most men aren’t remotely obsessed with fashion, definitely not to the extent that women are. Men as a rule generally have more important things in their life to worry about than keeping up with the latest trends in the fashion world. However, there are several things you can do which will go far to demonstrating a great fashion sense and you don’t have to read GQ or Maxim to do it. The most important fashion item that all men must own is a great watch and not just any watch but a higher end fine watch that will turn heads and have people asking, “Where did you get that watch?” Watches are vastly underrated accessories, especially for men. Over recent years fine watches have become much more than just a tool with which to tell time, they are reflections and extensions of one"s own unique personality. A fine quality watch is the surest and most rapid way of putting out an image that exudes confidence. How many guys do you know that have a Drawer full of cheap, inexpensive watches like Timexes for example? Not that there is anything wrong with a Timex. I think they are a good watch for sports activities, but one needs to take it up a notch to demonstrate that they have some sense of style. Anyone can accumulate a bunch of inexpensive watches throughout their life but what they really should do instead is just invest in one or two fine watches that will last a lifetime. Ideally you want a fine watch like a TAG Heuer or maybe even a quality pre-owned Rolex. I personally prefer the looks of the TAG watches but whatever you taste or your budget you will find a fine watch that will fit you needs online. A fine watch is quite possible the most important accessory that a man should have. A fine watch says to the world that this is a successful and confident man. Put away those gaudy 1970’s style gold chains and bracelets like you see on a used car salesman. You do not have to go over board, as a matter of fact quite the opposite. All you have to do is have a fine watch that fits you and your personality and remember you
get what you pay for so purchase the most expensive watch you can afford. Gregg Hall is a marketing consultant to online companies. See who he recommends for fine watches. |
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Monday, 29 December 2008 03:02 |
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They stopped selling winter coats in the store around November and started gearing up for spring. The transition started with the spring colors but longer sleeves but now they are stocking the shelves with spring and summer garb. Before you hit the racks, do you know what to choose that best compliments your image? Remember our rule. Unless you are dumping the entire closet in the trash (and there are some out there who should), never buy dailywear unless it goes with 3 things in your wardrobe. So what colors are hot this spring? You will see the return of the turquoise and hot pink of last year but this years palette is topped off with orange (and we mean orange!) and kelly green. The sage, celery and celadon greens of the past 2 years have gone to the wayside. We even saw a kelly green polo shirt for men last week. However, the shocking news especially for the east coast is this. Despite the line from Wicked! that "Black is this year"s pink," black is out! Khaki and olive green and "sand dollar" are replacing black as the staple for the wardrobe. I personally will be hiding out in my house until this trend ends. On a serious note, be careful what you choose from this color set. These neutrals are not as nuetral as they sound. Most of us cannot wear olive green and the khaki colors come in a variety of shades that can leave some of us looking like yesterday"s leftovers. In other fashion news, white has also made a huge comeback along with a few pastels. Again, watch out for this one. Skin tone, your age, and your natural hair color play a major role in your ability to carry off white...and I don"t care what anyone says, don"t get those white shoes out until after Memorial Day! Now that we have thrown you into thinking about color, stay tuned for next month"s fashion advice on the styles that will make or break your spring and summer collection. Completely overwhelmed by what you read and not even sure what we mean by the right color or fabric? Consult with an image specialist or personal shopper in your area. Read more about choosing the right styles by reading our ezine article on creating the sucessful wardrobe. Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, LLC, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area, providing life management services. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops. Ms. Books is the Vice President for the International Concierge & Errand Association. For more information about the author and ON THE GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net. © 2006 Indra A Books for ON THE GO 4 U |
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Sunday, 28 December 2008 00:21 |
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How light is light? Lightweight backpacks weigh less than three pounds, a standard I just invented. There are good packs under three pounds for almost all types of trips. My own Golite backpack weighs just 14 ounces, and has a capacity of 2900 cubic inches, plus 1000 more in the extension collar. It"s more comfortable than any frame pack I"ve used, but then I don"t carry more than 20 pounds in it. The mesh outer pockets are a great idea. I stuff my wet tarp in the large one in the morning, where it"s easy to take out to dry later. I"ve had my GoLite for ten years. I"ve used it from the rain forest to glaciers at 20,600 feet on two trips to Ecuador, as well as in the Rockies, the Smokies, and in Michigan. Packed right, it qualifies as carry-on when I fly (I don"t like to check luggage). My next pack will probably be the tougher GoLite Gust, which weighs 20 ounces. I just read seven reviews, all of them praising the pack. One reviewer used it for the weekend with a 27-pound load, so a lightweight backpack doesn"t have to be light-duty. Using Frameless Lightweight Backpacks Like mine, many lightweight backpacks don"t have frames. I use a sleeping pad for a frame, as is recommended. Some backpackers just put the pad in the backpack loosely rolled, with everything inside it. I"ve found a better way. Take a closed-cell pad, like the cheap blue ones, and cut it across, halfway through the foam, on opposite sides. You can accordion it into a three layer thick (2 cuts) or four layer thick (3 cuts) back-padding frame. The "hinges" thus created last a long time. Put the pad in the pack, (against your back) and load everything in behind it. Other Backpack Options If you want lightweight AND cheap backpacks, start experimenting. I"ve used an old aluminum pack frame and large duffle bag, to create a full-suspension pack that weighs just two pounds. Though it carried loads well in the mountains of Montana, it wasn"t the most convenient to use. By the way, it is lighter than any frame pack I"ve ever seen advertised.The 8-ounce duffle works okay as a backpack by itself too. I recently bought a lightweight backpack at Walmart. It weighs six ounces, and it is actually comfortable. It"s a daypack, but large enough for overnight hikes, since I travel really light. It cost just four dollars. Lighweight backpacking gear isn"t always expensive. Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com |
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