Who invented backpacks and when?

Answer 1

Ancient man carried stuff on his back, in packs made of wood and skins. The nice packs we carry now are derivations of that. [1]

The backpack wasn't invented, it evolved from a need that has always existed, getting better and better with time and technology.

The word backpack was coined in the United States in the 1910s. Knapsack and packsack were used before. The word rucksack is a German loanword mainly used in the UK and in the US Army: 'der Rücken' means 'the back' (the part of the body) in German. The name Rucksack is cognate with Danish Rygsæk, Norwegian Ryggsekk, Dutch Rugzak, and Swedish Ryggsäck. Alternative names include Haversack, and Bergen (from the manufacturer's name Bergens, used for a backpack supported by an external frame, usually associated with the British Armed Forces) in German language called Kraxe (in 19th century the term kraxeln was used for climbing). Backpacks can often simply be referred to as "packs", especially in outdoors contexts; though sometimes ambiguous compared to other bags such as saddlebags and duffel bags, context is generally sufficient for identification. sources: [1] http://answers.Yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080220131610AAEeXZ6

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack