With the return to classrooms right round the corner, proprietor Jon Thiessen breaks down backpacks in the latest edition of “UNpacking with U.N. Luggage.”
Buried behind a multi-coloured wall of canvas and nylon, Thiessen brought plenty of styles and options to the Classic 107 studio.
“If you can find (a backpack) that is accommodating for both school and future use, (that is) money well spent,” he suggests.
Though often first thought of as a “luggage” store – “luggage is in the name,” points out Thiessen – the Exchange-based business has evolved to carry bags of all sorts, including backpacks.
“We try to carry bags that are of a little bit better quality than you'd find at, you know, a department store,” explains Thiessen.
This month’s features range in shape, size, and style. For the best fit, Thiessen suggests coming by the store to try them on.
“Throwing some weight (in the bag)... stuffing them out... sells people on the idea of certain (bags over others),” he says.
Backpacks typically start at about $100 and increase based on brand and features, Thiessen notes the longevity of investing in a quality item.
“My older son used (the Osprey Nubula) when he started in Grade 6. He's now going into Grade 12,” says Thiessen. Though a change of style has had his son move on from the bag, it's still going strong and will be used by a sibling.
“It's lasted like, hard, hard use of going to school every day, packing lunches, packing binders,” he says. “This one's big enough to pack in runners and shoes and water bottles, and you know everything else.”
Other brands he recommends are Thule, Patagonia, and Fjallraven, amongst others.
Find Jon Thiessen and the team at U.N. Luggage at 175 McDermot Avenue in the Exchange, or online at www.unluggage.com