Gerry Cunningham loved the outdoors. Growing up in the 1930s, he hiked. He skied. He rock climbed. But the 16-year-old had a problem: He had no good way to carry his stuff. Before every adventure, Gerry would toss his gear into a bag called a rucksack. Then he’d throw the rucksack on his back. 

    Rucksacks weren’t exactly comfortable. They were made of stiff fabric. They had thick leather straps. Every time you needed something, you had to take the heavy bag off your back.

    One day, Gerry decided he’d had enough. He sat down at his mother’s sewing machine and made a new bag. It had a smart feature: zippers. Now Gerry didn’t have to take his pack off while climbing. All he had to do was reach over his shoulder, pull a zipper, and grab what he needed. 

    Gerry’s bag was comfortable and easy to use. It was also the very first version of the zippered backpacks you love today. 

    Gerry Cunningham grew up in the 1930s. He loved the outdoors. He hiked. He skied. He rock climbed. But the 16-year-old had a problem: He had no good way to carry his stuff. So he put his gear in a rucksack. It was a bag you carried on your back. 

    Rucksacks weren’t comfortable. They were made of stiff fabric. You had to take the heavy bag off your back to get anything out of it.

    One day, Gerry got tired of it. He sat down at his mother’s sewing machine. He made a new bag. It had zippers. Now Gerry didn’t have to take his pack off while climbing. He could just reach over his shoulder, pull a zipper, and grab what he needed. 

    Gerry’s bag was comfortable. It was easy to use. It was also the first version of the zippered backpacks you love today. 

    Gerry Cunningham loved the outdoors. Growing up in the 1930s, he hiked, skied, and rock climbed. But the 16-year-old had a problem: He had no good way to carry his stuff. So before every adventure, Gerry would toss his gear into a bag called a rucksack and then throw the rucksack on his back. 

    Rucksacks weren’t exactly comfortable. They were made of stiff fabric, and they had thick leather straps. Every time you needed something, you had to take the heavy bag off your back.

    Gerry decided one day that he’d had enough of that, so he sat down at his mother’s sewing machine and made a new bag with a smart feature: zippers. After that, Gerry no longer had to take his pack off while climbing. All he had to do was reach over his shoulder, pull a zipper, and grab the item he needed. 

    Gerry’s bag was comfortable and easy to use. It was also the very first version of the zippered backpacks you love today. 

    Gerry may have invented the zippered backpack. But people have been carrying their stuff on their backs for ages. One of the oldest known backpacks was made of wood and animal fur. It belonged to a man who lived in Europe 5,000 years ago. 

    By the late 1800s, most backpacks were made of a fabric called canvas. They were called knapsacks or rucksacks. These packs were used mostly by the military, travelers, and hikers like Gerry.

    In 1946, Gerry and his wife started selling his zippered backpacks, or “Gerrys.” Over the years, he kept improving his design. In 1967, he started using a fabric called nylon. It was strong like canvas but lighter. 

    These first nylon backpacks were still used mostly by hikers and climbers. 

    Then a new company named JanSport came along.

    Gerry invented the zippered backpack. But people have been carrying their stuff on their backs for ages. One of the oldest known backpacks was made of wood and animal fur. It belonged to a man who lived in Europe 5,000 years ago. 

    By the late 1800s, most backpacks were made of a fabric called canvas. They were called knapsacks or rucksacks. They were used mostly by the military, travelers, and hikers like Gerry.

    In 1946, Gerry and his wife started selling his zippered backpacks, or “Gerrys.” He kept improving his design. In 1967, he started using nylon. It was a strong fabric like canvas, but lighter. His nylon backpacks were used mostly by hikers and climbers. 

    Then JanSport came along.

    Gerry may have invented the zippered backpack, but people have been carrying their stuff on their backs for ages. One of the oldest known backpacks was made of wood and animal fur. It belonged to a man who lived in Europe 5,000 years ago. 

    By the late 1800s, most backpacks—called knapsacks or rucksacks at the time—were made of a fabric called canvas. These packs were used mostly by the military, travelers, and hikers like Gerry.

    In 1946, Gerry and his wife started selling his zippered backpacks, or “Gerrys.” Over the years, Gerry continued improving his design. In 1967, he started using a fabric called nylon, which was strong like canvas but lighter. These first nylon backpacks were still used mostly by hikers and climbers. 

    Then a company named JanSport came along.

    By the late 1980s, backpacks were everywhere. They were a way to show your style. You could choose a bold color. You could add pins of your favorite sports teams. 

    Today backpacks are still indispensable for American students. The inside tells you the world has changed. There are sleeves for tablets. There are pockets for phones. But the packs themselves are a lot like those in the 1960s. They’re comfortable and keep your stuff safe on the go.

    For that, you can thank Gerry Cunningham. 

    By the late 1980s, backpacks were everywhere. They became a way to show your personal style. You could choose a bold color or pattern, and you could add pins of your favorite bands or sports teams. 

    Today backpacks are still indispensable for American students. Sure, the inside features tell you the world has changed. There are sleeves for tablets and pockets for phones. But the packs themselves aren’t very different from those in the 1960s. They’re comfortable and keep your stuff safe on the go.

    For that, you can thank Gerry Cunningham.