Okay, so we can all be clear with one another, I do not own the featured image on this page. I downloaded it off the Internet though I forget exactly which website.

I had been into the concept of EDC or everyday carry positively since the age of seven.

In my childhood and teens, I carried my valuables and other gear in a duffel bag.

Since the age of twenty-one, I had converted to the backpack format and almost exclusively used Wenger and later SwissGear.

On April 3, 2023, my SwissGear backpack that I had used constantly since 2021 had a major malfunction. The zipper got caught in the fabric liner of the compartment that I used to store my medications. I was crushed.

Wasting no time, especially because I needed something to securely hold my medication and medical supplies, I hit the shopping strip along Martin Luther King Boulevard in the Houma, Louisiana, suburb of Bayou Cane in search of a new backpack.

First I went to Target because that company carries SwissGear and that is what I wanted. However, due to inflation that’s been happening for the past two years, I could not afford one. What would have cost me $50-$65 just a few years ago now costs $80-$100, at least in terms of SwissGear backpacks.

For some time now, I have been aware that there is another very reputable brand of backpacks that are maybe even more rugged than SwissGear and yet mostly more affordable. That brand is Jansport.

I pretty much had my mind made up that if I could not get a SwissGear backpack that would suit my needs and budget, then I would buy a Jansport.

After all, I did have a little experience with the brand, such as:

My cousin carried his toys in one for several years during his pre-teen and early teen years.

My ex-sister-in-law also carried one.

Finally, I carried an entry-level model Jansport briefly in 2018 for an airline trip but later sold it weeks after getting back home.

There was also a lot of mention of how rugged Jansport backpacks are.

After leaving Target on the aforementioned shopping strip, I went to nearby Academy Sports and Outdoors.

It was there that I saw a Jansport JS0A47JK Big Student Backpack with a price tag of $54.99+tax. I decided right then and there that I would purchase it. The total came out to $60.47, which I charged to my credit card. Today I paid that card off in full, which means I now legally own this backpack and that is what this piece will be a review thereof.

While I have not been a student since 2008, I find the Big Student Backpack by Jansport still fits most of my needs for EDC.

When choosing a backpack, I want one where I can have a compartment to store each of the following:
1. My laptop and calculator.
2. My two portable scanners and Weather Radio.
3. My flashlights and multi-tools that I EDC on the regular.
4. My Bible.
5. My eyeglass case.
6. My medication and medical supplies.
7. My instruments used in my computer repair hobby.
8. My chargers and cables for the electronics I carry.

It is a durn near-perfect match for carrying all these items safely, neatly, and efficiently.

My only two complaints are that it does not have any sort of outer D-Ring or carabiner clip for attaching my keys and I do wish there would be a better handle for carrying from the top, in addition to the loop at the top.

I guess having those features for the many years that I used Wenger and SwissGear somewhat spoiled me.

From carrying my backpack for the past month, I think it is more rugged than most of the SwissGear and Wenger backpacks I have carried over the years.

If it can stand up to the rigors of daily school use and everything that goes with it, then it must be rugged enough for someone living on a disability pension and doing a little light commuting, right?

For those wondering, it has a total capacity of 2,100 cubic inches or 34 Liters, a weight of 1 pound, 7 ounces or 0.65 kilograms, the dimensions are 17x13x7.5 inches or 43.5 x 32.5 x 19 centimeters while the dimensions of the dedicated laptop compartment are 15.5×12.5 inches or 40 x 32 centimeters and are composed of 100% Recycled 600 Denier Polyester fabric.

Here is what the company website had to say about this particular backpack and I quote:

“Go big with the Big Student backpack. Two large main compartments offer ample storage for your supplies, a dedicated laptop sleeve helps keep your electronics safe, and zippered utility pockets keep all of your gear organized. Big has never looked so cool.”

Here are some of the features that stand out:
Two main compartments for optimal space and organization-these are perfect for storing my radios, Bible, and accessories.
Single mesh bottle pocket stretches to fit large bottles-very wise to keep hydrated.
Dedicated 15-inch padded laptop compartment with zip closure-perfect for my Asus laptop.
Front pocket with full organization panel and key clip-ideal for storing medication and medical supplies.

So, yes I have been spoiled by SwissGear but in these tough economic times, we cannot spend on luxuries like we used to.

This backpack cost me what I would usually pay for a SwissGear backpack years ago.

And I’m beginning to think a lot of SwissGear’s higher prices are because of brand prestige and not necessarily quality.

Jansport has both brand prestige and the quality to back it up even though it is not as luxurious.

I give this product a 4.875 out of 5 stars.

I guess this, therefore, concludes my review of the Jansport JSOA47JK Big Student Backpack.

I hope that you, the reader, have been informed, enlightened, and maybe even entertained somehow.

May God richly bless you!

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