The other night I woke up from an anxiety ridden dream: I was in the car with my hubby and kids and it was the first day of school. I looked down and I was wearing hideous pajamas. My hair was a mess and I had makeup on from the night before. I knew I had to walk my daughters in, since it would be my preschooler’s first day in a new school. But wait- where are their school supplies? Oh no! I’m not prepared! So I asked hubby to take me home so I can at the very least change my clothes so I didn’t look like a haggard mother on the first day of school.
Yes, it was a nightmare, but my subconscious must be telling me something- start getting prepared for the beginning of a new school year. I’ve gotten most of the items from back to school deals but there are still a few things I need to check off my girls’ lists. Backpacks are in their own category of school supplies because we can’t simply pick one out and be done with it. No, we have to find the PERFECT backpack. The one that matches our current mood, favorite color, and theme. My girls know what they like, but this mom knows that after last year’s common core nonsense of huge textbooks being schlepped back and forth, we needed something sturdy. Something that would relieve the weight and pressure of a heavy backpack on a smaller framed child. Something with supportive straps and plenty of pockets for the odds and ends every elementary school child picks up along the way.
High Sierra backpacks are packed with all the little extras that make their backpacks unique. They have a variety of backpacks for various grades and uses, so we checked out two of their popular models to compare them side by side. We received the Composite in Mint Leopard and the Curve in Delicate Lace (lavender.)


The Composite backpack by High Sierra is great for my 2nd grader. She is required to carry a ridiculous amount of books back and forth to school. Although this year I will try to get her an exemption to alleviate her back pain when carrying her backpack, I still need to be prepared for the amount of school work she comes home with. The High Sierra Composite backpack has a large main compartment, compression straps to help support a large book load, a padded back panel, and S-shaped padded shoulder straps. Aside from the main compartment, theres also two smaller compartments for organizing extras like pens, pencils, and even a special place for earphones.


The Curve Backpack doesn’t have as many frills as the Composite, but it’s a great basic backpack with a lot of extra features. Two compartments- a large main compartment and an organizer compartment is all you need for your books, tools, and even your MP3 player. There’s a side mesh pocket for beverages, S-shaped padded shoulder straps, and a padded back panel. While I initially planned to have my pre-kindergartner use this backpack, I think it might be a little too big for her needs.
From the two options, the Composite is my favorite because of the side straps that seem to support a heavy load and make it as comfortable as possible to carry. You can find out more about High Sierra and check out their extensive list of backpacks for various needs.