Why the Backpack? From the frontier trek to the nearest bus stop episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 13, 2025 · 38 MIN

Why the Backpack? From the frontier trek to the nearest bus stop

from Why the Fork: Everyday design for curious minds

The backpack is something that's interwoven into our lives. They grow with us, from our early days at school, to our holidays and our daily commute.It's always there, happily carrying all the stuff we cram into it. But it's one of those bits of design that's so clever and so everyday, you assume it simply evolved with us. But, of course, that's not the case. It's passed through the hands of a lot of clever people and those that needed something practical to help them move about with all their stuff.Creative Innovator and inventor of consumer goods, Ben Diamant, finds out about the backpack's military beginnings (hello Napoleon) and how it made the jump onto most people's backs. And why it's become one of those products that has many types and uses.Having made many himself product design expert Phil Staunton, founder of D2M, joins Ben. They talk about the history of this humble object. And how a designer goes about developing it.They also speak to an expert in backpack design – Sam Whetton. He's a Design Director at Stitch, the Founder of Reika, a sustainable and ethical bag maker, and has also worked with Mous.***FOR 25% OFF AT REIKA HEAD TO OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS**https://www.instagram.com/whytfpod/https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/why-the-fork-podcast/posts/?feedView=allLINKShttps://www.stitchcreative.co.uk/services https://reikabags.co.uk/https://www.mous.co/collections/bags-and-poucheshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bendiamant/https://www.linkedin.com/in/philstaunton/https://www.design2market.co.uk/Podcast production by: https://www.gingerwizard.co.uk/

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Why the Backpack? From the frontier trek to the nearest bus stop

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This episode was published on August 13, 2025.

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The backpack is something that's interwoven into our lives. They grow with us, from our early days at school, to our holidays and our daily commute.It's always there, happily carrying all the stuff we cram into it. But it's one of those bits of...

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