The Best Affordable Backpacks on the Market

Is it just me or are school books really heavy? Recently, after attending college classes for about a month, I have noticed increasing pain in my back as well as increased fatigue and a sort of hunching over effect when I'm tired. Since I don't plan on ringing a bell in a tower anytime soon, I guess something needs to be done. Many kids no matter the grade experience more and more pain as teachers load on excessive amounts of homework. What can you do?

Here are some tips:

Weight Limit 10%: Make sure your backpack (or your child's) weighs no more than 10 percent of your weight. A heavier backpack will cause you to bend forward in an attempt to support the additional weight. This means for someone who weighs 100 pounds, their pack should only weigh 10 pounds. 150 pound person=15 pounds in the pack, etc. Johns Hopkin's University however has said that the pack can weigh up to 20% of the person's body weight. That is one-fifth as you know. Right now I would say that is about how much mine weighs on some days, and I can tell you, that is too much.
An article I read on www.civicscommision.com called "Students present backpack safety", said that the average backpack weight of a student at that particular school was 30 pounds.

Don't Wear it Too Low: Your backpack should never hang more than 3-4 inches below your waist. Bags that hang too low increase the weight on the shoulders.

Pockets: A backpack with individualized compartments helps position items most effectively. Also, the heaviest objects like books or laptops should be placed closest to the body.

Use Both Straps: Carrying a backpack around by one strap on one shoulder can cause a disproportionate shift of weight, leading to neck and muscle spasms as well as poor posture.

Top Backpacks on the Market:
JanSport Air Juice Backpack- $30-$50, depending on which version you buy, and where
http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.aspx?DeptID=0&CatID=038684&Grptyp=PRD&ItemId=0fce5c8&siteID=210054842

Land's End Collegiate Backpack- $30, four cool colors
http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0,1467,1_2_678_66253_128683_107130_5:view=-1,00.html?CM_MERCH=ALT_66253&sid=6614121000216172990

There is even an eHow for choosing the right backpack:
http://www.ehow.com/tips_2606.html

Right now I have a JanSport backpack. I bought it after at least 10 people told me that was the brand to get. However, I don't know what these people were thinking. The bag's large main compartant lumps together all the weight of my books and laptop. There are not enough useful pockets and the bag strains my back after wearing it only a short time. This was a bad consumer decision on my part. For the next semester, I will have to get another backpack, spending another chunk of cash that I don't want to.

The two I am deciding between are both notebook bags, because the safety of my laptop is super important:

Targus 15.4" Quilted Messenger Notebook Case- $50
http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=TLM005US

Targus 15" radius Messenger- $60
http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=TSM009US

I have heard that Targus is a very good brand, especially for laptop bags. I am told they are relatively comfortable, do a great job protecting your computer, and have many compartments.

Kids shouldn't have to worry about the weight of their backpack in the first place if you ask me. If a majority of kids in a school are having trouble with hunching and back pain, then the parents need to step up and let the teachers and the school know. That way the teachers can structure and assign homework in a different manner.