12 Items in Every ’70s Backpack
Between the idealism of the 1960s and the commercialism of the 1980s, the 1970s marked a singular cultural turning point. During this unique decade, school-age children carried backpacks full of stuff that reflected the unique combination of developing technology, analog amusement, and practical necessities of the time.
These commonplace accessories offer an intriguing window into childhood before young culture was dominated by digital gadgets. These twelve items are typical of any rucksack from the 1970s.
Trapper Keeper
When this ground-breaking binder system first came out in, it completely changed the way students arranged their coursework. The inventive flap closing collected loose documents, and the vibrant plastic covers had eye-catching designs ranging from race cars to rainbows.
No respectable middle schooler would be found without one in their backpack, and kids were always trading to get the newest styles.
Mood Ring
These color-changing accessories are claimed to reveal the wearer’s emotional state through body temperature variations. Despite questionable scientific validity, mood rings became an absolute playground necessity after their introduction.
Most backpacks contained at least one – usually stashed in a small pocket after a teacher inevitably confiscated the first one worn openly in class.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Wacky Packages Stickers
Topps introduced these parody product stickers in, featuring twisted versions of popular brands like “Ratz Crackers” instead of Ritz. Kids obsessively collected and traded them, plastering notebooks, lockers, and unfortunately, many school property items with the sticky satirical art.
The more worn and tattered the backpack, the more likely it contain sheets of these countercultural collectibles.
Metal Lunch Box
These sturdy containers, which were officially carried beside rather than inside backpacks, included pop cultural touchstones such as “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Many of them also had leftover lunch materials, which produced unique scents that infused everything in their vicinity.
The enigmatic stains on textbooks taken from innumerable backpacks from the era can be explained by the matching thermos frequently leaking a little.
Plastic Comb
Long hair dominated ’70s style for both boys and girls, making the humble pocket comb an essential accessory. These colorful plastic grooming tools slipped into the backpack’s front pocket – ready for emergency styling between classes.
The more teeth missing from the comb, the cooler its owner appeared to peers, suggesting countless battles against formidable tangles.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Candy Cigarettes
These controversial chalk-like confections packaged to resemble cigarette brands were surprisingly common contraband in school backpacks. Parents who themselves smoked rarely questioned these sugary replicas despite growing health concerns.
Chalky residue in backpack corners often provided evidence of these treats – consumed surreptitiously behind playground equipment during recess.
Pet Rocks
After their introduction, these ordinary stones packaged in cardboard carriers with air holes became an unlikely cultural phenomenon. Creator Gary Dahl made millions selling perfectly ordinary pebbles as low-maintenance “pets” complete with training manuals.
Kids nationwide carried these geological companions in their backpacks – occasionally decorating them with googly eyes or yarn hair during art class.
Slap Bracelet
These flexible metal strips covered in colorful fabric would coil instantly around the wrist when slapped against it. Banned in many schools after rumors of injuries, they inevitably found their way into backpack hideaways.
Teachers confiscated thousands, yet they multiplied like rabbits in every classroom across America, stashed between notebook pages and pencil cases.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Scented Markers
Mr. Sketch markers with their distinctive fruit aromas became classroom staples despite their tendency to bleed through paper. Grape and cherry typically disappeared first, while licorice remained suspiciously intact.
Backpacks from this era often bore permanent marker stains inside – evidence of caps coming loose during the journey between home and school.
Friendship Pins
These simple beaded safety pins became friendship currency throughout elementary schools. Crafted during rainy day recesses, they featured tiny seed beads threaded onto safety pins – typically worn on shoelaces but often accumulated in small collections kept safely in backpack pockets.
Different patterns and color combinations signified various relationships and social hierarchies.
Star Wars Trading Cards
Following the cinematic phenomenon, Topps released multiple series of collectible cards featuring characters and scenes from the film. Kids nationwide obsessively collected, traded, and protected these treasures – often carrying duplicates specifically for trading purposes.
Many backpacks contained carefully rubber-banded stacks, resulting in distinctively worn rectangular imprints in their fabric.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Calculator Watch
As the decade progressed, early digital technology began appearing in mainstream consumer products. Casio’s calculator watch represented cutting-edge technology that combined timekeeping with mathematical functions – impressive enough to risk theft if left unattended.
These status symbols often disappeared into backpacks before gym class, wrapped in socks for additional protection.
Analog Adventures
These everyday items reveal how dramatically childhood experiences have transformed in just a few decades. Before smartphones and tablets, entertainment and social connection required physical objects that could be touched, traded, and sometimes confiscated.
The distinctive odor of a backpack – combining paper, plastic, candy residue, and perhaps a slightly leaky lunch container – evokes powerful nostalgia for many who grew up during this colorful decade. What’s particularly notable about these seemingly ordinary possessions is their role in developing social skills through physical interaction.
Trading stickers and cards required face-to-face negotiation, while sharing candy demanded immediate reciprocity. These tangible experiences shaped a generation before digital alternatives revolutionized how children interact with both entertainment and each other.
More from Go2Tutors!
- 18 Unexpectedly Valuable Collectibles You Might Have Lying Around
- 15 Things Every Teenager in the ’70s Did That Teens Today Wouldn’t Understand
- 15 Strange Things People Have Tried to Ban (And Failed)
- 15 Inventions That Were Immediately Banned After Being Created
- 20 Actors Who Were Almost Cast in Iconic Roles
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
