How backpacks are made

A backpack can have hundreds of cut pieces, and one German maker assembles its packs across up to 22 sewing stations.

stations: 6
things upstream: 51
raw sources: 16
steps from the ground: 9

The short version

Backpacks are cut from tough woven nylon or polyester, usually with dies, and the panels are sewn together with heavy thread. Padded shoulder straps and a foam back panel are made separately. Zippers, buckles and webbing are added, stress points get bar tacks, and each bag is checked for loose stitching before packing.

Weave heavy nylon cloth

Thick nylon or polyester yarn is woven into a coarse, abrasion-resistant cloth. A urethane coat on the back of the fabric makes it shed water.

Goes in
Nylon Polyester Polyurethane
Cut stacks of panels

Spread layers of fabric are cut with CNC knives, lasers or, most commonly, steel dies. The number of cut components in a backpack can run to hundreds.
Make the straps and back pad

Foam is cut or molded to shape and covered in mesh and fabric. Shoulder straps and the back panel are sewn separately, since they carry the load and need the strongest stitching.

Goes in
Polyethylene
Sew the pockets and zips

Zippers and pocket linings are stitched into the flat panels before the bag is closed up. Working on flat pieces is faster and neater than sewing into a finished sack.

Goes in
Sewing thread Zipper
Close the body

The side panels are sewn to the front and back with the seams inside, and the straps are stitched on. Bar tack machines reinforce every point that carries load, and the bag is turned right side out.
Add buckles and inspect

Plastic buckles, sliders and webbing are threaded through. Each bag is checked for loose threads and stitching, then folded flat and packed.

Goes in
Plastic

End of the lineBackpack

Worth repeating

The word backpack is first recorded in 1896, and until the middle of the 20th century the usual name was knapsack.
Hikers use backpacks with external or internal frames to shift a heavy load from the shoulders onto the hips.