Building a Better Backpack

Self-proclaimed "bag nerds" have created a market for ultra-functional carryalls, made with elite materials By Ryan Cavataro Photograph by Linda Xiao

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In 2008, Jason McCarthy just wanted a backpack. Having served in Iraq for the US Army Special Forces, he needed one that would be rugged and durable, yet wouldn’t look out of place on the uptown 6 train. But he didn’t know where to buy it, so he posted a Craigslist ad in New York seeking a designer. Through it, he found a design team in Bozeman, Montana, and over the next two years, together they designed and prototyped the original GR1 rucksack, a project that evolved into Goruck LLC. Inspired by the harsh conditions during his three military tours, the brand has set as its goal to build a bag that acts as “a bridge between Baghdad and New York City.”

Gorucks start at $150 and can cost as much as $425 for the waxed canvas GR1 Heritage model. American-made, they’re the standard-bearer in the industry, using hard-wearing materials such as military-grade 1000D Cordura and YKK zippers with silent pulls. There’s extra padding on the shoulder straps and around the laptop compartment, which the company calls “bombproof.” It’s all backed by a lifetime repair warranty against any snags and tears from hikes or trips abroad. “We have about 50 employees and $32 million in revenue a year,” McCarthy says, which is a lot of bags (68,000 in 2022, in fact).