Basic Jansport models are under 50 and have always lasted a long, long time for me. The only ones I ever had to get rid of were due to heavy textbooks working holes in the fabric with their corners.

Look into the Fjallraven Kanken. That's their claim to fame!

Yeah, I’ve seen a bunch of people wear those backpacks, I don’t know about other places, but here in Germany it seems like more of a “girlish” bag, but thanks for the suggestion anyways!

Thanks for the suggestion! I don’t really plan carrying textbooks in the bag, it’ll be more of a gym and travel bag, so I’ll definitely look into them!

North face recon is way more technical but will last you 15 years

Don't Jan sport repair for free? I have luggage from them that's 15+ yrs old & has done numerous transatlantic trips & plenty more domestic & are still doing great!

Yeah, I looked up on their website and I think they have something like a 30 year guarantee

Perfect for that, I use one of them as my carry-on/"personal item" cuz it fits perfect for the cheap airlines.

I had multiple jansport but they didnt last long. They where both velours and i did put heavy books in them. I now have fjallraven and the quality is amazing. I use it now 4 years everyday and still is perfect. But if you want more basic, i think of kipling (great quality) or eastpack (cheaper)

Not sure about dumb, but my Osprey pack holds well after 6 years of abuse. Lost a chest strap once, customer service mailed me a spare one, no questions asked.

This week I posted about my North Face Jester in this sub. I got it before I started my 8th-grade year and have been using it basically every day since then! I am 27 now. This backpack has lasted 14 years!

https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/z6bnrt/2007_northface_jester_backpack_daily_use_since/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

I got an REI branded backpack decades ago. After about 15 years, it was starting to show some wear. I happened to have the receipt still, and I took it in and since they didn’t carry the same model anymore the just refunded the full purchase price.

Idk what a backpack by REI goes for these days, but that impressed the shit out of me. (Note: they would have had fewer options if I hadn’t kept my receipt.)

Otherwise, I picked this up about 4 years ago and it’s still in like new condition, and I use it daily. I love it for the amount of space, and the laptop pocket opens from the back of the bag without having to open the main compartments. (This also means I feel safe keeping snacks in my bag bc the laptop pocket is completely separate and never gets crumbs in it, even if something spills in my bag.)

It’s been a couple years since I was in Germany by I saw several men carrying them. They just tended to have darker, more somber colors. But, if that’s a real concern fjallraven makes several other styles that are well within your price range.

I bought a vans backpack 15 years ago that's still going strong with daily use. It was one of the more expensive ones they had and was like $80 or something. It's ripped once, but that was easily stitched back up and one of the zippers is starting to get a little stubborn.

I'd stay away from their cheap stuff, but their nicer stuff always lasts me for years and years.

I'm pretty fond of my Osprey. I've had it for a few years now and it still looks and performs like new. They likely have some day packs for under $100 US.

If you're looking for very basic and inexpensive, though, Jansport is a good choice.