Korean Job Discussion Forums

[madoka]

I recently bought several backpacks from Oigo, Kelty, and Camelbak. In normal life I never use backpacks, but they were on sale and I figured they would be useful in Korea. I know everyone ridicules backpack wearing waegooks, so I started wondering why I felt the compulsive NEED to use a backpack while wandering around Korea and I came up with three reasons.

1. Everywhere I go in the U.S., I am fairly close to my car. Whereas in Korea, I am going to be dependant on public transportation. I need maps, electronics to keep me entertained on the trip, and my laptop. A backpack is an efficient way to carry everything.

2. When your car is close by, you can stash anything you buy in the trunk. In Korea, I have to lug it around until I get home. Backpacks are useful to carry your purchases.

3. I eat out for every meal and I don't generally trust the cleaniness of the restaurants in Korea - especially the water. In the U.S., every restaurant pushes sodas on you, whereas hardly any Korean restaurant does. But look at the water they serve and there's way too many particles in there for my comfort. So I like to have some bottled water with me in case there isn't a convenience store nearby.

So while wearing a backpack seems dorky, I think there are some good, practical reasons for doing so.

[yeti08]

I always hate the threads where people on here whine and complain about wearing backpacks. (no I am not Canadian)

It's the best way to carry items necessary or wanted on a daytrip or to work. I sometimes carry a laptop bag to work, but my camera DSLR doesn't fit in a laptop bag. Not to mention it's nice to carry around a drink, maybe an umbrella or raincoat, etc

I am sure someone is going to make fun of you OP or even berate you for wearing a backpack, but screw them.

[Captain Corea]

You tricked me. The Question in the title is different than that in the poll.

[Ukon]

There are "cool" and fashionable backpacks...as well as message bags among others

[itaewonguy]

yeah fine if you're outdoors, but when you are walking around itaewon bars with this huge backpack and you just have stuff in there for 1 night.. then it gets beyond a joke...

leave the backpack in a locker or something...

[yeti08]

[Ginormousaurus]

I was just thinking about this the other day and how Dave's is the only place I've ever heard people ridicule those who carry backpacks. (although no one has yet to do that in this thread)

I carry a backpack almost everywhere I go in Korea. I'd rather not, but I have 2 textbooks, an umbrella, and a calculator that I need to carry.

[AsiaESLbound]

I'd say it looks dorky to wear a backpack while wearing a suit. There's nothing wrong with using backpacks while walking and using public transit as long as you are not in a suit.

[BringTheRain]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

To each their own. When I went to grad school in Vegas, everyone was pulling around backpacks on wheels. For the first few weeks it looked like everyone was going to the airport.

To me it looks ridiculous to wear a backpack if you are obviously wearing work clothes. I have a soft briefcase.

But there's a difference between someone who looks like they need a bath and who carries a dirty old behemoth stuffed with trash, and someone who carries a small, tidy pack well and doesn't swing it into my face when they turn on the subway. In other words, there's degrees of backpackiness, I think.

[eamo]

When I was young and cool it was seen as crucial to not carry much stuff around.....anything that would take the sheen off the clothes you're wearing would be a problem.

Yes. It's a little dorky........OMG! I need all this stuff!!

[yeti08]

[littlelisa]

I voted no, because I don't usually have a backpack on. But I don't think it's dorky.

[McGenghis]

Wearing a backpack isn't dorky, but wearing it on your belly under your shirt and running around screaming that you were impregnated by Moonies while tugging at your beard is certainly frowned upon.

[jhuntingtonus]

People worked up about whether using a practical accessory makes them "dorky'? You're all high school students, right?