Who invented the knapsack?

The first step towards the modern backpack and came from a man named Henry Merriam. His design fused the two most common designs of the era: the wood frame and the soft canvas rucksack. He called his design a knapsack and had it patented in 1878.

When was the first backpack invented?

1938. The first zippered backpack was created by Gerry Cunningham in Boulder, Colorado. He didn't like how other rucksacks slid around his back, so he used his father's sewing machine to create a nylon bag with zippers instead.