[bane]

I was going to say something similar, I think I had the same cheap Jansport pack from the mid-80s until well into college. Replaced it with another <$25 pack from Costco that I've kept until now. The main difference has been the inclusion of a padded laptop pocket.

The free backpacks I get every so often from work are "ok". My employer gave me a <$100-ish pack I've also enjoyed for the last decade or so without trouble.

Unless that pack comes with a bit of gold in it, or part of a college degree, I have no idea what makes it worth it.