Sam Page
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HELP. I'm stuck in the "messy middle" of buying a backpack.

Marketing1 min readSam Page

Please can someone save me?!

I spend my working life helping brands guide their customers through the messy middle - that overwhelming space where you've got too much choice, too much information, and you end up going in circles.

And now I'm living it. Over a backpack.

It started simply enough. I need a bag for commuting into London and heading to meetings. Big enough for a laptop, notepad, a couple of books I'm reading. But also big enough that on gym days I can throw in trainers and a lunchbox.

Of course I did some initial online research and now EVERY AD on EVERY PLATFORM is a backpack. Bags I've never heard of. Bags with 47 compartments. Bags with their own weather system. Bags endorsed by people who clearly don't use the bag advertised (except due to a paid partnership).

Clearly there is too much margin in bags, if the world can throw this many adverts at me.

But all in all, I'm now more confused than when I started.
I've got too many tabs open and I'm no closer to buying one.

Anyway, I genuinely need help here.

Anyone got a backpack they love for this kind of setup?
Work, city, gym, not too outdoor or techy-looking.

First published on LinkedIn.

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---
title: "HELP. I'm stuck in the \"messy middle\" of buying a backpack."
url: https://sam-page.com/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack
date: 2026-04-13
author: Sam Page
type: Post or article
categories: [Marketing]
reading_time: 1 min
summary: "Please can someone save me?!"
first_published: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7449389447344709632
---

# HELP. I'm stuck in the "messy middle" of buying a backpack.

Please can someone save me?!

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li1.webp)

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li2.webp)

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li3.webp)

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li4.webp)

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li5.webp)

![](https://sam-page.com/img/thinking/help-im-stuck-in-the-messy-middle-of-buying-a-backpack-li6.webp)

I spend my working life helping brands guide their customers through the messy middle - that overwhelming space where you've got too much choice, too much information, and you end up going in circles.

And now I'm living it. Over a backpack.

It started simply enough. I need a bag for commuting into London and heading to meetings. Big enough for a laptop, notepad, a couple of books I'm reading. But also big enough that on gym days I can throw in trainers and a lunchbox.

Of course I did some initial online research and now EVERY AD on EVERY PLATFORM is a backpack. Bags I've never heard of. Bags with 47 compartments. Bags with their own weather system. Bags endorsed by people who clearly don't use the bag advertised (except due to a paid partnership).

Clearly there is too much margin in bags, if the world can throw this many adverts at me.

But all in all, I'm now more confused than when I started.  
I've got too many tabs open and I'm no closer to buying one.

Anyway, I genuinely need help here.

Anyone got a backpack they love for this kind of setup?  
Work, city, gym, not too outdoor or techy-looking.