FAQ.

Häufige Fragen rund um Scout-Schulranzen.

1. What is the difference between the 3 Scout satchel styles? And which style is best for my child?
2. Why are the Scout school satchels’ back cushions only moderately shaped, and what else is important for wearing comfort?
3. What is important about the weight of a school satchel?
4. What’s the difference between Basic, Style and Exklusiv?
5. How well did Scout do in tests?
6. What should you know about the safety features of Scout school satchels?
7. Is an ADAC high visibility vest just as visible as a DIN 58124 complying school satchel?
8. Is Scout waterproof?
9. Why is the Scout worth its price?
10. Why doesn’t Scout sell any „proper“ wheeled satchels?
11. Why do the school satchels look so big on future school beginners?
12. Where does the water bottle go?
13. Can fluids in the side pockets get into the main compartment?
14. Do notebooks in the Nano get dog-eared or bent?

1. What is the difference between the 3 Scout satchel styles? And which style is best for my child?
   General rule: All Scout satchel styles are ideally tailored to meet the needs of school beginners and elementary school students. In order to choose the optimal style between the Scout Nano, Scout Easy II and the Scout Mega, it is necessary to try the satchel on. However, there are several basic criteria to make a preliminary choice easier.
   
   The Size: The Mega is the largest and most spacious of the Scouts, the Nano is the most compact, and the Easy II is right in the middle. General rule of thumb: the more slender a child is when they start school, the more compact their school satchel should be. But you should also check what your child has to bring to school.
   
   The shape: The Scout Nano has a soft backpack-like shape and is the most narrow of the 3 styles. Even slender kids wearing it can move freely and easily. This also goes for the Scout Easy II with its narrow body and its two prominent side pockets. The Scout Mega, on the other hand, is more square and fits bigger or more sturdily built children well, but is so light-weight that it can be bought for more slender kids to grow into.
   
   The Organization: The Nano features variable filling volume with different individual compartments. A large ring binder fits in the main compartment, and 0.5 liter bottles fit in the side pockets. The Easy II has a spacious divided main compartment with room for things like a notebook and comes with three outside pockets (one front and two side pockets). The clever design of the side pocket closures allows for even large bottles to be stored. The Scout Mega offers the most volume, so it’s ideal for kids that have to bring a lot to school: among other things, a large ring binder fits in the roomy main compartment, and even 0.7 liter water bottles, the Scout sandwich box or a pencil case fit in the giant side pockets.
   
   The test results from Stiftung Warentest: The Easy II is our classic. It has already won first place from Stiftung Warentest twice, most currently in the 4/2009 edition with a rating of “Good 1.8”. In the same test, the Scout Mega received a rating of “Good 2.2”, so it’s just behind the award winner. The Scout Nano was not yet on the market at the time of the test (its predecessor, the Scout Maxi, received a rating of “Good 1.8”).
   
   Room for design: All Scouts have plenty of room for the great motifs. The Scout Mega offers the largest area—which kids especially like.
2. Why are the Scout school satchels’ back cushions only moderately shaped, and what else is important for wearing comfort?
   The back parts of Scout school satchels are designed based on current ergonomic and orthopedic findings. Even with school beginners, the torso length can differ up to 9 cm (source: research study by Human Solutions of over 600 children). So school satchels with only a slightly constructed back shape are ideal, in order for a childe to be able to comfortably and ergonomically wear a satchel at least through the elementary school years. This way the Scout always fits ideally, no matter what age or body build a child has.
   
   More features for good wearing comfort: The back cushioning of all Scout styles has ventilation channels. The extremely comfortable shoulder belts are ergonomically S-shaped and are an ideal width. This provides a perfect fit and ideal wearing comfort. (If the belts are too wide, they can slide over the shoulders. If they are too narrow, they can dig in.)
   
   All Scout satchels have a firm body. The stabile design protects contents and evenly distributes the weight. Moreover, the non-malleable bottom assures high stability.
3. What is important about the weight of a school satchel?
   It was advised for a long time that the maximum weight of a filled satchel was 10% of the wearer’s weight. But this rule has never been backed up by scientific evidence. It was based on the field pack of soldiers in World War I, who had to be able to march 20 kilometers a day.
   
   In the past years, the University of Saarland has intensely looked into this matter. Both the “Kid-Check-Studie 2008” (Kid Check Study 2008) and the “Schulranzenstudie 2009” (School Satchel Study 2009) have come to the conclusion that satchels can be heavier than 10% of the wearer’s weight. Requirement: it is worn in a back-friendly way, and the way to and from school does not take longer than 20 minutes each way.
   
   The Saarbrücker Schulranzenstudie (Saarbrücker School Satchel Study) also shows that a satchel weight of 17-20% of a child’s weight is harmless for a child’s spine, and that the physical fitness of the child is decisive for determining the individual maximum weight of a satchel.
   
   Scout school satchels weigh about between 1,100 and 1,300 grams. The difference in weight between all three of the Scout school satchel styles is about 200 g, which, when compared to the total weight of a filled satchel (based on a total weight of 3-5 kg), is only 4-6%. Of course the weight always has to be seen in relation to the satchel volume.
   
   When school satchels weigh even less, the low weight often compromises the inherent stability, durability, correct fit and wearing comfort. All Scout school satchels have a firm body. This is the only way they can withstand the high burdens of everyday school life, and a 3 year warranty can only be guaranteed for this kind of construction.
4. What’s the difference between Basic, Style and Exklusiv?
   Basic, Style and Exklusiv are the names of different collections. The styles (Scout Nano, Easy II and Mega) are available in all collections (exception: Scout Nano Active Lite and Scout Basic Easy II-Set "Soccer Champions").
   
   Scout Basic:
   - Safety in accordance with DIN 58124 (20% fluorescent and 10% retro-reflecting material, additional retro-reflecting material on the shoulder belts)
   - With a huge assortment of accessories—from pencil cases to recreational backpacks
   
   Scout Style:
   - For everyone who doesn’t set high value on the safety requirements according to DIN (or they don’t need them because their child does not have much or any contact with traffic on the way to and from school), and especially for those who would like a special, limited design.
   - Sold as a set with a high-quality Scout case, pencil case, small duffle bag and neck pouch
   - More accessories like the water bottle, sandwich box, umbrella, trolley and backpack are sold separately
   
   Scout Exklusiv:
   - Limited with premium designed motifs
   - Safety in accordance with DIN 58124 (20% fluorescent and 10% retro-reflecting material, additional retro-reflecting material on the shoulder belts)
   - With elaborate embroidery, bordering, beading, sequins, rivets and 3D buttons
   - Sold as a set with high-quality case, pencil case, large duffle bag with wet storage pocket and neck pouch
   - More accessories like the trolley, backpack, toiletry bag and jewel box are sold separately
   
   Scout Nano Active Lite:
   - The safety innovation: with LED Active Lights that can be turned on for an “active” safety in the dark
   - More safety components in accordance to DIN 58124
   - Sold as a set with high-quality case, pencil case, large duffle bag with wet storage pocket, hip belt and neck pouch
   - Exclusively available in Scout Nano
   - Strictly limited
   
   You can find more information under: http://www.scout-schulranzen.de/info/scout-nano-active-lite-set
5. How well did Scout do in tests?
   The Scout Easy II won first place in the last satchel test from Stiftung Warentest 04/2009 with a rating of 1.8. The Scout Maxi (which has now been replaced by the Scout Nano) won second place with a rating of 1.9, and the Scout Mega* won fourth place with a rating of 2.2. The Scout Nano was not yet on the market at the time of testing.
   
   *In contrast to the tested Scout Mega, the effectiveness of the visual warning of the current Scout Mega has been improved by separating the fluorescent and retro-reflecting materials, in accordance with DIN 58124. This design with the improved effectiveness of the visual warning was not part of the test.
6. What should you know about the safety features of Scout school satchels?
   The satchels that fulfil the requirements of the DIN safety standards offer the greatest possible safety (recognizable by the TÜV-GS symbol), meaning 20% of the front and side areas are fluorescent orange material for visibility during the day and at dusk, and 10% of the side and front areas are made with retro-reflecting material, which reflects light even at larger distances for visibility in the dark.
   
   The Scout satchels in the Basic and Exklusiv Collections comply with the strict requirements of the DIN 58124 for school satchels. Please note that the school satchels from the Style Collection all have retro-reflecting material, but do not comply with the relevant safety requirements of the DIN 58124 regarding fluorescent and retro-reflecting material.
7. Is an ADAC high visibility vest just as visible as a DIN 58124 complying school satchel?
   ADAC recommends that school beginners wear high visibility vests. After all, half the school satchels sold on the market do not comply with the DIN safety requirements. This is when wearing a high visibility vest is wise, but only when it is worn over the satchel. The high visibility vest can be used better when cycling with a satchel that complies with DIN 58124.
8. Is Scout waterproof?
   Yes. All Scout satchels fulfil the strict waterproof requirements of the DIN 58124.
   
   The DIN 58124 test requires that no more than 10 g of water reach the inside compartment of the satchel. When setting the satchel in 1 cm of water, no water should get in.
   
   All Scout school satchels even comply with these strict requirements from DIN 58124. The Scout satchel fabric withstands high water pressure (up to 10,000 mm water column; compare to outdoor clothing at 2,000-3,000 mm).
9. Why is the Scout worth its price?
   Every Scout school satchel is the result of intricate construction with high-quality materials: plastic moulding pieces, retro-reflecting material from the world market leader Reflexite®, fluorescent orange material, water-impermeable fabric, etc. These materials are manufactured in uncompromising quality.
   
   36 years of school satchel production experience are packed into every Scout, totalling almost 10 million school satchels so far. The final production takes place in Frankenthal, Germany and the satchels go through our strict quality standards—controlled by our skilled employees, many of which have been working in our Scout production for decades.
   
   You can even calculate how Scout is worth its price on your own: your child takes a Scout to school every day for about 4 years, each year having about 190 school days, in the summer and winter. That makes about 760 days of use. There are no comparable consumer goods that undergo such strict requirements. A Scout school satchel that costs 125 € costs you only 16 cents a day. But for this price, you get one of the best products available on the school satchel market.
10. Why doesn’t Scout sell any „proper“ wheeled satchels?
    Experts do not think much of wheeled satchels. Kids still have to frequently lift them and lug them around, like in the bus, over curbs and on stairs. This often strains the back more than if the satchel had just been worn properly. Moreover, pulling a wheeled satchel behind them can cause an unhealthy and harmful twisting of the spine.
    
    For those who still would prefer to “roll” their satchel, we offer the Scout Schultrolley (school trolley), which can transport all standard satchels and backpacks. The well-thought-out telescope handle has an ergonomic hold with three hand positions, which can prevent the spine from twisting when a child pulls one behind them. The large wheels are ideal for handling curbs and stairs.
11. Why do the school satchels look so big on future school beginners?
    The size and volume of all three Scout styles are calculated for all the elementary years. This way even bulky school supplies in third and fourth grade have room. Yet the Scout school satchels are ergonomically designed to fit even slender kids well. If you’re unsure, choose a narrower design (Easy II or Nano).
12. Where does the water bottle go?
    Every Scout satchel design offers room for the Scout water bottle and many other bottle designs: a standard 0.5 liter PET bottle fits in the side pockets of the Scout Nano, and the same goes for the side pockets of the Easy II when the flaps are not closed. The Mega has larger side pockets that can even accommodate bottles as big as 0.7 liters.
    
    But please note that 100 ml of fluid means 100 g extra weight in the satchel.
13. Can fluids in the side pockets get into the main compartment?
    No. The Mega and Easy have a drainage opening at the bottom of the side pockets. The Nano has an opening within the folds of its side pockets. This way any spilled fluids can drain out.
14. Do notebooks in the Nano get dog-eared or bent?
    Even though the Nano looks like a backpack, it is a full-fledged satchel just like all Scouts and has stable side, back and bottom frames that protect the contents.