After the death of Murray McCory, a founder of the outdoors equipment company JanSport, readers recalled how their backpacks served them on life’s journeys.

By 1970, Mr. McCory’s cousin Skip Yowell had ... keeping the antiques for themselves — as orders grew for JanSport backpacks.

By Clay Risen Murray McCory, who founded the outdoor equipment company JanSport while still in college and whose signature innovation, a lightweight backpack, revolutionized school life for ...