Description

What is the Smokey Bear Plush Backpack?

It’s a stuffed Smokey Bear with a zippered pouch and backpack straps. Kids wear it like a regular backpack, but it looks like Smokey himself is riding along on their shoulders. The pouch is 8 1/2 inches deep, with room for snacks, a small water bottle, sunscreen, and a junior ranger activity booklet.

Made by Impact Photographics, this is part of a line of animal plush backpacks sold at national park and forest visitor center stores across the country. The Smokey version is the natural pick at our Black Hills National Forest store, where wildfire prevention is a year-round message and Smokey has been the public face of that mission since 1944.

What’s included

• Soft plush Smokey Bear body in his ranger hat and dungarees
• Zip-close storage pouch (8 1/2″ deep)
• Two adjustable woven nylon shoulder straps

The backpack is one piece. Smokey’s body is the bag itself, with the zipper running along the back. Straps attach at the top and bottom so Smokey faces outward when worn.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 19″ x 12″ x 6 1/2″
• Weight: 8.6 oz
• Pouch depth: 8 1/2″
• Materials: Soft plush body, woven nylon straps
• Closure: Zipper
• Care: Hand wash only
• Age rating: Ages 3 and up
• Manufacturer: Impact Photographics

Who is this for?

Kids visiting the Black Hills National Forest. Gives them their own bag to carry, which means fewer “can you hold this?” requests on the way up to Black Elk Peak or around the Pactola Reservoir trails. The size works for ages 3 and up. At 8.6 ounces empty, even toddlers can wear it without getting weighed down.

Gift buyers looking for something more than a stuffed animal. A plush Smokey gets used, because it’s a toy and a bag a kid actually wants to wear. At $19.99 it’s a solid visitor-center gift that holds up beyond the car ride home.

Families starting the fire-safety conversation. Smokey has been telling kids “Only YOU can prevent wildfires” since 1944. The backpack is a low-key way to make him part of the trip, not a lecture. Especially relevant in the Black Hills, where the fire danger sign at every trailhead is the first thing visitors notice.

About Smokey and the Black Hills National Forest

Smokey Bear is the longest-running public service campaign in US history. The character was created in 1944 by the US Forest Service and the Ad Council during World War II, when most firefighters had been deployed overseas and a campaign was needed to enlist the public in preventing forest fires. The original tagline was “Smokey Says, Care Will Prevent 9 Out Of 10 Forest Fires.” The “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires” line came in 1947 (updated to “Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires” in 2001 to include grassland and rangeland fires).

The Black Hills National Forest covers about 1.25 million acres across western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming. Fire is a constant management concern, from prescribed burns that restore ponderosa pine health to the wildfires that have shaped the landscape for centuries. Smokey’s fire-prevention message is part of every visitor center conversation, every trailhead sign, and every campfire safety briefing the Forest Service runs in the Black Hills.

Frequently asked questions

How much can the pouch actually hold?
The pouch is 8 1/2 inches deep. It’ll fit a small water bottle, a couple of granola bars, sunscreen, and a junior ranger booklet. Not a full daypack, but enough for a kid’s essentials on a short hike or a walk through the visitor center.

What age is this good for?
Ages 3 and up. At 8.6 ounces empty, it’s light enough for young kids and the straps adjust to fit a range of sizes. Use your judgment with very small children around the zipper.

Can I machine wash it?
No. Hand wash only. Spot cleaning with a damp cloth handles minor dirt. For a full wash, use mild soap and warm water, then air dry completely. The plush material holds water, so give it time.

Is this just for kids?
Sized for kids, but the straps do adjust. Adults who collect Smokey gear buy them too. It’ll sit higher on an adult’s back than a regular bag would.

Do you have other animal backpacks?
Yes. The same Impact Photographics line includes a Bison Plush Backpack, a Bat Plush Backpack, and a Prairie Dog Plush Backpack, all $19.99.

Are the straps comfortable for little kids?
The woven nylon straps are adjustable and light. They’re not padded like a hiking pack, but for an 8.6-ounce backpack carrying a few snacks, padding isn’t necessary.

What’s the deal with Smokey’s message?
Smokey has been the public face of wildfire prevention since 1944. The current line is “Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires,” updated from “Forest Fires” in 2001 to cover grassland and rangeland fire too. About 90% of wildfires in the US are caused by people, which is what the campaign has always been about: the part of the problem we can actually control.

Can I see real Smokey-style ranger work in the Black Hills?
The Black Hills National Forest covers roughly 1.25 million acres across South Dakota and Wyoming. The Forest Service runs prescribed-burn programs, maintains fire lookout towers (a few are open to visitors), and posts fire-danger ratings at every trailhead. The Pactola Visitor Center is a good place to ask about current fire conditions and Smokey programming.

Does buying this support national parks and forests?
Yes. BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.