What do you carry in your bag?

This article has us wondering -- what do you carry?

Are you one of those people (I admit I am) who take everything but the kitchen sink thinking they just maybe might need that flashlight in the course of the day?

I am dogsitting Riley today and plan to take him on a long walk after work, stopping by a friends house and the store. As an experiment, I thought I would leave my bag at home, taking only the few items I absolutley needed and that could fit in my pockets. But then I thought if I took my LUX, I could use that to carry my groceries and save a plastic bag, and the LUX is way more comfortable carring a plastic bag anyway. And, of course, I need my Jimi, my keys (of which there are more than a few), my cell phone, my keychain LED light because it gets dark here at 5:15, biscuits and a plastic bag for Riley, a bottle of water for both of us, etc. It's sunny (yet cold) here right now but it can always start raining, so a raincoat is a must. Maybe I should even take my camera so I can put an updated picture of Riley on his page. Plus, I just feel weird not carrying a bag.

Anyway, what do you carry? Can you go "bagless", or do you always need one?

While I wait for Tom to finish with the Eclipse redesign, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wicho/6714958/">this</a> is what I usually carry in my Brain Bag + Lap Dog.

Never mind the Timbuk2 bag in the photo, it died quite quickly.

That's some very organized gear!

Tom is still working on the Eclipse. I expect we'll see it sometime this year.

I rarely go bagless anymore - ever since I received my medium cafe bag - so here is what I tend to pack around:

Medium Cafe Bag - spf100 sunscreen, hand lotion, small notebook, pens (about 10, why so many? apparently, I like colors,) day planner, two magazines, book I am currently reading, a pocket reference book, ipod nano, headphones, charging cable (for hit 'n run ipod chargings?) keys, pepper spray, comb, small book and tissues.

ID + Brain Cell - ibook, two magazines, a newspaper, small notebook, pens, ipod nano, ibook charger, two reference books, three pocket references, bento lunch box, day planner, small book and tissues, keys, pepper spray, day book, workbook, work folders, cd book.

I've also used the bags together to be my 'overnight set' when I've needed to do client house calls (then they REALLY get stuffed!)

I never go without my tiny digital-camera sized purse though - I can't live without the plastic. (p.s. I'm still waiting for a tom bihn digital-camera sized bag to call my new purse!) ;)

:)

I find that on the rare occassions that I do go out without a bag, I end up leaving and coming back to the house 2 or 3 times to put something else in my pocket. Usually this is to go for a walk or to the cafe. Quick errands. It's actually pretty comical. I get 10 steps away from the door and "doh! I forgot my sun glasses".

Anyway, in my everyday bag-toting life here's what I carry:

The I.D. with a Size 5 Brain Cell. My Dell 700m, a mouse, a small Tom Bihn pouch for my iPod accessories, a make-up bag (small Outdoor Research mesh pouch), my iPod in the zipper pocket of the ID, my book, 2 pens, a notepad, a New Yorker & a Sunday NYT's crossword puzzle in the back pocket, 2 Jimi's - one is my wallet, one is for overflow business & credit cards, etc. Attached to 1 Jimi is a key ring with a little light and bike lock key. Ummm. Some other random things like cough drops, lip balm, Comtrex ('tis the season), hair bands, gloves, sun glasses, ibuprofen. Oh yeah, my keys of course! My cell phone usually lives in my coat pocket or I can't answer it in time.

I think that's it on a normal day. Not too bad, eh?

I go everywhere with my Bihn bags and carry as much stuff as I can fit in them (is there some type of "overpacker's anonymous" support group out there?). I live in NYC and my Smart Alec has been to San Diego, San Francisco, many areas along the eastern seaboard, all over Barbados (coast to coast transect by foot across the island, salt caves, etc), trekked across the lava in Hawaii, spent hours in a downpour in search of a green sand beach (everyone I was with and their stuff was soaked at the end of that day, but everything in the main compartment of my Smart Alec stayed dry) and even spent 21 days at sea at the edge of the North Carolina continental shelf (several miles from land). My ID's also been to sea, spending some time offshore California in the Santa Monica Basin. I can't wait until the Aeronaut comes out; I'm sure it'll end up heading to more parts of the globe with me. Anyway, here's what I usually cram into my bags:

ID (everyday bag): size 4 Brain Cell with PowerBook G4 Ti, a bunch of papers (2 in. stack) or a few text books, iPod, umbrella, wallet, graphing calculator, power adapter, cell phone, pencil, pen, big eraser, white out, Simple Shoulder Strap, adapter extension cord, DVI to VGA display adapter, a USB minidrive, keys and 1 L Nalgene bottle hanging off the shoulder strap

Smart Alec
- for travel to meetings: size 4 Monolith with PowerBook G4 Ti, papers, iPod, digital camera, pen, pencil, big eraser, cell phone, wallet, keys, 1 L Nalgene and Freudian Slip with power adapter extension cord, DVI to VGA display adapter, USB minidrive, some blank CD-Rs, iPod charger, cell phone charger, sweater, a pack of gum, plane tickets, and something to entertain me on the plane -- right now that's a book of Sudoku puzzles (if going to sea, add Dramamine, ginger and a travel sized Podium Pad -- keeps my PB safely stuck to surfaces on a rolling boat).
- for when I'm playing geologist: rock hammer, Rite-in-the-Rain field book, pen, lunch, 2 1 L Nalgenes, sunscreen, chapstick, wallet, keys, yadda yadda yadda...

Large Cafe Bag: music (9x12 scores), iPod, wallet, keys, 500 mL Nalgene and perhaps a book (I really wish my 15" PB fit in there, but sometimes I cheat, wrap it in a hand towel and and shove it in there anyway)

Along this topic there is a Flickr group "what's in your bag" http://www.flickr.com/groups/52241283780@N01/ In addition to all of the pics it references the same Post article in the discussion group. Low representation of Bihn bags but still and interesting source for organization tips and items to add to your bag.

I have several different bags but the standards are at least two law textbooks (big mothers) a legal pad, my little Dell Inspiron 700m, a pen/pencil case (yes, I'm that big a dork) my old skool 40G iPod (which even in its hard plastic case fits neatly into the pouch on the strap of my Buzz), keys, a Nalgene, a checkbook wallet (which I seriously need to downsize), and a cell phone. If I'm heading for a marathon at the library I might throw in a snack and a pair of pajama pants (preferred studying apparel).

But I'm headed to Cuba for spring break on a study trip and I'm glad to hear the medium Cafe bag holds all that stuff! I was looking for a bag that would hold a notebook, some pens, a camera, an iPod, a wallet, and a small water bottle. Seems like all the medium Cafe will fit all that neatly without screaming "I'm an American with a big bag of money!"

I'm so amazed they managed in earlier times with no stuff. Perhaps everyone was used to doing things at specific times (going to grocery/library on certain days of the week) or just leaving things home (if I woke earlier I could eat breakfast at home and save myself from toting around another container)

well, today I went to school and took my:

keys/chapstick
wallet/id badge/cell phone
pocket pc
sm. umbrella
3 pens
yogurt & granola in a plastic container in a ziploc (in case it leaks)
yoga clothes (t-shirt & pants)
3 books
pad of paper & folder of notes

on the way home I acquired:
1/2 sack of groceries
2 dvds from the library

I've been toting my work laptop around with me a lot recently, and when I do, my Smart Alec becomes the primary bag. Contents:
-Work Laptop (Old, Heavy Toshiba) comfortably zipped in a Monolith.
-Cables, powercords/adaptors, cordless mouse, spare batteries in a Snake Charmer,
-Noise-cancelling headphones in their own pouch
-Folder with whatever 8/12x11 documents are oh-so-critical that week
(I do need a Freudian Slip one of these days)
Little organizer pockets in the top of the SmartAlec contain:
-Creative Zen MP3 player (I'm not an iPod guy)
-Business cards in hard case
-Tin of Altoids
-2-3 pens
-USB Thumbdrive
-WiFi card (sheesh, I didn't realize how much of a tech geek I've become)

Keys clipped to the key clip thingy

The two zipped exterior pockets contain:
Wallet
Passport
Hardshell eyeglass/sunglass case
Cell phone

And generally, there's ample room still left in the main compartment to stuff in newspapers, scarf, gloves, whatever detritus I accumulate in my travels.

I'm sooooo glad you aren't an Ipod user!!! No offense to people who use them and love them, but I find the interface so clunky. I found my true MP3 player love in the RCA Lyra, though Creative has a bunch of great stuff too! Just wanted to give you a couple of thumbs up! =)