I mention this thing in passing all the time.
There is a Pocket Carry Event Horizon, beyond which I feel really uncomfortable. For years I got around this by carrying backpacks everywhere, and storing things in those. At times, this meant I was carrying way more stuff than I needed. In 2008, when I finished my B.Ed and started working a temporary (read: five-year-long) construction job, I didn't want to lug big packs from site to site, because they took up too much space in the work trucks. I went down to MEC and bought a Small Carry All. I eventually replaced it with a Czech Bread Bag from the army surplus place in town, which I loved. When this eventually wore out, I needed something new that fit the following criteria:
- Fits 8.5"x11" papers, just in case, but can't be much larger
- Has at least one compartment other than the main one
- At least a tiny bit water resistant
- Doesn't look too much like my Mom's purse
Eventually, I found the
Osprey Warp at a locally-run outfitter's. Sadly, Osprey discontinued the
Warp ages ago, but there is a pretty decent set of pictures and such at
MacRumors.Here's mine:
It's looking well-used, but hasn't quite crossed the line into scruffy. It needs a wash, though.As you can see, it's developed quite a patina over three years of near-daily use, including years on construction sites, three mountain peaks (I never did learn how to use the extra stabilizer strap, so it's actually pretty awkward for scrambling), and untold hours of bicycle trips (stabilizer strap or not, it stays in place just fine when I'm cycling). It's a good thing it's aged well, because there is
no equivalent Osprey pack in production as of this writing. Don't get me wrong; they still make many excellent bags, but none of them are the
Warp.
Here is the back of the bag, along with the strap:
Note the multitool sheath. It's wrapped in place with leather lacing.It has a left-shoulder, hang-on-the-right style strap. This is ideal for me, since that's how I like my bags. There is a large, flat pocket on this side. This is where my Kobo and my trusty old iPod Nano go if I'm carrying either of them. I added a firm plastic sheet to the inside of the pocket to help the bag retain its shape when it's empty.
I can't have technology in my work setting, so this pocket is usually empty during the work day.
Next up is the cellphone pocket and the added multitool sheath:
Until yesterday, the sheath was a standard Leatherman Nylon PancakeTM.The cellphone pocket is, in fact, where my phone goes whenever I am carrying the satchel. Since the cellphone was taking the picture, standing in is a stick of Old Spice Matterhorn antiperspirant.
The multitool sheath originally held a Leatherman Wave, which was replaced with a Rebar a year and a half ago. Though the Swisstool Spirit is in this shot, I intend to put the Rebar back for reasons which will become clear later.
The front flap pocket:
The bulk of my crap!In the front flap pocket, I carry a smallish pencil bag, containing almost everything I keep permanently in the bag. This miscellany changes now and then, but here's a shot of the current loadout.
Knife sharpener, collapsible chopsticks, Light My Fire Titanium Spork (note: not really a spork), small first-aid kit with acetaminophen and ibuprofen, flat-packed duct tape, Victorinxox Classic / fire striker / Vargo titanium whistle lanyard, medicated Blistex, brass match case (with matches, natch), waxed floss, toothpaste, toothbrush, and superglue (not to be confused with the toothpaste).Finally, the main pocket!
The main pocket! You can actually see my Rebar in its new sheath hiding in there.Before I delve into the main pocket (and my reasons for keeping it mostly empty), note the small pocket at the top right of the picture. It's supposed to be a sunglasses pocket or something, but since it takes up space in the main pocket when full, all I ever put in there is my Giant Pineapple Grenade Monster Plus-Sized Truck Key (I cannot stand having that stupid key in my pocket).
Not visible in any of the photos: under the front flap of the bag in an assortment of small organizer pockets and pencil pockets and so on. I never use any of these pockets, either, because the more stuff I cram into these, the less space I have in my main pocket.
The main pocket is usually empty when I leave my house, unless I have something unusual I need to take with me, like a lunch, or a toque and gloves, or what have you. As MacGyver stated in the almost hilariously quaint pilot episode of his show, "The bag's not for what I take, Colson - it's for what I find along the way." It's enough for me to carry the relatively small amount of stuff I have and know how to use it. I know I can't possibly be ready for everything, no matter how much stuff I pack, so I'd rather have a few important, versatile bits, and spend my time being able to make do with what I find along the way.
Addendum: since I started putting this post together, I have found that a large group of my friends have pooled to get me a very,
very late university graduation present (we're talking 2004, here). I now have a Saddleback Medium Leather Satchel on the way. I'm going to keep the Rebar on the Osprey, and will throw the Spirit on the Saddleback when it gets here. I'm going to keep using the Osprey as my school bag, since my students are terrible with new things, and I've been toying with the idea of separate school and real-life bags for quite some time. Fun on a bun!
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