In Search of the Utlimate Techie Carry All?

Anonymous Coward asks: "Like many of Slashdot's readership, I work as an IT guy, and I have quite an interest in techie toys. The result of this is that I wind up lugging around a number of small devices around with me every day. In addition I also carry a number of backup tapes, as I am responsible for my company's offsite backup storage. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the perfect way to cart all of this stuff around. I quickly run out of pockets in the summer, when I don't have a jacket, and if I use my hands, I end up dropping stuff when I go to unlock a door or get out of the car. My poor Rio has its battery held in with a rubber band! I currently use the same case that I use for my laptop, but that's overkill, as I don't take it home every night. I've seen that one company makes a carrying case for a PDA and a cell phone, which also includes a paper planner and resembles a tall CD wallet. This is sort of along the lines of what I'm looking for, but it doesn't hold enough and I have no interest in paper." Yes, we've had questions like this one before, however as the tools one usually carries with them have changed over the course of even the last year, I figure this question deserves to get asked, every so often.

"The ultimate techie carry all would hold all of the following, in a structured way, without being too purse-like:

• PDA
• Cell Phone
• A small quantity of backup tapes, or any small media that you'd wish to transport.
• A portable MP3 player or CD/MP3 player
• Possibly a few CDs, but they already have good cases for that.

as anyone come across anything like this?"

E-Holster

[Anonymous Coward]

You can solve about half your issues with an e-holster (http://www.e-holster.com [e-holster.com])

patagonia atom pack

[dfelznic]

I have a patagonia atom pack. they are decent size well made and have a good design:
http://www.patagonia.com/webapp/commerce/Pgonia/ Pr oduct.jsp?SearchID=E6C119EBDB&merchant_rn=7385&sku =48255

Backpack

[lythander]

LL Bean has a few that are quite up this alley. Not purse-like, but lots of little nooks and crannies to stick stuff in.

PDA & cell phone case?

[SEWilco]

I've seen that one company makes a carrying case for a PDA and a cell phone

A link would be nice for those of us who are shopping for something a little different than your needs. I happen to be looking for a way to keep my cell phone and pocket computer together, both for convenience and because the pocket computer will be using the cell phone.

Yep, a briefcase

[KoF]

Its holds all of that, and then some...

Re:Are you on crack??

[Ophelan]

When a full backup takes approximately 1 terabyte, tapes have their place. DLTs, specifically.

Daniel

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Convenient Carring Mechanisms

[Agthorr]

I wear cargo pants and a belt. The cargo pants have between 6 and 8 large pockets. The pockets are large enough so that I comfortably carry my Palm, keys, wallet, and car radio faceplace in just the front two pockets! These pants have enough pockets even when I'm doing things above-and-beyond my regular geek activities, such as going camping. I can use the lower side pockets to hold a good-sized flashlight and waterbottle. If you don't like long pants, fear not, cargo shorts are also available, as well as convertible pants with lower-legs that zip off.

The belt holds just my leatherman, but I'm sure you can find attachments to hold other geekery as well. I know some people who carry cell phones or pagers that way. (I have studiously avoided acquiring either)

On a sligthly related note, I have a backpack that zips apart into a large backpack and a day-pack. As two packs, it's exactly the maximum sized allowed as the two carry-on luggage items on an airplane. Off the airplane, I can combine them and strap the whole thing on my back. Not having to check any luggage is a wonderful way to travel!

-- Agthorr

Use your belt.

[gwyrdd benyw]

Put as much as possible (e.g. PDA, celphone..) on your belt with clips, and carry the rest in a waist pouch or a shoulder bag (e.g. the timbuk2 that someone else mentioned).

I expressly selected a Motorola StarTAC phone because of its small size and belt clip; I also got a Rhinoskin [handheld-cases.com] pouch for my Handspring (Rhinoskin also has larger pouches and carrying cases for various electronic devices). I have been told I look very geeky - and I take this as a compliment! :)

hmmm...

[Beowulf_Boy]

Maybe a backpack?
or, I gave my uncle something for Christmas that was kind of like a Zippered School Binder made out of Leather. Or a small Brief Case would work

Are you on crack??

[skamikazie]

Who actually uses tapes anymore? I'd rather use on of those IBM micro drives "Beige is where it's at" -JrkItt

A few comments

[ptomblin]

1) Why are so many people assuming that the person asking needed room for a laptop, when there is no mention of a laptop in the list of requirements?

2) Cargo pants? Are you nuts? Do people really like walking around with all that shit swinging around impeding their legs? Not to mention that you then have to wear nothing *but* cargo pants forever and ever? One of the things I like about my bum bag is that I just pick it up and go without having to move stuff from one pocket to another every time I change my pants.

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Can't go wrong with IBM

[Bake]

Well.. Almost.
I bought this one [port.com] from my local IBM dealer last fall along with my ThinkPad.
I put everything in it wherever I go, my Thinkpad, charger, external mouse (playing CS with the nipple is hard!), along with a wireless pcmcia ethernet card, some extra cables, CDs and a few books. It also features a "wallet" of some sort for my GSMphone on one of the shoulder straps (you can remove it or put it on the other strap of course).
It's all in all a very good case and I've recommended it to everybody looking for a carry-all.

Lands End Canvas Briefcase

[Royster]

I've been using it for years. The internal pockets hold my PDA, cellphone, leatherman, checkbook, bible and prayer book. The train schedules go in the outside pocket so I can reach them quickly while walking towards the commuter train station and I even carry a mini-notebook and newspaper or book to read on the train.

It's not as stuffy or heavy as a hard sided briefcase and the sholder strap makes it easy to carry.

Laptop backback.

[Bryan Andersen]

I use a laptop backpack for the bulky items and carry the PDA in the pocket. Mostly what I carry around is static. Laptop, camera(digital), tripods(big and mini), power strip, power supplies, extra battries, etc. It also provides room for notes, books, etc. When I don't need the laptop it's evicted along with it's power supply, but generally the bag is stuffed with all the geek toys and accesories I need to keep me going all day.

This backpack looks like a regular backpack on the outside while providing padded storage for the notebook. It's by Jansport and I found it in an EMS store (Eastern Mountain Sports). Unfortunatel I don't see it listed on their site.

Boblbee

[mindslip]

www.boblbee.com

If you can't afford the chrome one, you're not really making it in the Geekdom industry.

mindslip.

What you want...

[cr0sh]

Hard to find nowadays, but I am sure they are still produced somewhere, in some manner:

Parachute Pants!

Actually, I think they are called cargo pants now, but basically they are pants (and I actually have some shorts that are the same way - these are easy to find) that are big and "flowing", with a gazillion pockets (ok, maybe not that many, but I used to have a pair a long time ago, back when they were popular - around the time of break dancing - ouch, really dating myself there - that had 10 pockets)...

AFA the cargo shorts go - I have a couple pair that are long like bermudas, but have six pockets - four up front, two in back. The four up front can hold 2-3 cans of soda at once!!!

I am wondering if the parachute pants were called such because they were big, or if they make certain style cargo pants for parachutists, or something - look into mil-surplus clothing for similar gear - maybe aviator gear/pants - hmm...

Now, getting this past any kind of dress code you may have at your job might be hard...

Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!

waistpack, backpack

[Mr. Slippery]

I carry my essentals - wallet, cellphone, PDA, multitool, Zippo, earplugs, keys, LED mini-flashlight - in, or on the belt of, a Jansport waistpack [jansport.com].

For carting papers and books to and from work and generally carrying stuff about town and countyside, I recently got a Crossover [xover.net] backpack, which I'm pretty happy with.

Got them both at Sunny's Surplus, the local camping-type place.

Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | http://www.infamous.net/

Get Creative

[SuiteSisterMary]

If an eHolster [eholster.com] isn't good enough for you, go to a military surplus store, get a vest with lots of pockes, and depending on local climate, either wear it, or reverse it and sew it to the inside of your favourite jacket.

Nice Pants

[stinkydog]

These are the pants [generalsurplus.com] you seek. Rip-stop nylon and more pockets than you know what to do with.

They also make great cutoffs and they have buttons to secure the pockets and flaps (you don't want the enemy to hear you working a zipper). I reccomend the basic black for that formal look (although the urban cammo will certainly turn heads at work).

Or if you need even more room try this rig [bucketboss.com] on for size. But seriously check out your local home center for a small tool pouch. It sounds like you have enough gear. The suspenders [bucketboss.com] also make a nice touch at rounding out the ensemble.

StinkyDog

get a bike messenger bag

[woggo]

I commute by bicycle, and am a grad student, so I don't have quite as many gadgets and don't need to lug around backup tapes. However, I need to bring my notebook, cell phone, Visor, minidisc player, books, some CDs and MDs, etc., to and from campus when I'm biking, and I've found that a Timbuk2 messenger bag (web site [timbuk2.com]) is even better than my old frame backpack (which had a lot of compartments). They're better for biking than for walking, but if you don't load them with 70# of books, you should be able to walk fine with one, too.

A messenger bag has two straps -- one large and one small -- that cross your chest. The bag itself sits on your lower back, so it is much cooler to wear when biking and walking on hot days. You can get pouches for the big strap; I have one designed to hold keys (also big enough for a tape or two) and one designed to hold a cell phone. Mine also has several zippered and velcro'd compartments; you can order them with a divider or special notebook sleeve as well. The bags also look great -- so if you have to "go corporate", you'll still fit in. Timbuk2 makes every one custom, to order, in three or four days. You might also want to check out their "computer commuter bag".

~wog
DISCLAIMER: I own one of these bags, but have no other affiliation with Timbuk2 Designs.

Belt for the ubergeek

[smoon]

Try a tool belt like this [yahoo.com]. Room for all your stuff and it would give you bragging rights around construction sites. This one Features:

• Quality Genuine Suede Leather (sleek and fashionable)
• Double Riveted (durable)
• 6 Pockets of Various Sizes (PDA, phone, Mp3, etc.)
• 2 Metal Hammer Loops (c'mon -- how many times have you wished you had a hammer handy when windoze needed yet another reboot?)
• Tape Measure Pouch (headphones)
• Multi-Tool Pouch (Expansion space for more gizmos)
• 4 Pencil Pockets (spare stylii, maybe even a real pen)

Photo Shops

[kruczkowski]

I have a aluminum case I bought at a photo shop, it have a fowm that you can cut out and I placed my laptop cables and other goodies. From the out side it lookes like it cannot fit that much, but I can cram books, notes and more without any problems. The best part is when you open it back up everything is in place.

Check out the local photo shop.

Carrying around backup tapes is a bad idea.

[duffbeer703]

Would you like some petty thief to have access to all your corporate data? Backup tapes are a great tool to violate security permissions at a distance.

I would suggest using a tape archiving company like Iron Mountain. One carton of tapes costs about $30/month to store.

Eagle Creek

[ptomblin]

I've got an Eagle Creek bum bag that I got at Eastern Mountain Sports, and it's pretty good. It's good room for my cell phone, my wallet, my PDA, my keys, my passports and green card, my checkbook, my blood sugar tester, my mini-maglight and my bucktool. It can be worn as a bumbag, or you can zipper away the waist band and carry it over your shoulder with an included strap (which I unfortunately lost).

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this one [eaglecreek.com] is the one I have.
This one [eaglecreek.com] is bigger, but it looks pretty good too.

If I was designing my own, I'd do something very much like what I have now, except I'd put the cell phone and the PDA in separate pockets with velcro'ed flaps so I could get them out without digging through the rest of the junk.

One disadvantage, though, is that one of my former cow orkers used to call it my "man purse".
If you can stand the shame and humiliation, go for it. It's certainly better than having all that stuff in your trouser pockets.
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