Recommend a Tech Toys Bag?

SuperMallen asks: "With the recent purchase of an iPod and iPod-capable car radio, I am realizing that I have reached maximum capacity in terms of what can go in my pants pockets. Given that I want to take both the iPod and my radio face with me wherever I go (along with my cellphone, Bluetooth headset, wallet, keys, and possibly a laptop with mouse, power supply, and whatever reading material I'm carting around), I'm thinking that what I need is a medium sized bag or backpack with pockets dedicated for this sort thing. What does the Slashdot community do for things like this? Any brands or models you have found work for you?"

As the great George Carlin said...

[bergeron76]

Drop some of your needs!

Here's an idea - don't carry so much crap around.

Get a purse...

[Anonymous Coward]

You have 2 options:

1) Not carry as much crap
or
2) get a pretty purse

Fanny packs!!

[Snafoo]

For all of those that wear fanny packs, this one's commin' atcha!

(w/ apologies to Ben Folds)

Seriously, though.

In Germany, where I lived for a spell, it was permissible for us young males to wear a small shoulder bag. Well, hell, I happen to be gay, right, but the straights were doing it too. It was INFINITELY more efficient than this pockets business every guy in America puts up with. (Or at least the guys here in Chicago.) I had my 'handy' (=cell), my keys, my iPod, my headphones, hipster PDA (http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-t he-hipster-pda/ [43folders.com]) and of course a broad selection of pens. And all in a cute little bag! So, red-blooded american mostly-males: Are you ready to hack gender normativity? Or are you TOO GIRLY to put up with some funny stares and SUFFER, like the 50's housewives whose conformity you ape?

Go to that store. Buy something cute. Put the iPod in it. No need to ask slashdot for silly permission or reassurance. GET A PURSE.

Re:As the great George Carlin said...

[GuitarNeophyte]

The worst thing you can do in this situation, though, is have a tech bag that looks like a tech bag. Man, with all your eggs in one basket like that, if your tech bag is lost, you're lost.

--Luke
ChristianNerds.com News. [christiannerds.com] - If you're one too, it's probably of interest to you.

Re:LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD Brothers and Sisters!!!

[Osty]

Rather than purge your bag, why not really lighten your load by not carrying around so much crap? What I carry on my person on a normal day:

• Wallet with cash, ID cards, and credit cards. I'm partial to smaller tri-fold style wallets. Sits in my back pocket, and I feel naked without it.
• Keys and pocket change. And by "keys", I mean "three keys", not some big huge ring of 50 different keys you'll never use. One for my car, one for my truck, and one for my house. Nothing more.
• Work badge. Because I constantly break the little zip thingies you use to hang it from a belt, I've taken to carrying it in a pocket instead. Usually wrapped by a couple hair bands (because I have longer hair).
• Cell phone that doesn't have a color screen, doesn't take pictures, and doesn't send or receive email. If you can't call me, I don't want to hear from you.
• Sunglasses.
• Wristwatch. Analog, preferably without any special features at all, and with simple tick marks instead of numbers. My current watch is analog with tick marks and has a day/month display that I could live without. Lives on my wrist, not taking up valuable pocket space. Another one of those, "I feel naked without it," items.
• A good book.

I wear a leather jacket year-round (a heavier one during colder months, a lighter one during warmer months), which has enough pockets to hold my cell and sunglasses. Depending on the size of the book I'm currently reading, it will also usually fit into a coat pocket. Wallet, keys, badge, and change go into various pant pockets. Every other month or so work will saddle me with a pager for a week, but that fits into a coat pocket as well. I refuse to carry around anything else. I do have a laptop bag to take my laptop to and from work, but that's house to car to office and back.

At the very minimum, I can safely leave the house with nothing more than my wallet, wristwatch, and keys, and be completely happy and productive.

I see no need to carry around everything you listed. You don't need a flashlight, earplugs, headphones, etc. Maybe the life of a Yoga instructor is much more hectic than that of a software developer, but having not been a Yoga instructor I couldn't really say. I'd suspect not ...

Re:LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD Brothers and Sisters!!!

[mildness]

You so miss the point.

You have a "laptop bag to take my laptop to and from work"

WTF do you think I'm carrying my lighter laptop bag? To get to and from work and side jobs as an IT consultant.

Instead of your one "good book" I've got 500, plus the textbooks and reference books required for work and school.

So instead of your 10 lb laptop, 2 pound book and 2 pound bag I've tried to explain how to cut the weight in half or a third. This will save your back and the nerves in your shoulder compressed by straps on a typical backpack.

BTW the flashlight, laptop and multitool were useful yesterday troubleshooting problems for a local business putting $300 in my pocket. The earplugs and headphones are great on the bus or concentrating for an exam. AND I don't look like a total jackass wearing a leather coat in the summer! (another 5 or 10 pounds I'll point out). (:-{p}

You can have your sanctimonious attititude and 25 pounds of extra crap Osty. I'll take my lightweight gear bag.

Cheers,

Bill