DIY Planner - What do you carry? - Comments

Canvas rules !

ygor — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:53:30 -0500

I have some canvas bags I have been meaning to review.
I got tired of nylon bags wearing out after a few years.
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"I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." (Calvin and Hobbes/Bill Waterson)

Eagle Creek

OregonJim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:04:51 -0500

I like Eagle Creek, too. However, I have yet to find something that really works for me - it seems to be a never ending quest. :-) I have lately been toying with the idea of modifying one of their backpacks (in the true DIY spirit). Moving a shoulder strap here, splitting a pocket there, etc. I fear that I may end up with a pile of useless fabric, but who knows...

Same Problem here

maddiehope — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:15:06 -0500

I have a terrible time finding something that works. I've tried all manner of bags as well and also have a ton of them. I'm pretty small-framed and my back is not very strong, but I like to carry at least a few items to work on wherever I go. I usually have my planner, my writing journal, and a couple of circa letter-sized notebooks. I always walk downtown to the cigar bar at lunch, and I sit and I work on my novels, but the transportation of my stuff part continues to give me some trouble.

First I got a big purse, but it destroyed my shoulder. Then I got an Old Navy drawstring backpack, but I realized I hate drawstrings and it felt like it was weighing my entire body down. Now, I've got a sling-type backpack I got off ebay, and I like it pretty well. It still hurts my shoulders a little on the return trip to the office, but it's the best I've found so far. It's also kind of odd in its construction, and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to deal with the opening to the main chamber being on the front instead of at the top.

I don't live in a big city where I can walk everywhere, so I don't carry it a whole whole lot, but those several blocks every day certainly call for some solution to back strain and lunchtime creativity.

Head spinning...

OregonJim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:27:59 -0500

When I first read this post, I immediately suspected that I had, instead of taking my normal muscle relaxer pill, mistakenly grabbed my wife's sleeping pill bottle (which act like hallucinogenics for me).

How deflating to find out that was not the case... :-)

Having just perused this

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:16:28 -0500

Having just perused this thread thought I would warm it up by adding that the Land's End Attache is the best bag I've ever had. And I have had many! For years as an executive I travelled extensively, boarding at least three international flights per week and the Land's End attache went everywhere with me. Best thing about it is that no matter how full, you can always fit something else into it (like duty free goods)and when it's nearly empty it's slim and compact. When completely empty you can roll it up.
I had a leather one for 20 years and returned to Land's End in exchange for a brand new fabric bag and they refunded the price difference!!
I believe "Just Joan" carried one in "Romancing the Stone"
There are pretenders but the Land's End Attache is undoubtedly the very best.

As of next week, my kit will

Tournevis — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 14:33:00 -0400

As of next week, my kit will be different. I will switch to a 13" MacBook (lighter) and will carry it in the marvelous shoulder bag my marvelous sister-the-leather-worker made for me.

Eagle Creek Rules!

Debbie Anderson — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 22:09:06 -0500

One of my other addictions are Eagle Creek products. My absolute favorite is my old Eagle Creek Matrix backpack. It just got too heavy to carry on a daily basis, however, and I've reverted to my, you guessed it, Eagle Creek Matrix wheelie bag. It's not nearly as wonderful or as much of a fashion statement as a backpack, but I don't have back pains anymore, either. When I don't need to carry around a bunch of files and stuff, I have two Eagle Creek bags that I use (one is a Matrix shoulder bag). I only rarely use my backpack these days because I'm a bit worried that it will bother my back again.

Paracord lanyard/keyring

Superpooky — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:42:26 -0500

Hey these are great! Certainly fits the diy ethos. This link took me on a whole other tangent investigating these items and chinese knots.

It must take quite a while and quite a bit of cord to make even a short keyring. If you make them yourself I'm well impressed.

http://bearsbar.blogspot.com/

Try to carry minimal

Pugsy244 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:21:54 -0500

Since I bus and walk everywhere, I try to carry the minimal.

Keys, Cell Phone, SwissBit [usb/swiss army knife/pen/led light], Palm Treo600 [ebooks, games, camera, videos/mp3], iPod ['cuz Treo's battery life can't handle 3 hours of constant song listening], Wallet, Powder compact & lipstick [the minimal], and a Moleskine pocket sized grid book.

I usually carry these in a small purse that goes over-the-shoulder or messenger style for easy access. For additional stuff I need to carry for work or for travel I use a backpack which keep much of the weight balanced and be easy on my back. I used to like to carry those big tote bags with everything inside in my early twenties but was told my posture tends to slant to one side when I was not carrying anything.

Extra stuff like lunch, extra pens & highlighters, magazines, full make-up pouch, cell & Treo usb lines & chargers, and just extra space to hold newly purchase items on my shopping sprees all go into my backpack. I'm trying to minimize these by purchasing multi-function products/gadgets or buying 2 sets where I can leave 1 set at home and the other at work.

Sometimes, I would move the sim card from my cell to my Treo when I go out for short errands and carry all my necessities in my coat pockets. However, due to battery life, I try to carry cell along if room permits. Another reason I want my Treo on me is because I have a voice recording program on it that my cell does not have. When I can't write things down quickly enough on my Moleskine or too much info to write then I'll just record it on my Treo.

I tend to change bags constantly due to moods, occasions and when I need to portray a certain appearance. My EcGo Journey Gear travel bag does not look professional when I'm on an offsite business meeting. Leather bags are usually too heavy. I use small pouches to carry some items together when I move them to larger totes and backpacks just to avoid forgetting anything during transition.

I have a constant worry that I will run into a situation where I will need a certain item/tool and realize that I do not have it on me. That is why I tend to carry unnessary stuff alot. But I live in Canada with harsh environmental conditions where I need to leap over big snow piles to catch or get on the bus. This reason alone really urges me to carry less.

That's true...

wikeh2004 — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:30:36 -0400

It would make Levenger and Renaissance Art products seem quite reasonable in comparison. :-)

Hey, I think good quality is worth paying for, but I will still try to get the best deal when I can. So, though I am often overcome by temptation, it's usually when there's a 20% coupon available!

Walter

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"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." Albert Einstein and Buckaroo Banzai

yeah, I knew I didn't want to run the exchange rate

kmorris — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:33:28 -0400

Some of the pen cases are truly beautiful. (can't quite justify 'protecting' my $80 pen with a $300 or so pen case)

But, it makes what I decide to purchase from Levengers or Renaissance Arts look
emminently reasonable!

--
kmorris

Maybe it's good thing you can't order...

wikeh2004 — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:21:01 -0400

At about 60,000 yen for the binder, that's about $576, not including shipping. (about 104 yen to $1 US)

No wonder they show a Mont Blanc (looks like a 149) pen as an example. :-)

Walter
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"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." Albert Einstein and Buckaroo Banzai

shiny

kmorris — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:16:56 -0400

Wow, this stuff is just beautiful. Everything from pencil cases (and pencil sharpener cases) to binders, totes, brief-cases, and I think a lunch bag. (it's in Japanese, so I'm not sure)

It's all handmade from leather, and it's mostly pen cases.

Takuya binder with jotter and pen closure
Takuya main page

Thank goodness I don't speak japanese and thus can't figure out how to order any!

--
kmorris

Keen

aboatman — Tue, 6 May 2008 17:36:47 -0400

I recently purchased the Keen Alameda 15. It is a sweet little bag. Adjustable padded strap is comfortable. The black denim like fabric shell is nice and clean. It holds most everything I need. A couple of books, moleskin, and checkbook in the main area; pens, flash drives, notebook, calendar, and mail in the front. There is a zip pocket on the inside for my camera and zipper pocket in back for my knife. The two side pockets hold the car keys and house keys, the cell phone, and coffee card.

not just postage

Artbeast — Thu, 3 Apr 2008 05:55:12 -0400

You are right about the postage but then there are also duties and taxes... sometimes. We ship to the UK almost daily and there is no rhyme or reason to when they charge duties or taxes. It seems completely random. I think the miminum is $30USD so on a $100 purchase that is 30%.

Arthur
www.renaissance-art.com

What do you carry?

caligatia — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:53:43 -0500

I love bags. It's part of my organization addiction. I am constantly on the lookout for The Perfect Bag -- something that will hold my stuff in an organized fashion without being too heavy or bulky. I own too many bags, to be honest. I've tried everything from messenger bags and Jansport backpacks to small purses, and I'm still searching. (I even replaced bags with a black photographer's vest for a while; it worked wonderfully, but I got sick of looking like a nerd.)

I keep coming back to my mini-backpack/purse. It's small, but not too small; it holds my Classic planner, a small knitting project (I love knitting socks), my digital camera, my iPod, and a few small sundries like extra pen refills and a spare pack of cigarettes. It's leather, but it's not thick or heavy. It's as close to perfect as I've been able to find so far. I just wish it had more pockets.

So what do you all carry? Wallets, briefcases, purses, totebags... I'm curious about other solutions!

D*I*Y Planner - What do you carry? - Comments