Bags and the every-day carry

[teatime]

i was wondering what bags everyone uses here on melonland. i personally use a couple - two totes, two backpacks and a waist bag (fanny pack) depending on what i need to carry and what i’m feeling like. as for useful things i carry, i’ve started bringing a little notebook for when i need to jot things done and don’t want to use my phone

[Melooon]

I voted for cross-body but I'm not sure if that was correct since Id call these messenger bags. Anyway, I have two, both made by a company called I always called AO but apparently that's not their name  I cut the labels off years ago! One I got in 2010 as a school bag (my main one atm)

Here is a picture of it after some repairs 

I also have a bigger waterproof one from 2014 in a similer style that I use for travel!
Both are designed for older 15" laptops, so it suits me fine since I also always have a laptop or a tablet with me.

Iv been taking a break from it recently, but I used to use a backpack I got in an army surplus store in NY - it was army green originally but I bleach washed to give it a cool canvas look (I used this when I spent 3 months on Amtrak)


Other things I often have in it:

• A light raincoat - necessary here!
• A camera of some sort - either my digital one or less often a polaroid
• A few pens and a Sharpie in case I need to add to the discussion on bathroom walls
• Some sort of sweets or snacks
• A notebook/journal - although I don't use this as often as Id like.
• Other emergency items like wired earphones, a plastic bag, some coins, a torch and matches.

I tend to leave space for bringing things back from shops etc; I think its better to have empty bag room available then to be stuck without bag room

[tarraxahum]

I am the heathen who most of the time carries nothing in terms of bags and just stuffs everything in their pockets.

Winter coats have big pockets and my late autumn/early spring jacket has an inner pocket and my leather jacket........... has a huge hole inside one of the pockets which basicly allows me to store stuff inbetween the leather and the lining..... one giant whole jacket pocket.....

In summer, however, I either suffer of have to begrudgingly switch to a small bag.

That being said all of that very often leaves me in situations like

- Heck, forgot my ID again.
- Ah crap, no umbrella.
- A friend gave me a spontaneous present and I don't have anywhere to put it, gah.

So SOMETIMES I carry a big backpack around (like if I'm going to a sleepover) and all my friends tease me about it. "Hmmm something is different about you today... OMG is that a BAG"   

As far as my pockets go though, I usually have my phone, my bank card, my headphones and my knife on me. And maybe my ID if I haven't forgotten it AGAIN.

If I want to start carrying around a camera though, that might need to change... I have my dad's old camera bag tho, maybe it'll work 

[LIA]

I was the kid that stuffed everything in her backpack and then dreading cleaning it, after I got older, I've still stuffed backpacks and now there's trash in my pockets haha

[wodaro]

Backpacks 10000000%!!!! I love how purses look and I do have some cute ones but I feel like they can be so impractical >.< if all I need to take with me somewhere is my phone/wallet though (like when I go to work) then I usually just put everything in my pockets.

[Y2KStardust]

I have a backpack I love! It's galaxy print ^.^ It's a jansport and I find they're both super useful in terms of storage/longetivity, and very accessible

[Badgersaurus]

I have three backpacks I use regularly: my big old school backpack, my smaller backpack that I usually use as a plane carryon, and finally a small bird-print backpack that I use when birdwatching or just as a purse.
Other than that I usually use a crossbody camera-bag to carry my things in. It's black so it goes with everything, more or less.

[Memory]

I usually use crossbody bags, but most of them would be considered small purses I think? I don't know.

For daily carry I always have my wallet, sunglasses, phone, and keys of course. 90% of the time there's also a vape pen, some chapstick, a couple tampons, and a roll-on aromatherapy stick. If it's really dry out I'll take some hand lotion too.

Sometimes a tamagotchi comes along for the ride too haha

[DoctorDizzy]

I use crossbody bags and purses! I have a purse that can be converted to a crossbody bag, so that's pretty cool. I'd use my pockets for the stuff I carry in those bags, but, well, I wear women's clothing. Yeah, I could buy men's clothes, but ehhhh, they don't really look good on me. C'mon, designers for ladies' clothes -- Give us bigger pockets!!!

I enjoy having my stuff be very easy to access, so backpacks aren't necessarily ideal for me. I do use one for school, but I don't really like using one in my daily life.

[teatime]

@Melooon both of those bags are cool! i dig all of the little personal touches, like the pins and patches.

Winter coats have big pockets and my late autumn/early spring jacket has an inner pocket and my leather jacket........... has a huge hole inside one of the pockets which basicly allows me to store stuff inbetween the leather and the lining..... one giant whole jacket pocket.....

this reminds me of a friend who used to frequently wear this great jacket with an ABSURD amount of pockets, regardless of the season. i also used to wear this jacket with only a measly four pockets, maybe i should wear it again in the fall 

As far as my pockets go though, I usually have my phone, my bank card, my headphones and my knife on me. And maybe my ID if I haven't forgotten it AGAIN.

i use this clear bus pass holder i got from a daiso a long time ago for two of my cards. i couldn't find it online, but i imagine an opaque version would be good to hold your ID and bank card. something like this? ALSO A KNIFE i've been considering getting a knife or a multitool just because i think they're really cool looking which one do you use?

I was the kid that stuffed everything in her backpack and then dreading cleaning it, after I got older, I've still stuffed backpacks and now there's trash in my pockets haha

same here. i've found that if i don't immediately see a trash can then i tend to put trash in my pockets 

C'mon, designers for ladies' clothes -- Give us bigger pockets!!!

I enjoy having my stuff be very easy to access, so backpacks aren't necessarily ideal for me. I do use one for school, but I don't really like using one in my daily life.

that's how they get ya - if you wear women's clothes then they give you no pockets so you buy a separate bag 

i don't mind using backpacks but crossbody bags can be kind of hard for me to suss out if they're going to be comfortable for me to wear. backpacks usually have much more adjustable straps which i appreciate. i could champion the waist bag/fanny pack/bum bag as the ultimate in practicality, but if you're plus-sized/fat or have wider hips finding one that fits could also be hard.

[lostletters]

Where I live, everyone takes trains, so you can't rely on a car to carry a ton of stuff. It also gets unbelievably hot in the summer, so I can't use a backpack. My perfect combo is a small crossbody bag + my trusty Shupatto eco bag to increase my carrying capacity.

I love my eco bag more than anything. I've used it every single day for 3 years because it's a breeze to fold back up into a tidy little package. I always have them on me and give them as gifts all the time. They are extremely durable and solve the worst part of eco bags (folding them up after use) in the most magical and satisfying way.

[tarraxahum]

which one do you use?

Well mine actually is a small-ish multitool, yeah! I even dug up the model name, it's Victorinox Spartan



Here's my guy, in this very color :D

Took it to so many art conventions (so. many. boxes.) and on the road, too 

[Memory]

Ever since high school I've exclusively used backpacks to carry things, mostly because I have too many things I want to take with me just in case lol. That and I need the strong support for my poor back . Here is an image of my current one! (I hope the image is a suitable size!)



As you can see, I thoroughly enjoy decorating my possessions! The little bear came with the bag itself, but I bought the pins and attached the keyrings myself! As well as decorating the little window with some kpop merch I had lying around, though I'd ideally like to change the contents with other interests, such as anime art and vocaloid stickers, but I think it works for now!

I almost always have the below in my bag, there's no way I'd get all of those things inside any other type of bag, I think.

• My handwritten diary
• My "game notes" notebook
• Likely two or more books to read!
• A bluetooth keyboard
• My tablet
• DS, DS case, and the little holder thing to make holding the DS more comfortable lol
• Ear defenders for if the outside world is too loud
• Juice, snacks, and tobacco products
• ... And often more!

[shevek]

As you can see, I thoroughly enjoy decorating my possessions!

I love your bag so much! The decorations fit so perfectly to it and your thoughtful selection and placement really shows. It makes me want to decorate a bag as well

I should post my 2 favorite backpacks and pink bag some time.

[TheFrugalGamer]

Yup, I'm a backpack fan as well. After going through several cheaper ones that I had picked up at local stores, I finally did some research and splurged on a Timbuk2 laptop backpack that I really, really love. I always had issues with zippers breaking on my old ones, so I got a roll-top and it doesn't show any signs of getting worn out after about six months.

I usually always have the same items on me in the same places:

• my wallet
• phone
• makeup bag with lotion, chapstick, comb etc
• journal
• planner
• laptop and charger
• pencil bag
• my collection of bluetooth earbuds, because I use them on the run and they get lost everywhere else

There's actually still a ton of room in the backpack even with all that, so I sometimes throw other things in there as well when needed. I tend to get anxious when I'm out waiting in public, and the backpack really helps with that; helps me to feel like I've got everything with me that I need, so I don't have to worry about anything.