For some reason, I am obsessed with having the right bag for the occasion. I love collecting bags and I have for many years now, carried a man bag of some sort, weather it be a shoulder bag or pack, its been there. I carry and have carried a lot of different things depending on what I was doing at the time.
One time my wife and I were eating chocolate on a bench outside the shop we purchased the chocolate from. It was a warm day making the chocolate sticky. Guess who had wet wipes in the man bag. Yep, and a passer by was apparently impressed enough to comment!
But I am starting to put some structure around my purchases rather than just purchase the new shiny bag because I like it.
Looking at the bag collection, I have:
- Cotopaxi pack*
- large duffel bag
- Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II
- Patagonia Minimass Messenger
- Small shoulder bag
- Small Hydration carrier
- Ebags Mother Lode Weekender
* I can't find a link for this as it is a discontinued model. I think it is about 20L. Good enough for overnight travel.
For a day out or overnight, the Cotopaxi pack works just fine. It fits a change of clothes, basic electronics including my laptop, and my toiletries. Its a nice pack with a clean design and fits under aircraft seats just fine.
If I am traveling for longer periods up to a week, I have used the Ebags Mother Lode. I can carry enough clothing for a week, my toiletries and my laptop. In addition there is space for a water bottle, umbrella, more electronics, and some snacks (very important to have snacks)
I have used the large duffel for a three week trip to Europe. That time I did check the bag, and used the Cotopaxi as my carry on.
For everyday use I switch between the small shoulder bag, and the Patagonia Minimass. If all I am carrying is my phone, pocket knife, and glasses, the smaller bag is perfect. Adding a sweater, or jacket and a water bottle, and I will use the Patagonia bag.
The Laptop that I carry for work is a little cumbersome (Lenovo W540, 15.5inch) but I hope my next machine will be a little smaller and lighter. The Lenovo just fits in the Cotopaxi bag, so something a little smaller will be nice for that bag.
What is the point of this post?
Well I am considering swapping the Maxpedition for a larger, more traditional pack. I don't hike much but I feel like the Maxpedition is not quite the right pack for me. When I hike now, I carry the small hydration pouch (holds a 32oz Nalgene, pocket knife, phone and that's about it).
I think I need a pack about 27-35L with a pocket for a 32oz Nalgene, and a soft pocket for glasses and phone. I suspect I need to think about it a little more.
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