So the search began for a new bag. And, after a bit of experimentation, here is what I settled on.
As a result, I had to start traveling with among these suitcases, which likely have a more professional name and both a backpack — but I like saying roll-y suitcases. In case you’re curious, I’m using the London Fog Coventry bag, which is usually little enough for the overhead bins on an airplane. Plus, when I do end up needing to test it, the golden trim helps distinguish it out there.
Given the answer that article obtained, I figured it was high time to take a look at the equipment I’m carrying on a daily basis.
I believe I’m actually carrying fewer things in my backpack now than when I made my original video two decades back. However, several have been upgraded, and I’ve made a few additions. Let us go through them.
My trusty old Minaal Carry-On served me well for a long long time, but even with its cavernous amount of space, it is not enough to safely carry my running shoes, camera body, several lenses, and other equipment along with a week’s worth of clothes and a notebook.
- MacBook Pro 15″ (Mid-2016 variant) — I upgraded from the Air once I got really serious about editing my YouTube videos and adding in animations with After Effects. This more beefed-up notebook lets me do these things when I’m traveling.
- IPad Mini 4 — which I use mainly for reading books, but also for writing — particularly if I’m on airplanes. The iPad paired with a bluetooth keyboard works so much better than my notebook in coach seats. I am also using a cheap, yet high-quality case that can prop the iPad up at a few different angles.
- Bluetooth Apple Keyboard — this is the above bluetooth keyboard that lets me write on my iPad. There are models out there, but since I work on a computer, I do not skimp on my computer hardware.
- Notebook and sketchbook — both from Target (I’ve linked to Amazon equivalents). Neither of these are particularly fancy.
- A single folder — this is where I keep any papers I want to store while I’m on the go. As a student, I used a robust accordion binder; these days I do not usually need to store papers.
- Bose QC35 noise-cancelling headphones — I’m listening to my study music playlist as I type up this blog post. I was skeptical about the value of noise-cancelling tech at first, but once I tried it, it was a game changer. These headphones allow me to focus on my job even in noisy environments, meaning I have a lot more choice when I comes to my study places. One thing to note, though, is that these particular cans are expensive. Have a look at the Cowin E7 for a far more affordable option that still works pretty well.
- Plantronics Backbeat Fit bluetooth headphones — these are the headphones I use when I work out; however, they’re often in my work bag as well since I use them to listen to audiobooks while on the bike trail going to where I’m working.
- Apple earbuds — these always reside in my backpack, and they’re my go-to headphones for walking around if I do not happen to have the bluetooth ones on me.
- Water bottle — if I do not carry one with me, I’ll inevitably forget to drink enough water throughout the day. This one is a steel, so it doubles as a self explanatory device, I guess.
- Business cards — I always carry a few in case I make a relationship. Mine are high quality, double-thickness cards from Moo that stand out amongst other cards. Handy to have around, and economical.
That is about it for my bag! If you’re looking for more equipment recommendations, you might want to check out my college packing guide, list of book recommendations, and my general resources page — which includes many of the programs I use on a daily basis.
And despite the fact that my backpack didn’t contain anything truly exciting, like a gateway into a pocket dimension full of talking hot dogs, or disco ball gloves, people seemed to enjoy it anyway.
- The main compartment is well-padded and keeps my notebook safe. It’s also got enough space for a few notebooks.
- At the top, there’s a little compartment that can fit an iPad or a similar-sized tablet. Additionally, it has a soft padding, meaning should youn’t have a computer case it won’t scratch your screen.
- Another main compartment gives me enough room for books, headphones, and other things.
- The front compartment is similar to a flap which can be unzipped on three sides. This lets me essentially open it like a novel, revealing lots of pockets for organizing pens, cards, and other things that are smaller. No digging from the very best for things!
While it’s a smaller backpack than the Minaal, how its compartments are designed and laid out makes it a more functional and easy-to-use daily driver backpack. Where the Minaal was somewhat unwieldy and required some fiddling to get things from it, this backpack stands up on its own and has spaces for all the pieces of equipment I use in my job.
But far away and by my favourite feature of this backpack is the compartment at the bottom.A couple of years ago I did one of these What’s In My Backpack videos that all the kids seem to be doing nowadays.
Opening it up reveals a little space that’s perfect to get a notebook charge cord and brick. Every other backpack I’ve used in the past has required me to shove my MacBook charger in some awkward spot or another. With this pocket, I can store it or take it out in seconds. I love this feature.
I’ve gone through some pretty big life changes since that first video. Above all, I moved from Iowa to Denver, Colorado back about six months ago, so I’m using my bicycle to go around a lot more often.Furthermore, since I’ve started making an effort to dress better AND often traveling with camera equipment, I’m no longer a single carry-on traveler.
The Gear
If you wish to see more of the backpack than the two shots I’ve included here, check out the movie at the peak of this article. I’ve included shots of it there. But to give you a quick run-down:
After I started using the roll-y bag, though, the Minaal backpack became… — well, frankly, it turned into overkill. While it’s an excellent bag for people that wish to live the single carry-on lifestyle (since it can fit so much), it is a bit of a pain to use when it’s not full. It just becomes kinda.
But what about the equipment, you ask?Source: TPD College Admissions Feed
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