Welcome to a new topic on Everyday Carry, which I like to think of as “life changing capitalism”, in a good sense. The baggage that I bring with me (figuratively and literally) affects how I react to situations, where I decide to go, and what I decide to do while I’m out and about, and so it’s a good idea to get my daily possessions codified in writing for future review and reflection.
Frequent Flyers
The frequent flyers are items that I take with me almost all the time, often due to their ability to hold other objects and essentials, or due to their versatility and adaptability.
- Peak Design Everyday Carry Backpack v2 (30L)
- Peak Design Packable Tote
- Nomatic Wallet
- Uniqlo AIRISM Mask1
- OnePlus 9
- iPhone 12 mini
The Peak Design bags are some of the most costly bags I’ve had in possession, but they’re well worth the investment. The build quality is superb and they fit everything I bring with me, and all the unexpected surprises too2. The packable tote provides storage when I need it, and is out of the way when I don’t. The Nomatic Wallet is a relatively new addition: previously, I used combination wallet and phone case.
My choices in phones are fairly uninspiring. There are some things that Android does better, and the overall software and user experience on iOS is sleeker and polished. The OnePlus is the only one of the two devices that has a sim in it, but I find myself reaching for the iPhone rather than the OnePlus for smartphone photography.
The Heavyweights
- MacBook Air 2020 (M1)
- MacBook Pro 14” 2021
- iPad Pro 11” 2021 with Magic Keyboard
- Olympus E-M10 MkII, Lumix G 20mm f/1.7
- Nintendo Switch and games
My first Macs were the Mid-2009 and 2008 Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros, with the 2009 unit being my daily laptop until I replaced it with a Surface Pro back in 2017. The Surface didn’t last quite as long, only seeing around 3 years of use before replacement. I’ve been pretty disillusioned with the MacBooks that Apple has been putting out since 2009, but they’ve made great strides with the M1 models. Generally speaking, I’ll pick one of the MacBooks depending on the personal workload I expect to do outside of work, and pair it with the iPad Pro, which serves as my main mobile device, drawing tablet, and a second screen for one of the Macs. Desktop quality performance out of these ARM chips makes them a no-brainer for use away from an outlet, and they’re light to boot. The E-M10 doesn’t get to see quite as much use on my normal daily commute to work, but it’s a weekend companion.
Bits and Bobs
Depending on the items above, I bring an additional assortment of accessories, with my favorites being the Basic Stand, the MX Keys Mini, and the MX Master 3 with a DeltaHub Carpio. I generally bring a couple Anker USB-C cables and chargers, and have an Anker Power Bank for the phones.