Most bags are the wrong shape and orientation . They fall over , often as no !

[CharonY]

You see, outside of Canada people do not need to bring their anti-bear and moose spray, so they can carry around man-purses with the usual essentials, such as laptop, tablets, newspaper, paperwork, pens, croissants, assortment of bratwuerste, a demi-baguette, prosciutto, thermos with coffee/tea, and beer. And of course all the chargers. Especially for the baguette.

Edited June 15, 2017 by CharonY

[Phi for All]

What're you guys, going camping ?

 

Not with just my regular bag, I'm not. I have no lighters, pots, pans, salt, blades longer than 2", or paper towels. What do Canadians use, pine cones?

[StringJunky]

 

Not with just my regular bag, I'm not. I have no lighters, pots, pans, salt, blades longer than 2", or paper towels. What do Canadians use, pine cones?

They've only got snow, ice and pine trees so not a lot to go out for.

[Acme]

What're you guys, going camping ?

Why do you need so much gear when you leave the house ?

( I've heard about you Europeans and your man-purses )

I am not European, not there's anything wrong with that. (Well, descended from Europeans.)

 

So I liked a lot of comments but I'm too lazy to quote all and will respond haphazardly. Good call Swansont on maybe a camera bag. Another category to look into fo shizzle.

 

On the cell phones, I'm kinda new to that but mine has a lanyard tie on it and I used it to tie the phone to my person. My current phone is a bit too big for shirt pockets so I have a belt pocket I tie it to.

 

As to why I need so much gear. Part of my kit is things I have wished I had when I needed them on outings and so make sure to remedy the regret. Normal everyday on my person I carry the bandaids, cell phone, flashlight, keys, magnifying glass, mirror, and of course money if I have it and identification. (No point making it hard on officials identifying me if I croak. )

 

As to my bag, I am an amateur botanist and do volunteer work for the university and several government agencies. I go about in wild terrain to photograph, collect, describe, and otherwise document the biota and my gear is sometimes necessary and always convenient to achieve my ends. One of my state managers often jokes on me on account of my kit-and-caboodle, but usually when he is hoping I have what he needs and hasn't brought. I never made it very high in Boy Scouts but have always taken Be Prepared to heart.

[Mordred]

They've only got snow, ice and pine trees so not a lot to go out for.

Rocky mountains are breathtaking lol. I'm within easy driving range. Though I still don't carry bear spray etc. Wife keeps telling me to but nah never bothered. Lived in bear country most my life. Never needed it. The dang mosquitos are a greater nuisance. Ya forgot those on your list lol. Edited June 15, 2017 by Mordred

[Mike Smith Cosmos]

.The slight irony of all this bag business,is ,

That a year or so ago , I got so worked up about this problem , I thought I would start observing , people with bags .

Postman , women , men , myself etc .

 

What I noticed about postmen , and regular Bus drivers, is that they carried quite a lot , some of it reasonably heavy. They seemed to raise there shoulder quite high, compared with the unused shoulder, to stop the bag slipping off . Women too seemed to have problems with keeping the bag under control. The contents of Women's bags are a whole subject on its own .

 

To combat this slipping off the shoulder, which I also find annoying , particularly if you bend down to do up your shoe laces , the whole thing comes swinging around and over your face .

 

To combat this I looked into designing some form of shoulder hook which would prevent this happening. But somebody has already invented and marketing it.

 

While doing research I asked a man I found walking over a canal bridge, spontaneously . What do you do to carry all you need while walking the canals ? To which he replied " I acquired this great body top" it had about 15 small pouches only across the front . One for this one for that , " he said as he demonstrated where his keys were, his wallet, his sandwich, his map. "

 

Judging the trauma I go through just to find my keys from two outside pockets to two trouser pockets , how he managed 15 pouches ??

 

Trouble is if you don't do something , you have this single chasm of a bag that you forage through like a pig though undergrowth .

 

Mike

Edited June 15, 2017 by Mike Smith Cosmos

[StringJunky]

I use a messenger bag big enough to carry a 15.4 inch laptop. They can have pockets outside the main compartment of sizes specific for certain items like phone, wallet etc.

[Acme]

.The slight irony of all this bag business,is ,

That a year or so ago , I got so worked up about this problem , I thought I would start observing , people with bags .

Postman , women , men , myself etc .

...

While doing research I asked a man I found walking over a canal bridge, spontaneously . What do you do to carry all you need while walking the canals ? To which he replied " I acquired this great body top" it had about 15 small pouches only across the front . One for this one for that , " he said as he demonstrated where his keys were, his wallet, his sandwich, his map. "

...

Mike

The gentleman's 'body top' sounds like the 'fisher/sports' vest I use. Here's a photo of a model similar to mine. I found mine at a second-hand store for $8US.

 

Other stuff I carry that slipped through the cracks in my caranium are tape measures, 16ft & 100ft., gardening shears, cord, small tarp, water, inclinometer, tripod, expanding photographic reflecter/diffuser, pliers, folding saw, a Leatherman muli-tool, and a GPS unit. When in remote areas likely to have bear and cougar, I carry a sidearm.

[StringJunky]

Rocky mountains are breathtaking lol. I'm within easy driving range. Though I still don't carry bear spray etc. Wife keeps telling me to but nah never bothered. Lived in bear country most my life. Never needed it. The dang mosquitos are a greater nuisance. Ya forgot those on your list lol.

Skin So Soft by Avon was what I used to use for them when fishing. I think it's based on citronella.