The Man-Bag: Good Enough for Chewbacca, Good Enough for Me

Wookie Fashion Statement

I maintain that the modern man has too many items to simply be carried in their pockets.  Keys, cell phone, wallet, sunglasses, MP3 player, headphones, ID badge, etc. could theoretically be carried in cargo pants or a tek-jacket, but who wants to look like they are going on a hunt in Borneo, when they are just trying to get to the store for milk? Belt clips don't help, either.  Unless you are a Contractor, Police Officer, or Batman, you should never have anything clipped to your belt - with the exception of, perhaps, a small cell phone with business dress, if absolutely necessary

When men carried traditional briefcases to and from work, finding a place for these items was natural.  But with the exception of a small population, most men don't carry briefcases anymore.  I, for one, loathe the briefcase as it is only really acceptable for the office and, even then, is pretty stuffy.  I carried one during my first year of practice and found it, ironically, impractical. 

Storage for Fortune & Glory

I've always been a champion for modern Man Bag and have carried one regularly for almost ten years.  Despite the jabs I received from friends and co-workers about my "purse" over the years, I've found nothing more practical, fashionable, and versatile for carrying around all my stuff - especially since the amount of items I've needed to carry around has increased since the kids came.

But the key, of course, is to not turn your bag into a purse - which occurs when the items you carry in your bag hit critical mass.  Do you have snacks in your bag on a regular basis or find yourself digging through your bag to find something specific? Then you've probably got a purse - time to pair down to the man-essentials: keys, wallet, phone, glasses, MP3 player.

First, I started off with the Man-n-Bag Axible.  It's small size worked well enough for carrying an assortment of devices, wallet, and keys.  My need to be able to carry some documents from time-to-time caused me to transition to a Jansport Sling Backpack.  The Sling suited me well enough for weekends and trips out to the store, but the super-casual look didn't fit well when I would have to make court appearances or meetings.  Plus, though I could carry papers in it, I didn't do it enough to warrant carrying a full-on backpack.  I decided to go smaller, lighter, more fashionable, with a little more business.  It lead me to the Jack Spade Bale Case, which manages to be every bit as cool and hip as the Kate Spade bag that Lady Rad would sling to work with her, but masculine enough to never be mistaken as a purse.  I love that bag, and would return to it in a second... if diapers and wipes weren't required carry-ons, and if it fit my iPad, which it is a hair too small for.

Once Mu came along, the Jack Spade had to go to make room for a "diaper bag."  Thankfully, I was never subjected to the humiliation of carrying around a huge, puffy bag that looked like it was smuggling various newborn equipment.  Lady Rad bought me a Skip-Hop Dash that looked good as a messenger/man bag, but with enough storage options to satisfy both the required components of a new dad, as well as all of my gadgets and devices.  When needed for a meeting or appearance, I could easily swap out bottles for a coffee mug, the changing pad for an iPad.  It's durable, masculine, and serves double-duty nicely.

Now as a casual bike commuter, I also carry a CamelBak SnoBlast daypack that fits on snugly, has as much room for my gear as the Dash, and is more comfortable to ride with than a chest-slingger.  It's a minor inconvenience to swap between the two depending on whether I'm riding into work or getting a ride to work, but given the fact that they both carry the same amount, transferring items from one to the other is a cinch.

So Man-Baggers of the world, unite! Tell us what bag you sling, and what you're carrying in it.