Comments on: Help me find a go bag/man purse.

Question: Help me find a go bag/man purse.

JPowers — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:16:03 -0800

Help me find a go bag/man purse. I need a way to carry around all of what I consider to be my "must have with me at all times" items.

1. Sony PSP
2. Sidekick II
3. Sony Cyber-shot Digital Camera
4. iPod Shuffle
5. Apple Earbuds
4. Wallet
5. Two keys on a simple chain
6. Trident gum

I have tried this bag, but found it to be too big. Then I tried this large micro mesh pouch, but again found it to be too big.

Thus, what I'm looking for is something that is big enough to fit all of the above items but significantly smaller than 14-1/4" by 10-1/2" (which are the dimensions of the above mesh pouch). I would like something that looks snazzy (I'm a real minimalist) and gives me easy access to all of my goodies. Also, I'd rather have something that doesn't come with a shoulder strap, as I find them annoying. Any ideas?

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:32:00 -0800

Timbuk2 has a couple of sassy little murses.

The Euro, which comes in a few sizes, and the City Guide.

My husband's getting a Euro for Christmas. Don't tell him. Dude needs it, too, because I am tired of being his sherpa.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:37:55 -0800

I don't get it - if you don't want a strap, how do you hold on to the bag? Do you hold it in your hands at all times?

A small waist pack?

MEC's Pod Sling Pack is the smallest pack they have, at 7L, but that's probably still too big for you. And it has a strap. There's a 4L shoulder bag too.

The Travel All has a shoulder strap. THough I think it's too small to get all that stuff into.

At the ultra-minimal end, the On Sight Universal Pouch comes as small as 12 x 19 cm, which is about 5" x 8".

Maybe go to a department store and look for a basic leather toiletry bag - those are small.

By: Neiltupper

Neiltupper — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:38:57 -0800

How about Athos from Longchamp?

"It's not a purse, it's a European Wallet" : Jerry Seinfeld

By: weirdoactor

weirdoactor — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:38:59 -0800

How do you feel about sling bags?

A bit longer than you were asking, but my girlfriend loves this one.

If you are going for manly, the pink might be a bit much; perhaps the black or purple.

Or go up a size, if need be.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:48:15 -0800

Oooo... googling for "man purse" brought up this delicious shopping list: A Buyer's Guide to Man-Bags.

And it brought back the fusion of cool and uncool that is the "e-Holster". Perfect when you have a flight you don't want to catch.

By: bshort

bshort — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:56:28 -0800

I have a Tom Bihn Medium Cafe Bag that I love love love. They have both a smaller one and a bigger one if the medium doesn't fit your needs.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:09:54 -0800

Speaking of Tom Bihn, check their Buzz as well. Love their stuff.

By: mule

mule — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:10:53 -0800

The latest edition of Make Magazine sugests the Bail Out Bag for the ultimate bloke bag. Read the article here. Looks as though it can be worn with or sans shoulder strap depending on your preference.

By: ordu

ordu — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:11:09 -0800

If you're looking for something rugged try Maxpedition stuff.

They have plenty of flavors (with shoulder strap, without, with waist strap... etc).

The only problem with re-purposing tactical equipment for non tactical use is the items are rarely designed to be nice to the things they hold. Tactical nylon is not going to do good things to your PSP screen if you don't have a cover for it, but if it was designed for serious wear you probably wont have to worry about replacing it. It will most likely outlive you.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:27:55 -0800

how about a camera bag, with shoulder strap?

By: FredFeral

FredFeral — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:28:05 -0800

I'd like to second the recommendation to consider Maxpedition. Their line of "Versipacks" would likely suit you well. I use a Jumbo Versipack and am quite pleased with it. You won't notice the weight at all with the gear you list. You might be able to co-opt the gun compartment for carrying your CDs.

I use mine for its intended purpose. Good luck in your search.

By: mkhall

mkhall — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:29:34 -0800

I agonized over this same dilemma for a long time.

This may be too big and/or too pricey for you, but I love this Saddlebag Sling from Levenger. It's roomy, sturdy, and looks good. I keep mine packed with scary amounts of gear:

" small umbrella " Coolpix S3 digital camera " cell phone " 2 notebooks " Zen Vision " Tapwave Zodiac (same size as a PSP) " folding headphones in case " sunglasses " iShuffle " small plastic box of stuff " car stereo faceplate " and other stuff, but I'm starting to be embarrassed by all the crap I carry around.

I hope this helps!

By: jdl

jdl — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:49:11 -0800

I third Tom Bihn. I have a medium cafe bag and adore it.

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 17:38:09 -0800

I have one word for you: JustGetABloodyCrumplerBag,YouKnowYouWantTo.

By: Marky

Marky — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 17:48:21 -0800

I carry the Gatemouth Jr. to work every day, it's held up for years without a problem.

This is a similar bag, but all leather. Maybe I'll get one for Xmas...

By: atom128

atom128 — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 18:02:58 -0800

Try ant industrial design. Looks like you can email them to find out where they're sold.

By: danblaker

danblaker — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 20:01:48 -0800

I've been carrying this Victorinox (a.k.a. Swiss Army) man-purse for about two years now. It's just big enough for a medium-sized paperback book and my assortment of digital devices (which is pretty much identical to your assortment but two years older/bigger). It has a ton of nifty features which are best appreciated in personyou can find retailers all over.

By: afroblanca

afroblanca — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:06:45 -0800

What about a backpack? Cheap, versatile, and doesn't bring your manhood into question.

By: enrevanche

enrevanche — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:07:11 -0800

I like my Nomadic Wise-Walker. (Linking to an article on my blog rather than the manufacturer's site because, well, the manufacturer is in Japan and the site is in Japanese.)

By: The Monkey

The Monkey — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 17:17:57 -0800

Let me restate my previous post.

I'm not giving you an option here.

Go to the Crumpler website, they have a huge selection of manbags designed specifically for your stated purpose. Their bags are awesome. (Though, yes, their site is... Odd.)

You can feel free to mark me best answer now.