ISO Bag or Pouch for Discreet Carriage/Storage of Diabetic Paraphernalia

August 17, 2016 9:10 AM

I am a man with diabetes. I need to have easy access to all of my gear (pens, needles, monitor, strips, pills, etc.). I have a desk job (business attire required), but my weekends and evenings are spent all over the place. I can occasionally use my wife's purse as a holder- but that still means a bunch of loose stuff floating around in the jumble of her purse. What can I use to contain and keep all my stuff with me and still fit in around the office and town?
posted by bluejayway to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Sounds like you need a bag with lots of internal organization. I'm not sure how big, though, and of course the specific organization required depends on the specific stuff. Look at something like Tom Bihn's Maker's Bag?
posted by praemunire at 9:12 AM on August 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Pencil cases! Especially the asian or european cases. My spouse uses one similar to this one.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 9:14 AM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine uses a lunch-sized cooler pak, like this. Especially helpful if your stuff needs to be kept cool.
posted by hydra77 at 9:17 AM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

What about something like TADGear's OP1 or GPP1 pouches or Lihit Labs' Smart Fit carrying pouches?
posted by evoque at 9:30 AM on August 17, 2016

I buy various-sized "wet-bags" from MonkeyFootDesigns. Her products last forever. I purchased a few when my son was a baby and they still look brand new 5 years later. What's nice about them is they are very easy to wash, and nothing inside of them will get wet (that's why they're called wet-bags), so I like them for cell-phone/camera at the beach too, or just in my purse because I never learn and I like to throw bottles of water in my purse.

She makes a double zipper style pouch that might be good. If you like the design you can request a custom order in a more work-appropriate pattern/colour.
posted by lafemma at 9:31 AM on August 17, 2016

Would a zip-around organizer or planner/portfolio-type case work?

along the lines of this zippered padfolio -- (though I was really thinking something more Franklin-Covey type planner sized... I know they are out there but couldn't find one on a quick search!)
posted by NikitaNikita at 9:59 AM on August 17, 2016

Best answer: I'm a pump user, and thus not carrying insulin in my bag, but I just break all convention and carry/wear a fanny pack. Usually dump it in my satchel but if I have to wear it for a site visit, c'est la vie.Anybody who tells you your preferred method for keeping your life-saving medical gear with you doesn't fit in to "business attire" can be told to screw themselves.
posted by stevis23 at 10:02 AM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Saddleback Leather has lots of small bags... they're expensive, and they don't typically have lots of pockets, but they're totally indestructible and look good, I think. Their prices are going up significantly starting in September, FYI.
posted by Huck500 at 10:11 AM on August 17, 2016

Laptop bag is what works for me. Bigger than necessary, but it has a handle, never looks out of place anywhere, and you can use it for other stuff as well. (I have another one for my actual laptop.)
posted by in278s at 10:13 AM on August 17, 2016

Brother of telegraph (also a Mefite, may be along shortly) is a pump user as well and often wears cargo shorts/pants. They are not the most stylish and certainly fall short of business attire, but great for weekends.
posted by telegraph at 10:44 AM on August 17, 2016

Best answer: Laptop bags with lots of compartments. Pencil cases: Asian ones are great, but Nock's stuff is also good, and their pen cases might work; as a small company they might be responsive to adapting their portfolio/cases to make a better version of the standard nylon meter case.

I'll also point to yadaBags, which is a one-person company that makes purses with compartments designed for diabetics. They mention an option for men on the website, but it's not currently listed in the store. Might be worth dropping a line to see what that looks like and if you can get a custom order.
posted by holgate at 11:05 AM on August 17, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks for the recommendations so far!

Does anyone have experience with Mod by This Is Ground?
posted by bluejayway at 11:16 AM on August 17, 2016

Best answer: SPI Belts are unobtrusive and hold a surprising amount of stuff. They also make versions specifically for diabetics, with holes for insulin pump tubing.
posted by mogget at 11:39 AM on August 17, 2016

I have this Tom Bihn Cafe bag and carry it around as my purse. I am very male presenting, but it never looks out of place. My spouse carries the small version as her purse.
posted by advicepig at 11:49 AM on August 17, 2016

I haul around all my small tools/odds and ends in pouches and bags from Maxpedition. The Skinny pocket organizer might be what you are after and it's on closeout for $20 right now.
posted by Dr. Twist at 3:11 PM on August 17, 2016

would a running buddy be suitable? they have a flap that goes "inside" your trousers and fastens closed with magnets, so you can wear one with any pair (belt or not) and they look like a discrete (if you get black) pouch. i use one all the time for carrying my phone when cycling - sits in the small of my back.
posted by andrewcooke at 3:20 PM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Perhaps something designed for this specific purpose?
posted by flabdablet at 6:54 PM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]