I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest EDC guy. I tend to bring my phone, my keys, and my wallet with me wherever I go. Nothing more, nothing less. Recently, however, I’ve found myself in situations where I’m carrying my backpack with me, and while I do have a lot of cool stuff, I don’t have a lot of cool stuff that lends itself to being on the go. So I decided to change that.
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The Backpack
Ah, the backpack. I’ve had this backpack for over five years now, and I can’t help but love it. The Herschel Supply Company makes some solid products, and this one certainly is that. The straps are still comfortable and the bag doesn’t look a day old. The bag is also incredibly simple, which is something I’m beginning to appreciate more and more. There’s just the laptop sleeve, the main compartment, and the pen pouch, but more on that in a moment.
The Laptop
I’m not sure if the article I posted detailing my laptop situation is still online, so I’m just going to assume it isn’t. I am currently using the 2016 MacBook, yes, that MacBook. Look, it isn’t the best machine in the world, but I absolutely love it. It’s hilariously underpowered and can barely function on websites like Squarespace and RottenTomatoes, but that doesn’t bother me. I purchased the machine for $430 on BackMarket during my junior year of college, mostly using it for notes and essays. Since graduating, I’ve used it for light edits in Pixelmator Pro, document writing, website editing, and even some coding. The display is plenty good for the size and the weight is borderline unbelievable. Seriously, this computer is ridiculously light. I’m praying for the day Apple brings this beauty of a machine back with the “M” goodness, but until then, I’ll be rocking this bad boy.
Portable Power
This may be the most obvious item on the list, but everyone needs a good power bank, especially if they’re on the road. The one I opted for is an ultra-slim, 10,000mAh USB-C power bank. It has two USB-A ports and a singular USB-C port that supports up to 22.5W charging. Nothing crazy, but with an iPhone and a plethora of other Apple accessories, fast charging ain’t an option. Obviously, I chose this particular power bank because of the size, but you can’t beat the price either. When I made my purchase, it was only $25 on Amazon. Quite a deal.
That’s all fine and dandy, but I don’t want to have to lug around a long cable for my Apple Watch in my bag either. That’s why I decided to look into portable Apple Watch chargers, and sure enough, they exist! I managed to find one that suited the color scheme of everything else and picked it up. Compared to the main power bank, this is nothing, sporting a puny 1,000mAh battery, but it is the perfect size for the kind of EDC I’m looking for. Unlike other power banks, this one has a charging puck on the device, so I can just plop my watch on there and have it ready to begin charging. No need for extra cables or charging stands, though I may still bring it with me just in case.
The last item I picked up that can fit in the “Portable Power” is a special kind of wall charger. The theme of this entire carry is minimal/slim, and this wall charger is the very definition of slim and minimal. It features a singular USB-C port at the bottom of the charger, but the real story is how slim it is. It’s a mere .63 inches thick and fits in just about any sized pocket. It delivers 30W of power through the USB-C port, which utilizes “Anker power 3.0 technology,” according to the Amazon listing.
Power is the name of the game, and these slim additions ensure that my devices will always have a charge, even if I have to make sure the chargers are charged. Just to be safe, I picked up another one of the USB-C cables with the display on it, mostly because I’m sick and I need help, but also because I love it and wanted another. This cable, unlike the previous one, will reside permanently in my bag, along with everything else in this carry.
Notebooks & Pens
Look, I love technology as much as the next guy, but I also love writing in a physical notebook. I don’t write everything in notebooks, but most of my film ideas and blog articles initially form inside of some kind of physical notebook. Sticking with the theme of minimal and slim, I picked up a 3-pack of Field Notes, those super slim and “influencer” notebooks. I like being able to have something in my bag and have the ability to pocket it as well, especially when I’m on set filming something. I also picked up a pack of the best pens on the market, the Pilot G-2, and also threw in my totally pretentious and over-the-top metal pen just because I could.
An Extra Bag
Lastly, I realized I needed another bag to carry all this extra stuff unless I wanted it sloshing around inside the bag all willy-nilly (spoiler alert: I don’t). I managed to find this bag that is eerily similar to the Herschel backpack I have, and, like everything else I picked up, it’s super-slim. It has a nice central pocket that will be able to fit all the charging equipment I picked up, and it will also be able to fit one notebook and my main wallet. It can also fit some extra cables that I’ll be bringing along for backup, all while remaining relatively compact.
Well, this concludes yet another post without the SSD change I’ve been teasing for what feels like an eternity, but I’m indecisive and don’t want to bite the bullet just yet. I’m sorry. But hopefully, these EDC items inspire someone out there and they make their carry a little more convenient. Or not, I don’t know. For me, they help take a little bit of the stress out of packing and leaving in a hurry, especially if they manage to always stay in the bag like I’ve planned. That probably won’t happen, but hey, let’s try.