We have received several reader emails and comments asking about our school bags and daily campus gear. Readers asked whether we wear backpacks; how we manage to tote around books, laptops, and a lunch; and what type of receptacle do we lug everything around in. I will share my daily travel system with you and A. and E. will do likewise in the weeks to come.
Like most graduate students who wrote in to us, we also carry quite a spread with us on our daily commute:
My daily spread, originally uploaded by academichic.
My daily haul includes:
- laptop + charger, AV adapter, USB stick
- books
- folders and notes
- my small notebook to jot down everything that comes to mind!
- pens, post-its, highlighters, etc.
- small hand lotion, chapstick, extra hair ties
- a small purse-sized umbrella
- wallet + cell phone
- lunch, snacks, and sometimes even dinner
- Nalgene reusable water bottle (not pictured)
- Backup pair of flats or flip-flops when wearing new shoes to campus (also not pictured)
I have never been much of a backpack wearer and prefer a tote-like bag to carry over one shoulder. The problem with this is that it puts all the weight on one side of your body and can be quite uncomfortable. My solution?
The bags, originally uploaded by academichic.
I carry my lunch, dinner, and snacks separately in a little lunch bag and use this wide shoulder strap REI bag for everything else. The key words here: wide shoulder straps! These make a world of a difference and were something I had long looked for in a perfect tote. This one comes from REI, a sporting goods store, so it was manufactured for function and comfort as much as for style. Also typical of a sports bag: lots and lots of little compartments, which I love for keeping pens, small toiletries, cell phone, and cords separate and easy to find. My laptop, books, and bigger items (such as a backup pair of flats when breaking in new shoes) go in the main part of the bag and the rest of my things find homes in all the little inside and outside pockets and zipped pouches:
All packed away, originally uploaded by academichic.
Lastly, I throw all food and utensils in my lunch bag from Arctic Zone . I appreciate this item for both its function and sleek ‘adult’ look. Keeping food separate saves me quite a bit of room in my main bag (tupperware especially can fill up even a large tote quickly) and it also saves fruit and sandwiches from getting smashed by books and shoes.
I carry quite the load with me on a daily basis but these two bags make it manageable and easy to organize. After all is stashed away, I am ready to head to campus.
Ready to go!, originally uploaded by academichic.
Hmm, I need to get a system like this. They call me the bag lady at work. I carry my purse, my laptop bag, sometimes my backpack/gym bag if I am working out that day, and then usually another tote with my lunch, extra shoes and miscellaneous items. It is only about a two minute walk from my car to my office door, but man, I look pretty silly.
Wow, I LOVE that tote. What a great idea! REI has some very clever and versatile gear.
There’s not much I miss about graduate school, but the organizational side of me misses the mornings of organizing and preparing my bag for the day. There is just something satisfying about putting all the little things in their proper places.
Good post. I have been trough the dilemma backpack (comfy and ugly) versus shoulder bags. Backpacks just don’t go with my outfits, so I am using shoulder bags. I have a laptop bag for -surprise!- laptop, folders and books, and my regular leather bag (satchel?) for lunch, wallet, keys, cell phone, etc. It’s still not a as comfortable as the backpack, but more stylish. Although I wonder if carrying food in my regular bag is such a good idea…
Great solution. I have a similar system in addition to getting a second laptop charger so that I don’t have to add it to the load as well. Another solution came up with is to carry my lunch in an envirosax bag so I’m back home with only one bag. I wrap it up and put it in my tote bag (or often a thin backpack) once I’m done with lunch.
[...] certainly understand the need to carry what feels like your entire life around in a bag! S. has posted about her bag of choice and E. and A. will eventually share theirs too. While none of us carry backpacks, we all agree we [...]
[...] certainly understand the need to carry what feels like your entire life around in a bag! S. has posted about her bag of choice and E. and A. will eventually share theirs too. While none of us carry backpacks, we all agree we [...]
[...] certainly understand the need to carry what feels like your entire life around in a bag! S. has posted about her bag of choice and E. and A. will eventually share theirs too. While none of us carry backpacks, we all agree we [...]
[...] Cole tote (when I have less to carry) and my sturdier brown REI tote (which I profiled in my Daily Campus Commute post a while [...]
Frankly I think that’s asbuoltely good stuff.