I’m wondering about those of you who commute to work now and then. For some reason I have a hard time minimizing what I carry with me. I don’t have a car, so when I leave the house I need to have everything I might need on my back. It leads to me carrying all kinds of crazy things, like a multi-tool and a flashlight. Do any of you have a minimalist setup for your bike or bus commute?
I used to be a hauler back in my 20s, but with time and back pain I have moved to more compact, lighter versions of what I need. Which is usually:
- a 23L Decathlon backpack I bought to also use as a one bag for holidays
- Bellroy tech kit for all the cables, earphones, portable chargers, work ID cards etc
- Work laptop & charging cable
- Personal ipad for notes etc
- Cardigan & clean work shirt
- Wallet (a compact wallet + coin I found from Burberry)
- metal water bottle (it gets heavy but I like it better than the collapsible one I have for travel)
- hygiene kit (mini toothbrush, mini mouthwash, tinted sunscreen, lip balm, hair tie, extra pair of disposable contract lenses)
- phone
The decathlon has a lot of compartments and I use that instead where I can. And I like using the sternum strap and thick padded backpack straps to lessen the weight. It still looks professional and less backpacker. If there is an emergency, my client’s office is near a mall where I can easily buy replacements (from sewing kits to cables). I get my lunch from the nearby supermarket too.
Alas in a separate bag I will have to start bringing a portable monitor for work. Technically it should be able to fit in the bag but I’m concerned about the weight.
I’m a bus commuter, though only go in for half a day at a time, so all I take is my work laptop, an umbrella, hand sanitiser, and a little clutch that I move from bag to bag and has my bare essentials (phone, cash/cards, keys, facemasks, tissues, earplugs). My office is in the town centre and provides drinks, so there’s nothing extra I need to be “prepared” for.
Wow, that’s really minimal.
I always bring things I might need for “the worst case scenario.” Maybe I should plan on the “best case scenario” instead.
I prefer to plan for the most likely “bad” scenarios. E.g. wearing shoes that are comfortable enough I could walk home if there were no buses, having enough spare money to pay for a taxi/buy a lunch if need be, keeping my phone charged (which I can do with the laptop chargers at work thanks to standardised USB-C, for other trips I may bring a powerbank) so I can call someone/search online if I need help. The odds of anything happening for which that’s not enough preparation are so remote that it’s not worth having to lug all the gear around all the time.
used to be a hauler myself - always bringing a knife, flashlight, cutlery, lots of cables, the works. it was fine when i was younger but i began to feel the weight in the recent years. so i began to look for smaller alternatives, cull, and duplicate my things.
those that i frequently use both at home and at work, i have a second set at the office (eg charging cables).
i stopped bringing the knife, flashlightand a whole myriad things, consolidated the rest of my cables, and made my first aid kit smaller. i still have to work on minimizing the notebooks that i bring back and forth.Yep, it’s carrying the weight and old(er) age that’s bothering me.
Having more at the office is a good idea. I already have reading glasses and a laptop charger there, but I could add more. A water bottle would be good there, then I could carry a smaller on on the train.
Thanks!
I always have a multi-tool and flashlight with me. They aren’t crazy things, they constantly come in handy. OLight makes excellent tiny rechargeable flashlights that are very bright. Mine is the size of a peanut shell, smaller than my pinky finger. Leatherman makes a variety of multi-tools, I usually carry a very small one (Squirt PS4) in my pocket. I have larger Leathermans and knives, and larger flashlights, which I can switch out as needed.
Thanks for the perspective, and the link.
I have the Squirt, but I usually carry the Night Eyez multi-tool to cut down on weight. I figure I have big tools at the office if I need them.
Do you carry anything else similar? I sometimes bring a compass, which seems a little paranoid to me.
That’s funny, I was going to mention my compass but didn’t want to sound paranoid! I have a poor sense of direction, so I keep a little hunter’s compass handy. There are decent ones to hang on zippers and some that pin, avoid the tiny novelty ones. (I also have an orienteering compass for hiking.). The Apple Watch Ultra has a GPS “compass” in the face, but for that price I can just keep buying a new hunter’s compass every time I lose one and still come out ahead.
I also have a tiny toiletries kit, about the size of a slice of bread. Usually a food-bar and water. Bandana, of course.
I have a clip on compass. I usually put it on a wrist band. I don’t like pulling out my phone when I’m walking around. I’m old, and there are too many snatchers around.
