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Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

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Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#11

Post by NikolaNovak »

On carabiner :

* backup / secondary wedding ring (different style than primary):)

* usb stick

* flashlight

Right small pocket: deodorant, mints, toothpick/floss/toothbrush

Left mesh pocket : change, 5cm charging cable

Left small pocket : wired headset that came with phone, packet of Kleenex / tissues

Outside compartment

* lip balm, allergy pills, ricola/halls, tums, cialis, ibuprofen, tylenol, Gravol (small cutouts of blister packs or portable versions), Band-Aid

* pen, pencil, highlighter

* this is where small chargers, charging cables, good headset with boom or good headphones go

* Samsung note 8 (my entertainment phone, no sim, WiFi only)

Medium sized compartment

* one or two of : dslr, steam deck, Nintendo 3dsXL, drone, etc

* large charger brick with 1*pd for laptop, 2x USB A charging slots

Top small compartment

* puffer (salbumitamol / bronchiodilator), nasal spray, spare wallet and travel id's, usually another wired headset lol

Largest compartment

Typically clothes

Laptop compartment

Laptop and tablet or kindle

This all packs a lot smaller than it sounds :).

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#13

Post by c0brac0bra »

loosescrews wrote: post #8

Not contents, but I recommend an internal frame daypack. I got one made by Osprey. I find that it greatly reduces discomfort caused by oddly shaped items or heavier loads.

I replaced my 20-year-old Targus with an Osprey and I'm really glad I did.

It doesn't have an internal frame, but it's very sturdy and holds up well.

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#14

Post by franciscop »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #6

In order of surprise * Towel small (no kidding; but have only used it a couple of times in ten years) * Harmonica * Kindle * Fountain pen and notebook * Water bottle * Regular electronics/chargers

If you don't already do it, something I learned from some Japanese friends is to fold the towel around the (cold or frozen) water bottle in the hot days. It keeps the bottle colder for longer, avoids condensation/wetting the insides, and now you have a damp fresh towel if you are sweating, which is nice.

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#16

Post by bdcravens »

A few things I haven't seen others mention:

- tiny travel umbrella (6-8 inches in length when compacted)

- Colgate Wisps (when you need to fresh up your teeth/breath on the go)

- Airtag

- eyeglasses cleaning cloth

- PNY Pro Elite external SSD (barely bigger than a dongle, super portable; I'd probably opt for the similar Samsung T7 instead if I was buying one right now)

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#18

Post by kemayo »

I'm full-remote, so this is my general "I'm going somewhere and want to be lightly prepared" bag, rather than something I actually carry everyday. I'd take this to the coffeeshop if I actually needed something in it, etc. I'd also take this with me if I traveled, but with a packing cube or two of clothes also slipped in.

* My laptop (MacBook Pro 16")

* A pack of charging supplies (this is my covers-everything pack for extended travel, so it's a charging brick and enough cables to charge my laptop, phone, and watch, and a battery for emergencies)

* My kindle

* (Situationally) my Steam Deck (in a JSAUX ModCase, which greatly slims down its space needs compared to the bundled case)

* A bunch of OTC medications -- painkillers, mostly -- all jumbled as bare pills into a single small pill case

* Emergency snacks, generally RxBar protein bars

* Some pens and pencils, which honestly I almost never use but feel I should have

* Water bottle

* Umbrella

* A grid fleece layer, in case I'm in a very aggressively cooled coffee shop

* A jumble of miscellaneous small supplies in a small pocket: glasses cleaning cloth, toothpicks, tissues, etc

* An AirTag

Currently all in a Mystery Ranch Catalyst 26 https://www.mysteryranch.com/catalyst-26-pack> (it could all fit into a much smaller bag, but that's the size with a separate laptop pocket). I've been thrown off by my work standardizing on the MacBook Pro 16", when I'd far rather have the 14" for easier carry.

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#19

Post by DecoPerson »

The backpack I keep in my car boot (“trunk” for the Americans here ;) ) has: a set of ”work” clothes (rugged trousers, breathable shirt, high vis rain jacket, also boots but not in the backpack), USB battery pack, old AirPods, a few handkerchiefs, a mini first aid kit (also a bigger first aid kit but not in the backpack), an assortment of useful pills, individually packaged gum, compact umbrella, hybrid gym/bathers clothes, gym towel (and beach towel but not in backpack), a very very bright keyring flashlight, multitool.

Recently removed: plastic water bottle (the plastic leached into the water too quickly)

Re: Ask HN: What do you carry in your backpack?

#20

Post by f0e4c2f7 »

I don't carry much of interest but I feel compelled to share this one I ran across a while back that I still think of and chuckle from time to time.

Pretty sure you could take over a small nation state with this backpack. If you don't want to watch the whole thing skip to the last 5 or 10 minutes.

https://youtu.be/PvVg4RYaSuU?si=ZWOZFh9UUHUjyRFY

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