Carrying
Mark Frauenfelder's excellent Boing Boing post and the subsequent discussion (starting here) inspired me to consider what gadgets I carry with me on a daily basis. What do I consider really essential? Read on to see what I bring.
Every day:
- My wallet (tending towards overstuffed, but frequently weeded), which minimally contains my personal IDs, organ donor card, health insurance card, AAA card, gym ID, my bank/debit card, and some cash.
- My keys, with four home, three work, and sometimes three car keys.
- A stainless steel, waterproof pill case, carried on my key chain. I'm on one medication indefinitely, and this gift from my father is indispensable. They're available here (I've got the magnum).
- ADDENDUM: I wear glasses, or sometimes contacts, and I wouldn't be too happy without one or the other.
- ADDENDUM 2: I almost always wear an analog wristwatch.
Commuting Days:
- ID holder containing transit passes, work ID/keycard, and great business-card sized maps of New York City.
- Reading material, usually a good book. Right now it's Blue Latitudes, by Tony Horwitz, a gift from my wife.
- My beloved iPod, also a gift from my wife.
Irregularly
- My messenger bag, depending upon the size and weight of my reading material. I really carry this almost every weekday, but I like commuting lighter so I'm putting it here.
- Canon Powershot S300 digicam. I should really bring this more often, as I'm almost always glad when I have it.
- Motorola V60t phone
- Sunglasses. These are prescription, and I've lost two expensive pairs in the past, so I'm almost afraid to use them.
- In the winter: a stick of Burt's Bees lip balm. Good stuff.
On Hiatus
- My venerable Palm IIIx. I inherited this from a former employer several years ago. The display goes on the blink once in a while, but it works well otherwise. I think about replacing it sometimes, but as the batteries have been dead for a while and I've discovered that I'm fairly happy without it, I haven't done anything yet, including resuscitated the poor device.
- Levenger Pocket Briefcase, a marvelous thing. I stopped carrying it regularly when I got the Palm and it's still languishing at home, but I've considered putting it back in the messenger bag and seeing if it comes in handy.
I think that's it. Not too bad, and the daily loadout is pretty light compared to some folks. How about the rest of you?