I carry too much stuff in my pockets. Every morning I joke that I’m “Putting Myself Together”.
List stuff:
- wallet
- cell phone
- keys
- car key
- chapstick
- pen
- handkerchief
- Moleskine planner (occasionally)
This might not seem like much, but it can certainly feel like it. Plus, I’ve subtracted a few things from this list: eraser (from when I carried a pencil), paper for note capture, receipts, pocket knife. (The pocket knife stayed on the list until just a few days ago, when I realized that I had to cut back because of 100 Thing Challenge, I just didn’t have room for it on the list. Plus, I have a knife on my keychain, so I was doubling up.)
I don’t care for a buncha stuff on my keychain (I don’t even have a keychain per se, it’s just a ring. No fob or other decorative jangy bits.) so I don’t attach my pocket knife/multitool to that. Instead, I carry a pocketknife or (most often) my Leatherman Squirt P4 in my left front pocket. I feel absolutely naked without a pocketknife of one sort or another.
The single non-key thing I do make room for on my keychain is a tiny (1″ long), stainless steel waterproof container that’s the perfect size for carrying about a week’s worth of a maintenance med I take just after lunch each day. I’ve had the same one for well over a decade and it works perfect.
This is exactly why I force myself to carry a small purse. No matter how much room I have, I will fill it up.
That’s a great way to limit yourself. I’ve seen women with purses that weigh more than my backpack, stuffed full of books. I’ve no idea how they carry them! While is can be nice to have everything, no matter what, how often do you really need the extra stuff?
I have a slim wallet (cards & cash), moleskine pocket (occasionally) or Field Notes (regularly, for notes & todo list), keys, and cellphone. Plus, I carry with me the book that I currently reading (“Art of Non-Conformity” by Chris Guillebeau). If the book is small enough, I just carry it with me, or I carry all this stuff in my Oakley backpack.
My backpack has more stuff: paper clips, 3×5 notepad, medium Piccaddilly Essential Notebook, extra Field Notes, pencils (black & red), Sharpie pens, a couple of books, and NO, NO laptop (unless needed on the road)
I got to meet Chris at the Unconventional Book Tour last night in Cincinnati, OH. Awesome! I got a copy of the “Art of Non-Conformity” from him, signed and everything. Since last night I’m almost 3/4 through it. Loving it!
Your backpack contents sound pretty similar to mine, except that I do sometimes carry my laptop (need it for class).
One addition to my day-to-day stuff: I just purchased a SOG pocket knife: TFSA-98 Flash II 1/2 Serrated, Black TiNi. So that’s the new addition to my “what’s in my pocket” 🙂