In the tech blogs I frequently visit one question keep resurfacing: what’s in your bag? I believe this question is a derivative of “what’s in your iPod” when the iPod was still at large (or the other way round). What’s in one’s iPod to a certain extent tells who one is, and what’s in one’s bag definitely tells more. So, what’s in my bag?
iPhone X
Well iPhone X isn’t technically in my bag; it’s in my pocket, for good reasons. A smartphone is the single most important device we carry with us. It holds the entire
Internet in our pockets. It’s worthwhile to spend on the best phone money can buy. So even a $10000 phone is a worthy purchase.
Before I laid my hands on iPhone X I had so many doubts about it. But once I started using it those doubts faded away. The notch was OK as long as you don’t use your phone in landscape mode; iPhone X’s even thicker than iPhone 5 but that’s ok. The OLED screen isn’t like those oversaturated Android screens at all. Overall it’s a really beautiful phone.
MacBook 12”
I’m kinda done with the iPad. Yes, Steve Jobs used to say the post PC era has come. But with Steve no longer leading the revolution, the iPad still feels less capable than their PC counterparts. The latest iPad Pro may beat the MacBook in benchmark tests, but the Mac still excels in real world multitasking performance. And I can testify MacBook runs Lighrtoom just fine; it even edits 4K video in FCP with not-too-shabby performance. I’m about to install Bootcamp and try running GTA V.
That doesn’t mean I’m content with the performance of the MacBook, which runs on an Intel i5 (rebranded from m5 but still being a m5) processor. I still keep my retina MacBook Pro (late 2013) which still runs exceptionally ably.
Shure SE535
It’s simply a pair of earphones with great sound quality. Shure released a separate bluetooth cable to attach the earbugs on and it works. I didn’t buy it because it doesn’t sound as good as a plug-in cable. But I’m definitely considering buying a lightning cable because it gives better sound than Apple’s lightning-to-3.5mm connector.
Accessories contained in a pouch
Carrying devices with you means carrying loads of adapters and chargers too. Such accessories should be contained in a pouch to 1) keep things tidy, 2) make it easier to switch bags, 3) prevent metal objects from making scratches on other devices.
Stain remover pen
This pen magically removes (or at least fades) stains on shirts. Don’t buy the Tide one though, it stinks.
Shoehorn
This adorable shoehorn from Muji is made of stainless steel. Really handy for those who hate to untie and tie shoelaces.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
If a car mechanic would carry a wrench with him, a dentist would definitely bring PPE with him. The most basic PPE a dentist should have are latex gloves, masks and alcohol gel. Gloves are useful for instance when you try to remove bird poo on your car and when eating crabs. Masks are necessary when you see contagious people on those inevitable train rides. Alcohol gel is for cleaning hands after laying my hands on products in Apple Store.
I also carry a flat plastic barrier in case I need to give emergency mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Olympus EM5 with 14/17/45mm lenses
When I have to bring a camera I bring my only camera, the Olympus EM5. If the event is single purpose I tend to bring only prime lenses for portability. The M43 system excels in having loads of good prime lenses of small sizes.
Billingham Hadley Pro
For the bag itself, I now usually carry a Billingham. It’s a camera bag, meaning it’s reasonably water-proof. The important point to note is that you should pick the FibreNyte material instead of canvas, so that the black colour stays black instead of fading into dark green like canvas does.