A "What's in your bag?" or "What's your EDC bag?" thread

[KrazyIvan]

With all the pen paraphanelia that I carry around I need something to transport it. I have several bags but right now I am using my Maxpedition Falcon II backpack as my EDC bag. It is the one on the right. The similar looking pack on the left is a Condor look-a-like that I no longer have. I don't have a current picture of the contents but I have my Lihit Lab Teffa bag in it (with Rhodia #16 Dotpad and some work documents. My self made fountain pen test notebook, work notebook, 12 pen leather case, extra phone battery and cables, IEM's, and a Uniball Alpha Gel ballpoint. You never know when I will need it for filling in triplicate forms. I also carry around some snacks and a small toolkit.


The look-a-likes by IvanRomero, on Flickr

So show us your EDC kit.

[John the Monkey]

Well, here's how mine are carried most days...


LHT sans rack 1: a tourer without a rack is crazy, right? by John the Monkey, on Flickr
That's a Carradice Lowsaddle Longflap, on my commuting bike.

Inside, as of last week;

Top left - on top, a Rhodia No.11 pad, with 5x5 bloc paper (in a Rhodia e-Pure cover), my pocket Filofax, & plain Moleskine pocket reporter (being used up for pencil sketches &c). Rightmost is my Nomadic PE-10 pencil case. Bottom left is a square WH Smith sketchpad, and underneath them all is an A5 Black 'n' Red notebook (that actually stays at work).

In the pen case;

Most of these live in the Nomadic case - the exception is the leftmost pen, a Pelikan Steno that resides in the pen loop of my pocket Filofax. Sadly discontinued, this is a terrific little pen with an interesting extra fine flexible nib. Its intended use is shorthand notation (Pitman), and the flex allows the line variation this script relies on to convey meanings. This pen is filled with the businesslike Pelikan Blue/Black ink, this, and the EF nib are a great combination for the small spaces in my planner.

Next along the line is a Staedtler Marsmicro mechanical pencil. This is the 0.9mm version, with Pentel AIN lead (B grade).

Then we have the Uni Ball Signo Broad, with white Pigment ink. A lot of fun on dark papers, and one of the few white ink pens to lay down a nicely opaque line.

Next to the Signo is my old Staedtler Marsmatic (0.5mm). I filled this in a fit of nostalgia, having forgotten just how scratchy it is - once I've run the ink down, I think it'll go back in the pen drawer.

A trio of Stainless Steel Parker Jotters is next. Ballpoint (with a Parker Gel ink refill, much nicer than the standard one), fountain pen (filled with Parker Quink Black, this writes a wet, medium width line), and pencil (0.5mm Pentel AIN lead, in 2H grade).

Lastly, a Staedtler Rasoplast eraser, and a cartridge that's probably Diamine Dark Brown, and one that definitely is.


At the top of the picture are my post-it index tabs. I find these really useful for marking pages.

Below those are three cartridges, Parker Quink black, Lamy black, and Lamy purple.

Next is my blue Worther Shorty clutch pencil. I love these little things, and have three - they take a soft (7B) 3.15mm lead, and are great for quick, loose sketches.

Below that is my Rotring Esprit - an interesting telescopic mini pen (although not as compact as something like the Kaweco Sport). Long discontinued under the Rotring name, they were briefly sold as the Parker Esprit (also discontinued). They still turn up "new old stock" on eBay from time to time. Mine is filled with Monteverde Burgundy ink at the moment.

Then we have my Schneider Base - despite the limitation of coming in medium (or left handed medium) only, this is an inexpensive, reliable daily writer. At the moment, it has Diamine Turquoise in, a colour just the right side of business like, but fun nonetheless. It's my only "left handed" pen.

Lastly, a Lamy Vista, mine has an EF nib (again, those small planner spaces). Not pictured, but travelling with me the last couple of days is the Ahab, although the temptation it presents to get lost in doodling is probably too great for that to be sensible as a daily carry!

[John the Monkey]

BTW Ivan, like the look of those Maxpedition cases. I had my eye on one for a little while, a nifty utility pouch sort of thing, as I remember. Difficult to find at the time in the UK though.

[KrazyIvan]

Some nice kit there John. The Rotring has been on my radar for a while but never pulled the trigger on it. I have noticed the prices are starting to go up from the $15 or so that they were when they got dumped on eBay.

I have been looking into Filofax but have not done so seriously. You have a nice looking example.

I have to find some of those Parker gel re-fills. My father-in-law has my old 90's Jotter and was asking me about some nicer ink for it. If only he had not lost all his Mont Blancs.

On the Maxped, do you mean like this one?


My EDC Tool kit by IvanRomero, on Flickr

It's my Condor look-a-like. Much less than the Maxped version but good quality after almost 4 years of EDC.

[fountainpenkid]

Its getting warm now here in CT, so I am going to start riding to school!

My current carry is normal...the pen seen is a cross ATX medalist...not my favorite, but my parents were mad at me and took away my vac and duofold for a little while ....

My bike (a Specialzed Allez 2011!) And a Ortleib waterproof paneur for textbooks.....

[John the Monkey]

Some nice kit there John. The Rotring has been on my radar for a while but never pulled the trigger on it. I have noticed the prices are starting to go up from the $15 or so that they were when they got dumped on eBay.

Worth trying one, I think - the telescopic design is interesting, and the pen has a nice weight to it. Mine has been very reliable, and the "F" nib is smooth, if unexciting. Not all that compact really, I can write with the extended pen without posting. The one downside of mine is the relatively fragile Copper finish, which has been a bit little prone to scratching.

I have to find some of those Parker gel re-fills. My father-in-law has my old 90's Jotter and was asking me about some nicer ink for it. If only he had not lost all his Mont Blancs.

This is the type I use;
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Par...l_Refills.html although I've heard good things about the Schmidt hybrid ink refills too - apparently, the only downside of both is a slightly shorter life than a "pure" ballpoint refill. "Lost" Mont Blancs...?

On the Maxped, do you mean like this one?

It's my Condor look-a-like. Much less than the Maxped version but good quality after almost 4 years of EDC.

That might even be the very one - I think I saw it, or something similar on FPN, and thought it a good solution to protecting pens in my bike bag. I happened across the Nomadic case before I could find a reasonably priced version of that pouch though.

My current carry is normal...the pen seen is a cross ATX medalist...not my favorite, but my parents were mad at me and took away my vac and duofold for a little while ....

My bike (a Specialzed Allez 2011!) And a Ortleib waterproof paneur for textbooks.....

Nice! My "quick" bike is a Giant SCR2.0 (now the "Defy" range), and I commuted on it for a couple of years before getting the Surly, although I used a rucksack rather than a rack & panniers (or a saddle bag) at the time. I know plenty of folk riding Allezs & Secteurs though, a lot of bike for the money!

[fountainpenkid]

did i spell panniers wrong (?) ! We went to a bike show at Mystic Seaport (CT), and we saw a nice cannondale with all campy parts and really nice wheels for $800 (less than the allez), but alas, my dad only brought $500 so we were $300 short . But I love the paint job on my allez, its like a hornet!

Will

[John the Monkey]

did i spell panniers wrong (?) ! We went to a bike show at Mystic Seaport (CT), and we saw a nice cannondale with all campy parts and really nice wheels for $800 (less than the allez), but alas, my dad only brought $500 so we were $300 short . But I love the paint job on my allez, its like a hornet!

Campag's pricey for a commuting bike though, I think you did alright there

[fountainpenkid]

well...it is not strictly a communting bike, in fact I get more use out of it going for recreational purposes..

[John the Monkey]

well...it is not strictly a communting bike, in fact I get more use out of it going for recreational purposes..

Oh, gotcha. My riding is heavily skewed to commuting most weeks - even in a 200 mile week, 140 or so will be to and from work - it's tough on chains & cassettes!

[KrazyIvan]

Worth trying one, I think - the telescopic design is interesting, and the pen has a nice weight to it. Mine has been very reliable, and the "F" nib is smooth, if unexciting. Not all that compact really, I can write with the extended pen without posting. The one downside of mine is the relatively fragile Copper finish, which has been a bit little prone to scratching.

This is the type I use;
http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Par...l_Refills.html although I've heard good things about the Schmidt hybrid ink refills too - apparently, the only downside of both is a slightly shorter life than a "pure" ballpoint refill. "Lost" Mont Blancs...?

That might even be the very one - I think I saw it, or something similar on FPN, and thought it a good solution to protecting pens in my bike bag. I happened across the Nomadic case before I could find a reasonably priced version of that pouch though.



Nice! My "quick" bike is a Giant SCR2.0 (now the "Defy" range), and I commuted on it for a couple of years before getting the Surly, although I used a rucksack rather than a rack & panniers (or a saddle bag) at the time. I know plenty of folk riding Allezs & Secteurs though, a lot of bike for the money!

Thanks for the Parker gel link.

[KrazyIvan]

A new to me bag, the Sitka is like a Falcon II without the last large compartment. It is a sling bag that looks to be a vertical configuration like a backpack, from the outside but it actually opens best in a horizontal config.


Really like the internal organization of the main compartment in the #maxpedition Sitka by IvanRomero, on Flickr

[pencils+pens]

I carry a set of writing instruments in my briefcase as the backup to the ones in my breast pocket. The latter change everyday. The ones in the briefcase don't. The current crop of backup writing instruments are:

Zebra V-301 (blue fountain pen)
Zebra R-301 (blue roller ball - uses FP cartridges)
Zebra G-301 (blue gel pen)
Zebra F-301 (blue ballpoint)
Zebra H-301 (yellow highlighter)
Zebra M-301 (black, they don't make it in blue, 0.5 mm MP)

The following are permanent denizens of the briefcase:

Sharpie (black) chisel tip marker
BIC highlighter (green)
Pentel ClickErase

The briefcase is actually a Swiss Army Knife brand laptop carrying case that fits inside a rolling briefcase. I use the laptop bag as a small briefcase since I rarely take my laptop out of the house.

[subramaniyam]

My homemade made-from-scrap EDC pouch. carries several pens/pencils and a notepad/pocket book.