HThe Carry for A Reluctant Traveler

A year ago, my family and I traveled to Japan, and spent some time in Tokyo where I once studied, lived, and worked. Having faced challenges navigating and negotiating the city, I began to prepare for the next one, immediately upon returning home. This was how I came across what is known as the world of carry.

What follows is the summary of what I have adopted from the information and the insights I have acquired from my exposure to it, and how I cope with the challenges of moving in the world. Naturally, your solutions will be different from mine, for the moral of the story is to think for oneself.

1 & 1/2

Bag reviews always focus on the product in question; therefore, they must evaluate the said product in isolation. As someone who must minimise frictions to cope with the challenge of being in public, I consider using one bag, especially a backpack, as a sole carry option is neither efficient nor secure.

The quick access of any backpack is never a practical solution in an urban setting. I live in a city, and my annual travel destination involves negotiating one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. In both places, I heavily rely on public transportations. Therefore, being mindful of one’s space in relation to others is essential.

This requires me to anticipate all sorts of scenarios. I could hit someone by swinging a backpack. If I store my phone, wallet, IDs, and my work computer in one bag, it could easily become a singular point of failure. Above all, swinging a backpack or setting it down to access necessities is hardly quick. Not fast or secure enough in a busy street or at a fast transit with many others hurrying to onboard. Being in a less than ideal environment such as this, I see no reason to add frictions of my making.

To remedy this, I always combine a sling with a backpack. I use a sling even when I carry a briefcase with a shoulder strap because nothing offers quicker access than a small sling. Generally, I use Bellroy Venture Pouch to access my essentials, such as my phone, my ANC earbuds, and my wallet. I use it with a strap from Peak Design with their proprietary attachment points. When I have a longer writing session with a laptop, I switch to Bellroy Venture Ready Sling for a more comfortable strap.

This setup changes the equation as to what might be the optimal carry solution for the companion bag for a sling. The backpacks designed as a stand-alone solution become less attractive, since the coveted organisational features of these bags become irrelevant. This shifts my attention to another aspect of organisational features of a bag.

Organisation

Organisation for a carry solution cannot be reduced to the numbers and the placements of external pockets. It must give an expression to how I use the tools that I carry. Bellroy Cinch Messenger is my ideal solution.

Two front pockets help organise essentials, such as a phone, a wallet, a pair of ANC ear buds, a passport wallet, and a power-bank for my phone.

The first zip compartment is perfect for my traditional writing equipments: an A6 notebook, Kitaboshi Enpitsu, and others all organised in a stationary mesh pouch from Midori.

Main compartment can hold a glass case, books, and a packable tote.

The second zip compartment stores an iPad with Apple Keyboard Folio.

This system works well for my routine. Whilst my other bags can carry the same items, there is something about giving my writing practice a concrete structure, instead of loading everything into a pot.

I always begin with the first zip compartment: the first writing of the day with an A6 notebook and Kitaboshi Enpitsu. My ideas flow freely on paper. This is the most important step in writing.

When I am ready, I pull out my iPad and a pair of ANC earbuds to write my manuscript.

After all is done, and if I am going to linger for a bit, I reach to the main compartment for a book and read a bit before taking a leave.

The similar system works with Bellroy Transit Workpack Pro. The first compartment stores an A6 notebook and Kitaboshi Enpitsu in designated pockets. A larger space below is used for books and Astropad Bookcase, which transforms your phone into a distraction-free e-reader.

The main compartment is an open space with a great capacity. It is perfect for storing extra clothes in winter, or heading for a book hunt.

The third compartment consists of a laptop sleeve accompanied by a large pocket to store other tech gears. Bellroy Venture Pouch fits perfectly in that spot. Because of the size of the pouch and the way the zip works, I don’t need to pull it out of the pocket to access my gears inside the pouch.

These are the two bags which allow me to experience my writing practice with a rare degree of calm and confidence. This seems a bit hyperbolic, but it is not. By using these bags, I was able to clearly understand what the best practice for my writing was.

Cinch Them

I attach two Bellroy Cinch Pockets to carry other small essentials, such as eye drop, lip balm, tissue paper, a pack of energy jell. I decided to try these external pouches when I noticed that I was using these items less because it was cumbersome to go to the internal pockets to access them. Why not then organising them in separate external pouches?

In this way, it is also easy to transfer these items to another carry options if I choose to switch. They also allow me to organise and carry these items without adding more to the main compartment of a bag.

Aesthetically, they work best with Bellroy’s Cinch collection. I always use them with my Cinch Messenger and Cinch Backpack. I do not implement this solution to Bellroy Transit Workpack Pro.

Travel Light

I apply the same thinking to travel carry. I bring two bags plus one pouch.

Once again, Bellroy Cinch Messenger shines. I use the same setup, plus Bellroy Venture Pouch with power-banks and chargers as an addition to the main compartment.

The rest, such as clothings, toiletry, and cables, fits inside Bellroy Cinch Backpack. It fits my clothings, which are pressed into one Thule Compress Packing cube. Others are organised in Midori mesh pouches by categories. I also fit a UNIQLO packable anti-UV parka and a battery-free luggage scale.

I particularly appreciate Cinch Backpack’s softness and weight: about 500 g. Only slightly heavier than Cinch Messenger which weights about 400g.

Once arriving at the destination, I can either use my messenger, or my backpack with a sling to visit places. In the latter scenario, Venture Pouch’s modular nature comes to the fore. With Peak Design strap attached, it becomes a very light minimalist sling to complement Cinch Backpack. Once tech gears would be reallocated to the large front pocket of Cinch Backpack, Venture Pouch can accommodate my phone, a pair of ANC earbuds, passports, a wallet, and other small essentials. The modularity of this pouch allows me to embrace my daypack without bringing another sling to add to the weight of traveling. It plays two roles, i.e., a tech pouch and a sling, and does it well.

Closing Thoughts

Paying close attention to how things are made, how they are intended to work, how they actually work in one’s life, and how one can make them work can be transformative regarding one’s self-understanding. Bags are no different in this regard. In the end, we always have to contend with this truth: we can only leap what we saw. I wish you all a plentiful harvest.