MY EVERY-DAY-CARRY:
• Goat leather messenger bag. I LOVE this bag. I’ve had it for a decade now. I’ve blabbed about it in the past. Over the last decade the leather has become nice and soft and buttery.
I have a big, long story about when I bought this bag and then discovered you can get the same bags off Amazon or Alibaba for 1/5th the price, but I’ll save you the complaining. Besides, it was 10 years ago. Regardless of what I paid, I LOVE this bag to death, and I’ll use it for as long as I’m alive. It’s lasted 10 years and it’s got decades more in it.
• Tenba makes (made?) a perfect messenger-style camera insert for it that slides right into the main compartment of the bag. It was like they were made for each other.
I’m not sure if Tenba still produces this insert, but you might be able to find it still at places like here. The model number is 638-251.
• Next up is a Peak Designs camera strap for my X100F. I nabbed brand-new strap from someone over at the Fred Miranda buy & sell forums who never used it. Got it for a decent price. I love this strap because it feels basically like a seat belt. It’s also the same width as a seat belt. It extends to a nice long length, and Peak Design are known for the little snap attachments on the ends so that you can easily pop the strap on/off if you need a quick release.
• I always keep Ziess wipes in my bag. For my glasses and for my cameras. I buy them in bulk from Amazon and I have a bunch at home, at the studio, in my car, in my bag - everywhere. I’m always pulling wipes out of a pocket or finding them in some random coat. Keep your glass clean.
• In the summer months, my cargo short pockets are full of bandana’s and headbands because I sweat like a freak. Not good. So I need stuff to keep me less wet.
• My day-to-day EDC camera is my Fuji X100F. I used to have an X100S, but last year I upgraded to the F for a good price and I found my S a new loving home. I love the X100 cameras. It’s small yet powerful. For me it’s the perfect camera to have on me at all times that doesn’t take up a lot of room and still lets me hold my wife’s hand when we are on vacation.
• I always have a Leatherman on hand in case I need to do a little tinkering
• I always have a small pocket knife in my bag
• I keep a small 3W LED flashlight in my bag. You never know when you are going to need to search around for something in the dark. I have a few of these - I keep one in my EDC and I also have one in my studio hanging on the wall near my camera bags. Depending on what bag I take, I always toss that flashlight in the bag before I leave for a gig. You never know when you are going to need illumination.
• Always keep an extra mask on hand. Especially in 2020 and 2021.
• I’ve started carrying around a Falcon Eyes F7 Mini LED light. I received one of these as being part of the Amazon Vine program and I’m testing it out for a later review. I like having it in the bag because I’ll never know if I’ll need a little kiss of light on something if the moment inspires me to make a photograph. I’m usually shooting natural light when I’m using my X100F, so having this little, but bright, LED can help me add a little fill light if I need some.
• I’ve got an extra iPod cable so I can plug my iPod into a stereo or card aux jack. Got to have my tunes.
• I also keep a dual USB wall outlet incase I need to charge a phone, or an iPod or a bluetooth speaker.
• I keep a spare lens cloth in a zippered pocket. It has branding for the now-closed local camera store CAMERALAND that I used to work for over a decade ago. RIP Cameraland :(
• I keep a SQUARE payment dongle in my bag. Occasionally someone will want to pay via credit card, so having a Square card swiper (and having a Square account) comes in handy.
• I’ve got an extra phone USB cord and an extra USB-C cord for my phones and iPods and stuff.
• I keep a variety of marketing and promotional materials on hand, incase someone asks about my work, or in case I want to drop a bunch of propaganda about in someones hands. Always have a business card at the ready. Always have something you can hand off to someone so they’ll remember you
• More headbands to keep me from being sweaty. I’ve also got long hair now, so it keeps my long curly locks pushed out of my face
So that’s it. My every-day-carry. Everything is is on me when I’m out and about going to and fro from work, or out with my wife on the weekends or … where ever.
What does YOUR EDC look like? Do you carry a backpack? A messenger bag? Or do you just load up your pants pockets? Leave a comment down below and lets talk about the stuff we carry around with us each and every day.
(a photo that I took the same day I bought my leather messenger bag. Did I mention that it also looks AWESOME holding a Hasselblad??