The Verge - Whats in your bags

What's in your bag, Jacob Kastrenakes?

2013-05-31T17:00:03Z

What’s in your bag? is a recurring feature where we ask people to tell us a bit more about their everyday gadgets by opening their bags and hearts to us. Show us your bag in this forum post. This week, we’re featuring Jacob Kastrenakes.

Not carrying three phones, lenses, and battery packs may put me in the minority at Verge HQ, but my shoulders are probably a lot better off for it. I’ve always packed about as lean and light as possible, and short of a nice pair of headphones, my bag holds everything that I could reasonably want on a day-to-day basis. It’s not quite roughing it, but I’ll make do with writing on napkins if it means not having to carry a pad of paper.

Bag

I spent a couple years on the lookout for the perfect bag as my last messenger fell to pieces. Eventually, I found a small outfit through Etsy that just happened to be located in Pittsburgh, where I was living in at the time. The company, Moop, produces some really simple, well-made bags. The messenger has a few deep and easy-to-access compartments inside and out, and its massive storage space makes it the nearest thing to a real-world Bag of Holding.

Essentials

13-inch MacBook Air (mid-2011)

You have to give it to Apple products for resiliency: My last MacBook, a white plastic model from 2007, can still function with half a dozen wires and a large chunk of metal sticking out of its spine. And after a handful of collisions, my Air is still running with both of its top corners dented in and a good dark scratch like a scar across the top lid. If I could do it over again, I’d probably buy a traveling case.

Sony NEX-7

There’s no chance I’d carry a big, bulky DSLR with me everywhere, but Sony’s NEX series has both the image quality and slim package to make it the perfect replacement. The 7’s electronic viewfinder is still among the best out there, and getting to see how your shot actually looks to the sensor is invaluable. I keep the kit 18-55mm lens on it in the office, but when I’m walking around the city, I’ll usually throw on an old manual prime.

iPhone 4S

The iPhone was an easy choice when it finally came time to leave my LG Chocolate 2. More than anything, I just wanted to get on Instagram, which was still iOS-only. While no rumored features of the inevitable 5S have thrilled me, it’ll be hard to resist moving to something with LTE when my next upgrade comes around.

Other Stuff

Apple earbuds

Everyone seems to hate Apple’s earbuds, but they work just fine for listening to basic audio files, like an interview or a podcast. All of my actual music listening happens in my apartment on Grado’s SR325is headphones — which sound pretty darn good — so I’ve given up on carrying a pair for listening to an album when I’m out. The earbuds are just my way of sparing anyone around me from overhearing whatever video my laptop is playing at a given moment.

30-pin connector

On top of my iPhone, I’ve gone through four iPods, so there are more than a few 30-pin connectors lying around my apartment. As my iPhone only seems to die on the days that I actually need to look something up (a map, without fail), I’ve taken to carrying around a spare cord. There’s almost always a USB port to lend you power, but you’re out of luck if you can’t find a cable.

8GB flash drive

In a perfect world, it’d be easy to send a file to someone sitting right beside you. Somehow, we’re still not there.

MintyBoost USB charger

I learned the basics of soldering while nearly botching this USB-charger kit from Adafruit. Though my skills are still seriously lacking, the charger was a fun and simple first project. It’s handy too: it plugs into almost anything that you’d need to charge throughout the day, and a pair of replacement batteries usually aren’t too hard to come by. Two AA batteries can fill up most of an iPhone, and that’s all you really need in a pinch.

Paperback

I’ve been burning through books on my subway rides to and from the office. I’m always reading fiction, and finishing a good short story can be one of the best parts of my day. Karen Russell’s collection wasn’t my favorite, but fortunately there’s a book store just around the corner — my only real problem is figuring out what to read next.

Hygiene

The moisturizers probably make enough sense, but I suspect most people would choose a Swiss Army knife over nail clippers. Fair enough, but these can make it through metal detectors and have yet to be taken away at airport security.

Pens

Alongside a wallet and phone, I’ve been carrying a Bic pen in my pocket for years now. The black and white look is simple and stylish, and they’re inexpensive enough to not mind losing one or giving away one of the spares in my bag. Unfortunately, Bic switched the color to translucent gray a few years ago, and the classic design is a bit harder to come by now.

What's in your bag, Russell Brandom?

2013-05-03T15:15:07Z

I travel light. Occasionally I need a camera, but most of my work gets done on a single laptop, so I’m happy to keep my go-bag light enough that I can trek over to the library without too much fuss. I also don’t like backpacks (or at least, not outside of a camping context), so I’m limited by how much weight my arm can handle. It’s a good thing: less to worry about. I’ve found I only have the mental capacity to carry five or six important objects before I start losing things (for instance: my hat, earlier today), so it’s important to keep things pared down.

Bag

The bag

To be honest, I have to travel light: my choice in bag doesn’t leave me much room. I got this briefcase on eBay for $50 a few years back. It came with big grotty leather straps on the front that I threw out almost immediately. I’m pretty happy with what’s left. As you can tell, it’s taken a lot of punches over the years, and I suspect it’ll take many more before it gives out.

Basics

MACBOOK AIR 13-INCH

This is the standard-issue for Vergers, and although I was skeptical at first, it’s totally won me over – more with speed than anything else. Solid state drives are a beautiful thing. I’ve got a MacBook Pro at home, but at this point I only crack it open for music programs like Ableton and whenever I want to hook something up to my TV. Otherwise, the extra startup time just isn’t worth the wait.

THE BOOK

I bounce back and forth between reading my Readability queue on the subway and reading old-fashioned paper books. I like the paper version a lot better, so I’ve always got one on me. I got this Michael Paterniti book as a galley from a friend at Random House. It’s about cheese and betrayal, and I’m interested in both of those things.

THE PHONE

I got a Droid 4 because I wanted with a physical keyboard to take notes with. It's faster than typing on a touchscreen, and that part of it still works. Unfortunately, the battery now lasts me less than two days, and the camera is so bad that all my snapchats look like gray-blue fuzz. Sometimes, in life, we make mistakes.

Other stuff

THE HEADPHONES

I have a good pair of Sennheisers at home, but these Urbanears are easier to lug around. They’re not much for bass, but it’s good enough for transcription and emergency playthroughs of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk. Also crucial: they’re slim enough to fit under a wool hat, as they did for most of this winter.

THE NOTEBOOK

I try to keep a bunch of different notebooks around in case I need to grab one on the way out the door. This one’s a limited-run Doane Paper model from a few years ago, probably the most photogenic of the bunch. So far there are notes from two stories in it: last summer’s Maker Faire and a book review I wrote in March of 2011. The rubber band is to keep it from flopping open, because I’ve kept it in my back pocket so long that the spine is completely wrecked. But the paper still works fine.

What's in your bag, Carl Franzen?

2013-04-12T15:40:04Z

What's in your bag? is a recurring feature where we ask people to tell us a bit more about their everyday gadgets by opening their bags and hearts to us. Show us your bag in this forum post. This week, we're featuring Carl Franzen.

This is my bag. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Seriously, though, when we were doing this shoot at the Vox Media NYC office and I dumped all the stuff out of my bag out onto my desk, I was actually a bit concerned about how spartan my contents were. But we are all about truthful representation here at The Verge, so I wasn't going to edit any more flashier gadgets in there. Besides, I stare at a computer screen many hours every day. I could probably do with a few less screens en route.

Bag

This Ben Sherman leather, polyurethane-coated messenger bag has never been my first choice. I’ve always tried to travel as lightly as possible, and this bag always seemed just slightly too big and bulky for my liking. I also don’t like how the strap seems to persistently, creepily loosen on me without my doing. It’s made in China. I bought it for over $100 when I lived in Washington, D.C. for a few months in 2009, because I wanted something more “professional” looking than my Jansport backpack. Then when I moved to New York a year later, I tried to switch to a few Brooklyn Industries bags of varying size and function, but they all proved too small. So this is the bag I use now, and I’ve actually grown to love it, despite its flaws.

Basics

Macbook AiR

This is my work laptop. I have coveted the Air lineup since it was first introduced in 2008, but again, I sort of fell into it after a while. My first computer that was entirely mine was a white Macbook, which I destroyed in college while drunk and disorderly one night. Then I upgraded to the silver Macbook Pro first-gen. After upgrading the RAM on that and using it for a few years, I finally acquired the 2010 unibody Macbook Pro I still have now as my personal machine. But that’s been eclipsed lately by the Samsung Chromebook (Series 3) my girlfriend gave me, which I find totally sufficient for my purposes at home, mainly browsing and email. Chrome is not mature enough as an OS for me to use as a work machine, it doesn’t support enough software I need.

iPhone 4S

Just one, the iPhone 4S. Still the best phone out there, in my opinion (iPhone 5 is too long for me). I use a busted Otterbox Defender case, the bottom portion of which broke off after I dropped my phone on the ground one time, leaving behind a dangling plastic shard (chad?) that nearly sliced my hand open. I had to break that part off to make it safe again. I am hard on my personal technology.

Sony MDR V-6 Headphones

Similar but not quite as good as the Sony MDR-7506 headphones the Vox studio uses, but cheaper. Less than $70 on Amazon now. I carry these with me if I know I’m going to be out of the office for a few days. Otherwise, they are on my desk and I use earbuds for travel.

Other stuff

Wallet

Given to me as a gift by my parents in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove several years ago for Christmas. Manufacturer uncertain, but I believe it came from Eddie Bauer. Verging on George Costanza thickness because I tend to keep a lot of freemium, “buy 10 get one free” coffee cards and other sentimental crap in there.

China Daily

In this age of the declining print newspaper, somehow, in Brooklyn Heights, there appeared a dispenser for China Daily. I try to grab it for a quarter on the way to work.

Orange

The absolute best fruit. More robust than a banana, it has a protective skin that’s fairly easy to remove, is delicious and filled with vitamin C, which I swear helps heal colds. I have at least one every day.

Vox Metal water bottle

I acquired this during my first week from the old Vox office kitchen cabinet. Made by Klean Kanteen, I think. Stainless steel. Filled with seltzer.

Pen

For writing notes on the newspaper when I’m done with it. I prefer clicky pens. No cap to lose.

Travel Toothbrush

Duane Reade. Like a few dollars. Worth every penny. I usually have a travel toothpaste as well but we ran out at home so I had to dip into and use all of that, unfortunately.

What's in your bag, Aaron Souppouris?

2013-03-29T14:30:05Z

Because I work remotely, my bag was shot 5,200 miles from my London home at a tradeshow, so a lot of my equipment didn’t make the journey. Like most of my colleagues, I own a stupid amount of tech. Unlike most of my colleagues, who make the effort to bring every single piece of technology they own to events, I prefer to travel as light as possible. Traversing a show floor with 23 pounds of junk for ten hours a day really isn’t for me.

For me, mobility and comfort is everything. If I could, I would literally carry nothing, but until someone develops a way to send my thoughts directly to the internet, that’s not really practical. As long as I have a laptop, a camera, and a phone, though, I can do everything The Verge needs me to without much issue.

Bag

I bought the Tucano Multitasking vertical messenger bag about a year and a half ago and it’s served me pretty well. While I like the idea of traveling light, I still manage to fill it with way too much stuff. Even when filled to the brim it’s still light and comfortable, and the slim profile prevents it from being a hassle to carry around all day. I also have a hefty Lowepro backpack for times when I need to carry a full-sized DSLR or more than one laptop, but my vanity prevents me from using it too often.

The Basics

13-inch MacBook Pro

When I started at The Verge back in November 2011, I owned a Vaio Z, an Ubuntu desktop, a Galaxy S II, and an Asus Transformer. How times have changed. Despite the fact I spend half my day shouting at OS X for not doing what I want it to, my colleagues have created dozens of time-saving scripts and apps for Apple’s OS, making it a much better fit than Windows for the things I do the most — writing and image editing. I’ve recently upgraded to a new MacBook Air, but if Sony was to bring back the canceled Vaio Z with a lovely touchscreen and Windows 8, I think I’d bite.

Phones

From the moment I got my first Nokia as a teen, I’ve been obsessed with phones. Because of that, I change my primary phone on an almost-monthly basis — I’m never satisfied. Back in January when my bag was shot, though I was rocking an HTC 8S and 8X (for my UK and US SIMs) combo. I’ve since moved back to Android, but I still keep the 8S around as a secondary device because it’s just so damn pretty, and I appreciate Windows Phone’s simplicity. The battered iPhone 4S is perhaps the world’s most expensive alarm clock — my brain is programmed to only wake me up after hearing a specific combination of four of Apple’s most annoying tones — and also doubles as an ultra-reliable tethering option when paired with my MacBook.

Other stuff

Tablets

I’m in love with my 3G Nexus 7. I use virtually every Google service you can think of — I was even an avid Google Wave fan — and when I’m not using an Android phone the Nexus keeps me connected and productive. The iPad mini, again with a 3G SIM, is mostly a dedicated gaming machine for me, facilitating my addictions to Letterpress, Ridiculous Fishing, and countless other iOS-exclusive games.

Camera

I use a NEX-F3 for my Verge camera duties whenever I can get away with it, but without the manual controls of its more expensive siblings it’s a hassle for quick shots. Because of that, and my hatred of full-sized bags, I currently spend trade shows running around with a hefty Nikon D3200 hanging around my neck. I’m currently weighing buying a NEX-7 and a load of new lenses versus purchasing a D7000 and using my current selection of glass; my credit card company probably thinks the latter is a better idea.

Miscellaneous

Vice(s)

I smoke, and yes, I know, that’s disgusting. Unfortunately I’ve been smoking for a very long time and neither my mind nor body shows any sign of wanting to stop. Equally unfortunate, the UK has banned smoking virtually everywhere — if they knew how regularly I work from home I probably wouldn’t be able to smoke there either. As such, I have a number of tools at my disposal. The pipe is strictly for indoor, private use; the Marlboro Reds are for those rare occasions I can actually smoke outside of my own home; and my Smoke Relief e-cigarette is for everywhere else.

Assorted

If my Minecraft Creeper wallet makes me feel younger than I am, my Bubble Bobble cardholder gives away my status as an eighties child. The cardholder is always stocked full of my Verge business cards, and also keeps my wireless “Oyster” London transport card safe. Not pictured is my notebook (if The Verge ever decides to start a “What’s in your pockets” series you’ll get the chance to gaze upon my little black book), my painkillers, or the (roughly) 7,483 different connectors and wires I stuff into every orifice of my bag.