Bagging it up: Carrying the ten essentials

by Barron Cuadro  |  in Style Tips

When I’m out and about, I don’t like carrying much. Having to haul stuff is so burdensome, so I make sure whatever I do have to carry can fit in my pockets.

If for some reason I must carry more than I can hold, I take one of these bags along.

A messenger is my shape of choice. It’s utilitarian, and not pursey or womanly at all; it can carry a good amount, but at the same time, isn’t too huge.

I have three in my current rotation. One is a leather messenger called The Journeyer from Far Horizon Traders. It’s the perfect size at 16″x12″, and the durability of the leather is solid, like you can swing it around and beat it up and it will look even better when you’re done.

When I’m feeling all techie and San Franciscan (or casual, I guess) I have this coated canvas bag that my friend Neil over at Incase gave me. This thing is really awesome, super slim, and built to take care of all your electronics… which is pretty much all I carry if you check out my article last week on my ten essentials.

The newcomer to the group is the Lorenzo leather briefcase by Maxwell Scott. A little baby by comparison (at around 14″x10″), this is good for carrying the bare minimum like an Air and a Moleskine, or maybe emptying out the contents of your pockets and storing them in this.

What I like about Maxwell Scott is that every one of their bags is made in Italy by craftsman who have probably been doing this for generations. Maxwell Scott is a small family-run company based in the UK, which I love, because small businesses are awesome.

Keep in mind, when you buy quality leather bags you’re paying a price, but quality equates to durability for years. So find a model you love and know you won’t have to think about buying a bag for a really long time.

I’ll have a more in-depth review of this piece once I get to spend more time with it. In the meantime, check out the selection over at Maxwell Scott.

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