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Carrying Your IT Equipment With You?
dada21 asks: "As an on-the-go journalist, IT consultant, entrepreneur and blogger, I find myself with way too much stuff. About 5 years ago I started to downsize and cut back to just 2 PCs total (small laptop and PVR desktop), 1 PDA, and 2 cell phones (main and backup). The laptop goes everywhere (doubling as a great GPS center in the vehicle for those long road trips), the PDA does, too. Traveling with all 4 electronic devices is a mess of cables: power/charger, USB, and the like. Everything is light and small but the bulk of all of it adds up. I currently use a Toy Machine messenger bag but it just doesn't work when you're trying to shove a file folder, pen/appointment selection and a day-timer in it. I'll spend the cash, even if it is really expensive, for the convenience, speed and quality for a jack-of-all-bags that can handle the jack-of-all-trades. What bag is the best solution?"
Granted it wasn't an Ask Slashdot, but this seems to have been discussed here already:
8 256&from=rss
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/05/142
SecureThe.Net - Practical Resources for Securing Systems
I don't have no purse or nothin in my pockets and I still carry all my IT equipment with me, if you know what I mean.
If a general backpack wont do, grab some vanvas and adapt/make one for yourself. You'll learn something in the process, and you'll have exactly what you want.
Have you considered a man-servant? As the commercials used to say, just Ask Jeeves.
Maybe you should just take the stuff you need instead of the stuff you think is going to impress the dorks you run into.
Prada bag? Are you fucking joking?
Sew your own own bag out of sturdy material like nylon reinforced rubber (waterproof) or canvas. Or are you not man enough to do sewing?
Use a doffal bag or other large army bag.
Or perhaps a nut-sack. You know, the tough burlap bags nut harvesters use.
i can log into my home pc via a no-ip.org account and vnc, and from there i can log into all my clients networks via remote desktop. i haven't had a client yet who hasn't loved my ability to access fix anything from anywhere i am and i don't even have a laptop.
As most of the comments so far are of the "how big is YOUR equipment" variety, I'll shoot.
You may be out of luck as far as a jack-of-all-bags. It all depends on how much mobility you want from your mobiles. Can you leave the phone/PDA and its charger close to the wall? Twisty tie the cord on the charger, plugs out for a nice, tight package. Maybe you could invest in retractable cords.
If you have the cash, you could set up "modules" of wires. Need a portable wireless point for the laptop/PDA? Strap the router/power cord/cat5 cable together.
My solution has typically been a compartmentalized cardboard box in the back seat of the car. 1/3 of it for network stuff, 1/3 for power, 1/3 for random widgets. Subdivide into network(PDA,laptop) and different power sources, mix, repeat. YMMV.
Why do you need a PDA if you have your laptop with you all the time? If you really, really want a small and clunky GUI for your address book or calendar, I'm sure you can find a PDA emulator somewhere.
lucm, indeed.
Why do you have both a PDA and pen planner? Why do you have a PDA and laptop if you carry your laptop everywhere you go? Why do you have a phone and PDA when there are convergent solutions from either end? What are you, stupid?
I tend to use a camera bag for all my stuff. I've got a "Quantaray Urban Gear U100 Pro Backpack".
a ntaray%20Urban%20Gear%20U100%20Pro%20Backpack%22&b tnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi
Not all the pictures show it, but it's got a good space for a laptop, and lots of room. It's very armored.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=%22Qu
Have your house boy carry it behind you, generally 5 paces is considered respectful. Barring that, you can just have the limo driver deliver it to the place you are going while the throngs greet you upon making an appearance. That always gives me enough time to say hi and to have my stuff unpacked and booted up on my arrival.
It really isn't so hard if you put your mind to it, why do you act so 'working class'?
-Charlie
I carry just a CD wallet to support jobs which has a pouch for a 3.5" drive and IDE cable, holds 20 CD's and a pocket for a receipt book. It also fits a screwdriver in the top. All in all it cost about $10 and is great for first inspections and is usualy all I need for most jobs. I also have a 2gig memory stick on my keyring for transfers. Any other tools & components, network test/crimpers, cables, spare drives, ram, etc I keep in the car as they are usualy only needed for specific applications. I also carry a PDA with GPS to find places and record job info and it also has wireless for emergency googling. I have a laptop as well in a small road case for network troubleshooting but that is something I would only take if required. Travel lite is the trick and take only what you need. The more you take onsite the more you have to carry or accidently leave behind.
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, sue.
I'm a big fan of STM bags. I use the Large Loop backpack for my 17" laptop, with enough room to easily store (and organise) pens, wallets, ipod (with headphone hole, cellphone, camcorder, you name it. Plenty of pockets and such, and not just for the sake of them, but with specific purposes, and well built. I've also used their shoulder bags too, with good results.
Have you looked at a mini-laptop - 1/2 way between a laptop and a PDA. For instance, the Toshiba Libretto is about 2 lbs.
[Insert pithy quote here]
I have a Tenba attache that I've used for several years. It has proven to be very versatile and durable. It has literally circumnavigated the planet with me on two occasions.
I know it's a minor point, but why on Earth do you need a Day-Timer if you have a PDA? Or, to look at it the other way around, why the hell do you have a PDA if you are already carrying a notebook PC and a Day-Timer?
Also, Day-Timers suck. Get a Franklin. In fact, get a Franklin PDA and you're all set.
-Peter
Well, considering that most people have been recommending everything EXCEPT for bags, here's my $.02...
I have a wonderful backpack that holds my widescreen 15" laptop, my D70 SLR camera, two extra lenses, power adapters, my PSP (even bigger than a PDA), and all the cables I need to hook up any of my electronics to anything else I might find (so many adapters and cables!!!)
I HIGHLY recommend Crumpler Bags... I have one called (IIRC) Brian's Hot Tub, but sadly it doesn't look like it's for sale on their site (they have an australian site too, it might be there).... This bag is so big that when I load it up with everything, my girlfriend honestly couldn't carry it... I've had it for three years, and it's still in great condition, no broken zippers, no ripped fabric...
I'd take a look at the messenger bags they offer, you can't get a higher quality bag, and they're aimed very squarly at people with digital lifestyles.
They have little mini "digits"... they're like padded pockets you can attach to anything (PERFECT for cellphone/mp3 players, anything you need in access to in less than 10 seconds)
One of these (which may only be available in Canada but I'm sure you can find an equivalant somewhere near you), one of these and a bunch of these and I'm good to go. The Carry-All has pockets for pens, passports and even one that fits every PDA I've ever tried. You can open a zipper to double its capacity and they're built like brick sh^h^h, uh, outhouses.
This or something similar is what you need. (No endorsement of ebags.com implied, I bought mine from a store locally.) Many times I took mine back and forth from Boston to LA, jam packed with a laptop, papers and manuals, lots of fiddly little data and power adapters, etc. It would barely fit under the airplane seat in front of me (and I'm using a loose definition of the word "fit"). If the laptop had broken, I would have been toast. No problem. The laptop sleeve is incredibly well made, and is like a padded hammock for your laptop. The full bag was very heavy; no female except Olga on the Soviet Olympic weightlifting team would be able to lift it. But the handles stayed on. That was a year ago, and I'm still using it for lighter duty locally. But if I had to pack it up again and hop a flight to LA, it would still do the job. I wouldn't trade it for anything (within reason :-).
Is there some reason you can't use this? http://www.targus.com/ca/product_details.asp?sku=T CG650
I use this for college and its incredibly roomie and will carry everything. Yes its not hip and european, but it carries a ton of stuff. I easily carry:
Laptop
antec coolign pad
1/2 dozen CDs or so in the slim CD insert
cell phone in the cell phone pouch
USB mouse in the side pouch
water bottle on the side
2 textbooks
a notebook
several network cables
a binder
my lunch
a stapler
a calculator
several pens and pencils
etc
it should easily hold everything.
But as time has gone on, while we've become more reliant, dependent, and expectant, of technology, the technology itself has become no more practical. The integrated device is far away. While systems like the Nokia 9500 have gone so far, the fact is we can't rely upon such technologies for everything. Just entering text into any mobile device, for instance, remains a pain, a crucial barrier to the integrated digital world.
In some ways, the question may be raised: is this the direction we want to go in? The truth is, yes it is. We're expected to have this degree of communication because the world is becoming more complex, because as we gain efficiencies through our increased knowledge, we find ourselves having to manage the data flow.
And so, right now, we have to lug laptops around, with wifi and bluetooth connections, and cellphones, and iPods. Will this end? It has to. Because unless it does, we'll never be able to realise the next step of total information connectivity. Our ability to learn, and to take advantage of the information available will be decreased.
This quagmire of people being unable to take advantage of information while the technology itself remains a hinderance will not disappear by itself. Resources need to be devoted, and unless people are prepared to actually act, not just talk about it on Slashdot, nothing will ever get done. Apathy is not an option.
You can help by getting off your rear and writing to your congressman or senator. Tell them that there has to be a nationwide program that provides technology at the point of need, ensuring total connectivity. Tell them this is important to you. Tell them that you appreciate the work being done by good, American, companies from Cingular to Motorola, from IBM to Dell, from Apple to Microsoft to support you with the technology you need in your life but that without a government mandated technology supply, ensuring those who need information can get it without the need to lug around laptops, you will be forced to use less and less secure and intelligently designed alternatives. Explain the concerns you have about freedom, openness, and choice, and how a government program of technological availability will help all three. Let them know that this is an issue that effects YOU directly, that YOU vote, and that your vote will be influenced, indeed dependent, on their policies on funding such a network.
You CAN make a difference. Don't treat voting as a right, treat it as a duty. Remember, it was thanks to ordinary people like YOU that we are now seeing such innovations as SMP in OpenBSD. Keep informed, keep your political representatives informed on how you feel. And, most importantly of all, vote.
KMSMA (WWBD?)
I'm pretty sure I've seen articles about building more general-purpose power supplies and/or chargers that are USB-powered. Probably on Hackaday but maybe here. RadioShack has some kind of universal power adapter - I assume it's AC-powered wih several voltage settings and tips. If something like that could cover your devices, that could help a bit.
A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker (or IT geek) can have
-- n
yea, backpack doesnt look as professional, but form follows function.a spx?sku=310-6736&cs=19&c=us&l=en
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.
It's got 7+ different pockets/containers to put stuff. I've found that it works wonderfully!
Like you, I have a large assortment of items I need to carry with me on a daily basis for work and the occasional play.
After several years of trial and error and looking at bags, I found these:
http://www.booqbags.com/index.html
I have the Python XM System with the 17" Powerbook sleeve. Everything fits perfectly in the bag, including laptop, AC adapter, assorted console cables to connect to my servers, file folders, webcam, you name it. The laptop sits a padded compartment separate from all the other items in the bag, and you can easily fit laptops up to the 17" widescreen ones (not using the powerbook sleeve, of course) in that compartment.
You can fit a PSP in the Logitech case in one of the side pockets.
The zippers have a special 'flap' over them that make them nearly waterproof, so you don't have to worry about water seeping into the bag thru the zippers. It's very nearly the perfect bag, IMHO.
I hope this helps you.
"We'll need 2000 crickets, 4 cans of Easy Cheese, and the fluid from 18 glowsticks for this plan to work...." - ph0n1c
Go "custom" or there will be a bag going to market shortly that is adjustable, carries everything, and is fairly custom. Check out polarpak.com or send me an email and I will fill you in more.
Left cargo pocket: Sprint HTC PPC6600 (Windows Mobile 2003 SE, 128M RAM, 64M ROM, 16M Flash, 512M SD, 256M/802.11b SDIO, MS Terminal Services Client, putty, and its a phone)
Right cargo pocket: Backup cheapo Samsung generic cell phone
Bag 1: Dell Inspiron 7500 (P3-750) dual booting Win2k and Linux with Cisco Aironet 352 802.11 DS card, Toshiba Portege 2000 (P3-750) on WinXP
Bag 2: IBM Thinkpad 380XD (P233MMX) on Debian with Cisco Aironet 352 802.11 DS card
Right ear: Motorola HS-850 bluetooth headset associated with the PPC6600.
Good to go.
You want to buy a sturdy leather (no frills, no compartments) laptop bag, and a sturdy leather (lots of frills, lots of compartments) video camera bag. Take them to your leather smith (can often be found at shoe repair shops!) and have him sew the backs of them together.
It's not crazy, I've done similar things.
I have a different problem, I need a bag for traveling, something big enough to carry the gear that's too precious to check in during an airline flight, specifically my laptop and a big digital SLR camera. There are plenty of good laptop bags, but none of them seem to be large enough to carry an SLR too. And I hate backpacks.
The eBags Downloader backpack has served me well for over a year now. I'm in a similar situation -- I carry a ton of gear, as well as cables and spare batteries for everything. It's not perfect, but short of designing a custom-made bag to fit my specific set of items, I'm fairly happy with this bag.
The two main compartments each have sub-compartments, including a laptop section with foamy padding. There's a decent sized pocket on the front (in which I store my iPod and PDA), two on the sides (good for a cell phone or two in one, and a small umbrella in the other), and the zippered subpockets in the smaller of the two main compartments are perfect for batteries and cables.
I was skeptical about purchasing an eBags branded bag, but so far I'm impressed with the quality. The biggest indicator for me? The zippers never stick. The regular price is reasonable, but it's easy to find coupon codes to bring it down a few dollars more.
One other suggestion: get some retractable cables (i.e. ziplinq) to replace anything in your bag longer than a foot.
You'd be surprised, actually. For me, my laptop is mostly for keeping track of everything I need, while the PDA just doesn't accomplish as much on the tiny screen. My PDA and laptop are very well sync'd (Bluetooth and WiFi), but they both are unique and separate entities. If someone needs to tell me something, I jot it on my PDA and follow-up on my laptop.
My current phone (Samsung t809) works great but it isn't there yet. I'm awaiting the Nokia N80 to arrive to see if I can replace my PDA and phone in one fell swoop. Until then, the laptop is a necessity for about 40% of my work.
It is called the rigid bag container, or briefcase. A briefcase with additional clip on adjustable shoulder strap for really long walks perhaps. A briefcase is nice and stout, locks, it is "professional business acceptable" looking, is a nice flat surface for a handy portable "table" to set things on, and certainly has enough room for what you are looking to carry. 15$ for a good sized one at most *mart brand department stores, plain jane aluminum. Spend what you want after that I suppose, virgin lizard leather interior or whatever.... here's a thought, knowing how you like neat stuff, you can always measure it and find a nice solar panel that fits that you could screw to the outside of the side that faces "out" when you are carrying it, probably the "top" of the case when you set it down. Drill a hole and snake in the connector, be trickle charging some gadget as you travel around. I have several small ones sort of that size, none of them are all that heavy. The unisolar flexi panels I have are the lightest. In fact, there's a product right there (might exist but I haven't looked either), a briefcase where the sides *are* solar panels to begin with, those are the sides, just find an existing one that has good frames, use two obviously, what the heck, a nifty "power black" color is an added "high tech geek fashion" bonus. elegant, yet practical...
Weight isn't a problem, but this looks great and very reasonably priced, too.
:) I'll give the rest as "executive gifts" at Christmas time, hah.
I'm going to order about 10 bags from the various comments in this thread, and keep one
I appreciate the link, it really looks amazing. I'd like some spandex expandability, though, how well does it hold together when stuffed or overstuffed?
Victorinox in general, actually! It took me a while to notice, but everyone who actively uses a laptop in my research group has a Victorinox case/bag of some sort. None of us have the same model, and we all swear by them.
Mine is the Web Messenger - works well for a laptop up to ~15.5" (the GP's hammock comment is dead on), as well as some file folders, laptop accessories (charger, wireless mouse, etc.), headphones, and so on and so forth. I've had it for over 2.5 years and have yet to see any wear. The ballistic nylon is invincible.
Regarding overstuffing - being that it's a messenger bag, the outer flap folds over and locks to two adjustable straps. I've filled it way too full on many occasions, and neither the bag nor the contents suffered at all. Additionally, the padded strap is amazing; it has never cut into my shoulder like backpacks or other messenger bags tend to do. It's overengineered, without a doubt.
These guys make a variety of bags for cameras, laptops, phones, etc. Weird website, but pretty good bags. They're an Australian company, I think. presumably they export to the U.S (where, I assume, you live ;-)
http://www.crumpler.com.au/home.php
I'm *very* pleased with the Spire products:
http://www.spireusa.com/
They're great for use, and abuse. I've rolled over it several times rollerblading, with the laptop still on, and so on. Never any problems. I've had mine for 3-4 years now, and while it is showing slight wear, it seems to be good for another 3-4 years without a problem.
You should peek around their site, and pay attention to the details, like the laptop room not being all the way against your back, so it's a very comfortable fit.
Terje Elde
I use pen and paper for a large part of my job: Notes, ideas, tracking working hours, appointments. No cables, no empty batteries, no chargers, weights less than a PDA and can be bent without loss of data. What else does a PDA offer? A calculator - also offered by my cell phone, and my brain can also shuffle around some numbers. A phone book? In my cell phone, and more convienient. E-Mail addresses? On my laptop. "Pocket Office"? A full-featured office package runs on my laptop. MP3 player? On my laptop. Perhaps, some day, I may buy an iPod.
I use an old (should I say antique) Nokia 5130 cell phone with a third party li-ion battery, giving me at least a week runtime without needing a charger. When I'm longer away from home, I can pack the small charger somewhere into my luggage; when I travel by car, the handsfree car kit charges the cell phone battery. And a second cell phone "as backup" is just nonsense. The last time a 5130 refused to work was when it fell into a bucket full with dirty soap water, about five years ago. It has no camera, no color display, no "screensaver", no fancy ringtones, it can't even show a custom logo. But I can use it to call people. That's why I bought it.
Sure, I also need to work with a laptop, but I don't carry a PVR around. Why should I want to do that?
I also have a GPS for my car, based on a cheap PDA, but that stays either at home in its cradle or in a locked box inside the car. I don't need the PDA features, just the GPS software. Inside the car, the PDA is powered by the car. So I don't need to carry around a charger. The cradle stays at home. The GPS software does not need to be backed up or synced, so I use the cradle just as a charger. The USB cable is plugged nowhere.
Tux2000
Denken hilft.
Years ago - so many years that I don't remember exactly, must have been around 2000 - I got a laptop backpack from Spire. I used it for daily commutes, travelling all across Europe, and generally carrying my laptop everywhere. It still looks like new (well, like new but *dirty*).
These bags are so tough I was afraid the company was going out of business, they can't have that much of repeat buys that way. Really recommended. They have *huge* bags too.
Stitch some dividers into the most nasty-ass bag you can find, perhaps put a bit of upholstery foam at the bottom if you're clumsy. If you buy an $850 prada bag, you won't keep it for long. Your odds of being mugged for your laptop are inversely proportional to the amount you spent on the bag it's carried in. Anything that looks designed for the job is going to vanish the first time you doze off in an airport lounge. As a bonus, military-issue rucksacks are usually immensely comfortable for monster loads and the only thing I'd want to regularly carry much more than a single laptop in. Just avoid the ALICE packs, they're shit.
Come on. 12" powerbook and a phone (which can also be gps and pda, if you like). What else do you need?
As for the bag, if you want to carry a load of fragile equipment in comfort and safety, ask a photojournalist. They've always had to do it, and to my mind the best equipment bag you can buy is a billingham. You could fit everything in a Hadley and not even look like a geek*, or add an SLR and some clothes and it'll still fit in a 445. Mine is over 20 years old and only just broken in.
*If that's a drawback, consider a Lowepro instead. But do you really want that 'this is where I keep my expensive laptop' look?
I got a Powercolor X800 PRO with the backpack;
:)
http://www.powercolor.com/main_product_dis.asp
It's the "Assassin edition" some way down the page. The backpack is THE best laptop bag I have ever had.. it has a little soft pocket with velcro strap for the laptop, and plenty of space for my scanner (Canon N650U) and graphics tablet also (Wacom Graphire 3), document pockets in back, straps, shoulder straps, top handle, in the front are 4 pockets which fit my IRIVER player, digital camera, mobile phone, all my chargers, a battery charger (Radioshack 2-AA), null modem cable, two mice (graphire and travel), lik-sang mousepad, ethernet cable, selection of pens (from sharpie to fineline to mechanical pencil), spare extended-life battery for the laptop (mmm 12h..) and my glasses cleaning kit (alcohol spray and microfiber cloth), condoms and a travel toothbrush
Yeah it's heavy with all that stuff in it, and a bitch to get on a plane, but it's so convenient.
I guess my question is, where did they get that backpack from, because I would recommend it in a heartbeat, if it didn't need you to buy a $500 graphics card to get it..
techno-bill!
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
I saw it - paragraph 4, sentence 1 - it was definitely on-topic there. The rest was just pure stoned genius. +5 Funny IMO.
I have the Swiss Army bag and it works well for me. If your notebook is not any longer than 15.4" you shouod be fine. I carry my laptop, external DVD burner, Power supply for each device, cd case, and also my mouse. With all of that, i don't get close to filling the bag. The link below is to Best Buy's website showing the bag. Since it is a backpack it has some security straps on it to keep it from falling off of you, or really straining your back and sholders. It's another bag to consider.
3 747&type=product&productCategoryId=cat08003&id=107 7630480948
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=656
There was a geek bag set posted late last year. I can't for the life of me remember what it was. But it sounds like you could use it, at least in addition to a good laptop case. It was a modular bag system that allowed to you carry it in any of a number of configurations, even James Bond style underneath a suit.
Gah, and I was even gonna buy one and it's just out of my memory. Anyone?
ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
When traveling for work, I frequently found myself packing two laptops, a printer, a switch or two and about a half a mile of cables, a couple of cel phones, digital cameras, disks, papers, tools and you name it. At the time, I would be hitting the road for a few days every week. Everything was as compact and as light as I could make it but it all still added up.
One day I was in the grocery store and stumbled across the solution. This particular store had an area where they sold odd-ball stuff that you don't usually find in grocery stores - they offered these things at really low prices and I picked up a three piece American Tourister soft-sided luggage set (in a maroon color) for next to nothing. They "nested" one inside of the other and had wheels. I used the biggest one to tote everything. I used pieces of foam backed carpet glued onto luan plywood as separator pieces and stuck a piece of this into the pocket in the inside lid of the case and a piece in the back, between the frame thing for the handle. What I ended up with was a "semi-soft-sided" piece of luggage that was better able to protect the equipment. It held everything I needed to carry and even allowed me to use the outside pockets to store things in.
I've never had any damage, I check it when I get on the airplane and when it comes off of the baggage thing at the airport, I can tell immediately that it is mine, there are so few maroon bags that I can find mine right away.
Also, these bags can snap together one piggybacking on the other so that I only have one thing to drag through the airport. This is a feature that I love because when you try to drag two side by side you look like a one person Laurel and Hardy show.
I highly recommend Maxpedition bags and kit. Everything is heavy-duty nylon which makes the bags very solid. They also have pouches and pockets for everything you need, and nothing you don't.
http://www.maxpedition.com/
I personally have the MPB (MultiPurpose Bag) and it has served me well carrying my various electronic equipment for nine months of business travel in 13 countries.
http://maxpedition.com/product/product_mpb.htm
it totally depends on what you want one strap or 2 for a mac or PC do you want to carry a mouse as well ?
check out laptopessentials UK store
regards
John Jones
yeah you can get these in the UK as well they are nice and I have one that has taken a bashing
STM uk bags at Laptop:Essentials
but again it depends on what you want personally I have one strap metal, one strap flexible and a backpack
regards
John Jones
I love my saddlebag. They also make it in black now, and Kensington also has messenger and executive bags now labeled under the "Saddlebag" name. While those may also be excellent bags, I have experience with the old-faithful -- the brown/black model. This was the very first laptop backpack (that I'm aware of).
When I travel, I can easily fit two laptops, a multitude of chargers, cell phones, cables (including 25ft cat5), a mouse, a soda, camera, and some snacks. Easily, I can bring it to a weight that could easily break a smaller man's back.
I just bought a Swiss Gear Synergy backpack for a trip to London that I just got back from. I was amazed at how much it would expand and contract depending on the load that I put in it. The outer pocket is a special section for just about anything smaller such as a cell phone, pocket knife, usb keys, business cards, etc. It even has a place to thread headphones though in case you want to listen to an MP3 player while you're wearing it. Even though I found out about it just a few weeks ago, I was amazed at how many people at the airport had similar ones as well. Best of all, it was only 80 dollars.
This is what I use:
Tom Bihn Super Ego
It holds my 17" Powerbook in a Brain Cell insert, file folders, PDA, Cellphone, PDA (I know, I should just get a smart phone), and iPod with room for 4 large O'Reilly books to boot.
He also makes some smaller ones that might better fir your needs. And backbacks if you want to avoid medical problems hauling all that stuff around
Bidding 20 hours, working 5 and still billing the full amount? Wow, we used to refer to that as "ripping someone off." But, I digress...
Only the cellphone/pda and laptop in that whole laundry list of things could be truly considered "tools." The rest were redundant and/or unnecessary. I use one soft-sided leather briefcase that holds two cellphone/PDAs, my laptop, power cables, a handful of DVDs, a journal, a schetchbook and pencil set, my sunglasses, headphones, a digital camera, a half dozen PCMCIA cards and room enough for as much paper as I've ever had to schlep to any meeting.
If you're carrying more, perhaps you sould just get two bags as, yes, you may need all that in the space of a day or a week, but it's pretty unlikely you'll need it 24/7 and no one will fault you for running out to the car/hotel/whatever to get your equipment. If you really feel you need to lug around 35lbs of crap positively everywhere at all times, I'd suggest getting a third bag for your meds.
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/bagbuilder.htm/ (Warning Flash Ahead)
My Setup:
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/retail/catalog.htm?cat
I don't use/carry all this gear all the time, but I could if I wanted too, and every piece of equipment has a nice comfortable padded home.
From here to there and there to here funny things are everywhere.
You can use some sailing tricks to make any bag you have seem bigger. Check out the following video of how to coil a line and you don't even need velcro or a twist tie.
. htm
http://www.videos.sailingcourse.com/coiling_lines
"Computer Scientists can count to 1024 on their fingers" (non-mutant, non-mutilatated, human computer scientists)
As long as you're willing to spend the money, this should be able to easily hold all of your equipment. That plus it self powered, too!
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Just because they're Geek Tools doesn't mean you don't have the same set of problems as other people who use other kinds of tools. I use this bag and it's worth every penny. I beat it hard and it's as good as new.
Also check out the Port Authority 2 cable kit. It's bit flimsy on build but for occasional use it works and takes the place of many other cables. I gave these as gifts to my clients for christmas. Shop around. Also, charge your phone and stuff over USB to eliminate one more transformer.
Some people I know swear by the Radio Shack multicharger though I haven't tried it yet ($$$).
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
I have been a huge fan of MobileEdge bags for the last few years, I currently have a messenger bag and just bought the big backpack that goes everywhere with me now. They are very well built and have pockets for everything I need. Another bonus is that they are pretty inexpensive as well, that is always a plus in my book.
Unless it's a magic bag.