I missed the first batch of GeekDad Everyday Carry articles, but I’ve finally put together my take on it. Here’s what I carry to get through my day.
Riding on my hip I carry an iPhone 6+ protected in an Otterbox “I’ll-never-use-anything-else” Defender snapped into a yes-I’m-a-dork-but-it’s-oh-so-convenient belt clip. The Otterbox has been modified to work with Photojojo Iris add-on lenses. I wear the Seiko Dive watch primarily for the second hand. I’m a volunteer firefighter and EMT and need the second hand for taking a pulse.
The other items that I carry on me rather than in my backpack are, number six, a Motorola pager, number seven, my earbuds, numbers nine and ten for holding my keys, and number fourteen, my always-handy Leatherman Wave. While the pager seems very ’80s, it’s necessary for the fire department. The Apple Earbuds are in a pocket while the keys also hang off my belt. I have too much junk on my belt (I need a Batman belt buckle!) but I go through locked doors constantly in my job and I got tired of digging in my pocket for keys, hence the retractable key ring. The KeySmart key holder helps keep the keys from jingling all about, but make them a little bit more difficult to access. Last, the Leatherman Wave is indispensable and used daily.
Everything else goes into my bag of choice, the Maxpedition Kodiak Gear Slinger. This sling-bag rides like a backpack, but can easily be donned on doffed one handed. I’ve had the Maxpedition for three or four years and it is showing very little wear. I will be reviewing the Maxpedition Kodiak along with its smaller siblings, the Sitka, and the Noatak, in the near future. I had searched long and hard when I finally settled on my Kodiak years ago, and am still pleased with my selection.
In the bag I carry a pocket mask for CPR and a couple of sets of exam gloves for myself as well as anyone that may be helping me. The Maxpedition has PALS webbing for attaching other bags or equipment so I have the pocket mask in a strapped on, easy to access bag similar to the Condor Gadget Pouch. I sometimes use the webbing on the Maxpedition to attach camera tripods, or poster tubes at conventions for instance.
In all the jobs I’ve ever had I rarely ever needed business cards, but writing for GeekDad changed that! I was able to get what I needed from Vista Print for a reasonable price and was happy with the result.
Item number 11 is a “USB Condom.” This device blocks data, making any USB port power only. Many publicly available ports, such as on airplanes, try to access your device when you plug in for power. This device protects you from that. Next to this is a USB flash drive.
Ever since getting my hands on the Photojojo Iris lenses , they are with me daily. I even modified my Otterbox Defender so the lenses would fit the armored case. The Photojojo lenses including a 10x macro lens, 100 degree wide angle, and a nearly 180 degree full-frame fisheye all have cases that can interlock to store in the nice little stack you see in the image. Next to the Photojojo lenses is a lens cloth.
On the lower left is my fire department Motorola radio. I work in a school district and all staff have a radio with school district frequencies for communication during emergencies. I had my fire department radio reprogrammed to have both county emergency as well as the school district frequencies all on the same radio. It fits perfectly in a pocket of the Maxpedition.
My iPad 2, secure in another Otterbox Defender Case, sits in a pocket on the Maxpedition Kodiak that seemed to be designed specifically for the iPad as it fits perfectly as well
My aging, but more than adequate 15″ MacBook Pro sits safely in a Higher Ground 15? Flak Jacket computer sleeve, both of which are in the main compartment of the bag.
Last, I have an older Wacom Bamboo tablet (newer model linked). I hope to spend more time learning to draw, so carry this with me with that intent.
It’s Not All Roses
Now it’s not all roses in that Maxpedition. In the interests of full disclosure I have to let you know that I am not as organized as the first part of the post implies. I found some other things in there as I was pulling items out for this post. An extra Python Cord intended for the MacBook Pro charger. The Python Cord installs easily on the charger and protects the smaller charging cable from wear and breakage. It works pretty well, um, when actually installed. Also in the bag, I had numerous cables, including a 30 pin iPad cable, Ethernet, and a Thunderbolt cable. I discovered my missing Nikon D90 lens cover, as well as a flashing warning LED that was swag from Intel. Everyone needs two fiber-optic cable testers in their pack, right? Tylenol, two Apple charger “duck” attachments, some small zip ties, and a remote for a document camera had all found their way into my bag. Last, was the inevitable pile of unnecessary paper… one day I’ll teach my coworkers about email.
//
