It’s been ages since I’ve done one of those… So here is my minimal everyday carry after 2 years of pandemic.
Most used bag at the moment is my ECCO Belaga mini crossbody bag in blue-grey, it held really well – saffiano-type leather used means there are no visible scratches even after all those years. Bag style is perfect for me, it goes with everything.
Contents:
So let’s dive inside.
- Mobile phone – ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom ZE553KL
- Wired headphones
- Some Chinese brand – I got them for free from a friend when ASUS headphones broke down (problems with the cord). They held really well – 3 years and counting.
I do have a pair of wireless headphones too, but I only use them when working out, as I find controls too finicky to use (3 taps on left year, 2 taps on right.. who wants to remember those?!) - Travel card “Подорожник”
- Card to pay for public transport in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
- Mini Filofax Malden
- Malden was setup as a wallet/notebook and I’m very pleased with results, it gives me space for notes on the go, keeps some spare cash and bank cards + my travel card too.
- UNIQLO face mask
- The sign of the times! Black Uniqlo face mask, part of the set, can be washed and reused.
- Keys with “Big Wave” key chain
- Keys to my home. Key chain with ukiyo-e print by Hokusai is a souvenir from British Museum.
- Mirror & tissues
- Temporary necessity – winds and leftover sand from out snowy winter of 2022 (used to make streets walkable) make my eyes water, so I need to check my make-up if used.
- Envirosax shopping bag
- I can’t believe I still use 2 shopper bags from Envirosax I bought 10 years ago!
They are the only ones I own and they held wonderfully.
Changes:
Notable differences from previous years are:
- No make-up items, as mask usage makes lipsticks not practical.
- No dedicated wallet – my old one got too old and was replaced by mini Filofax.
- Now I only carry my main planner when needed – Van Der Spek planner currently has 30mm rings and takes up too much space in my mini bag, so when I need it with me, I swap ECCO Belaga for some other bag. Info I need to keep on hand for specific days I write down in mini Filofax Malden.
- Passport – most often I used it to get parcels, but in recent years Russian Post got progressive-thinking and allowed authentication with SMS, so now I only take it when absolutely needed.
