(Click on images to embiggen) I have a bag of bags approach. Small bags pre-loaded with stuff ready to go, and a big bag to carry the small ones. My big bag is a Mini Messenger bag from San Francisco’sRickshaw Bagworks. I customized it with a stealth reflective 8-bit skull. Here are my sub-bags: Apple Bag: This $1.50 bag from the Daiso ¥100 (100 yen) store in San Francisco is a great resource for all sorts on neat stuff. Almost every small bag I own is from Daiso. It contains:

• Lightning to SD reader with Micro SD insert for my iPhone and iPad: $34
• Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter: $29
• Lighting to old style 30 pin adapter: $42
• Ear Buds
• Stereo jumper cable
• AC/DC to USB charger: $13
• Not shown: Lighting to VGA Adapter

Chow Bag: Yep, I carry my own utensils in a flashlight sheath. No flimsy little plastic toys for me. And yes, I love Chopsticks and think they are very elegant and will whip them out every meal instead of the landfill choice. (Cutting your food to size helps.) It contains:

• Brunton FlipSticks folding chopsticks: $25
• Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spork: $10
• Folding Fruit Inspection Knife/Fork: $10

Power Bag: This all fits in a small bag I forgot to show in the big photo.It is made from one 8 foot long zipper that zips together into a bag.

• The Goal Zero will charge my iPhone to 100%, bonus it uses rechargeable AA batteries that are removable for other uses: $40
• The very useful Power Practical Meter and Fast Charge Cable will even monitor your charging levels: $20
• Brookstone Super Lite: $13
• A tiny 3 mode selectable red LED flashlight, on, flashing, and flashing fast. Found at local flea market.
• Spare 2032 coin cells for these both.

Extras:

• Credit-card sized USB Flash Drive swag that I dressed up with a Boing Boing Jackhammer Jill sticker. She is so cute!
• The one and only “Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed” Blackwing 602: $23/12-pack
• Soft cover spiral notebook – 5mm Square Ruled that I tastefully recovered to look like a Make Magazine mini Makers Notebook.
• Facial tissues (can be used on both ends)
• Cleaning tissues, for the iPhone and iPad screens: $9
• 
• Well, I do carry 4 Dice. Never know when a West Coast Ce-Lo game may come up. Yeah, I know, only 3 dice are needed, but it is nice to have choice’s in life. [Review here
• Real Artistic License on C.I.A Retractable Badge Reel ( found at Flea Market)
• Small business cards printed on 3’x5′ recipe card stock and cut to size.
• Fingernail clippers and that thick alcohol stuff to wipe and your hands and sanitize to surgery room cleanliness.
• First aid kit and pill safe.
• Starbucks VIA instant coffee. That you can mix into any liquid hot or cold, really! $31/50-pack
• iPad mini with its magnetic cover that magically turns it off.
• iPhone 5s (is the v6 here yet?)
• A ripstop nylon shopping bag.

You really should see my mini tool bag, photo bag, camping kitchen bag, bag of shopping bags, bag o….I need a new bag.

-- Kent Barnes 05/30/14

(OK, now it's your turn. Send photos of the things in your bag (and of the bag itself, if you love it), along with a description of the items and why they are useful. Make sure the photos are large (1200 pixels wide, at least) and clear. Use a free file sharing service like Bitcasa to upload the photos, and email the text to editor@cool-tools.org. -- Mark Frauenfelder — editors)