I got annoyed recently when I wanted to leave the house and noticed my bag was half full just with stuff to deal with weather. In Tokyo, I usually carry an umbrella with me, maybe sunscreen, sunglasses, a mini towel etc. Others have fans, “neck fans” (not sure how they are called). Maybe a water bottle also counts.

All of this is “weather stuff” for me. I asked a friend what she carries around, and we started to think about some other categories as well. So I wondered how much of the stuff we carry around is actually about the thing we want to do wherever we go, and how much is just to cope with the environment? Also, I would be curious how this looks like in other places around the world. Things probably vary by gender, age, season as well.

Some categories are:

  • weather stuff
  • personal hygiene stuff
  • safety stuff
  • not being annoyed by others stuff
  • infrastructure fail stuff (e.g., preparing for when trains get delayed)
  • IronKrill
    3·
    3 months ago

    I hate being without stuff I need, so I always carry around a backpack. I just always keep stuff in it so I don’t forget it. At the moment the core kit is:

    • At least 1L of water, usually 2L+.
    • Hand sanitiser for the inevitable moment the public washroom is out of soap.
    • Re-usable shopping bags in case I buy something.
    • An energy bar or two in case I have to stay at work late.
    • Nail clippers (having a broken nail at work sucks).
    • Band-aids.
    • A mask in case anywhere requires it, but this one has definitely seen less use over time.
    • Deodorant, because sometimes I forget to apply it before I leave in the morning…
    • Hand lotion for winter when my hands crack.
    • And finally, a charging cable for my phone.

    If it’s likely to rain and I’ll be outside longer than 15m I will add an umbrella to the mix.