What's in my bag? — Geri Diorio
My bag is a V1 Sling Backpack from Sipsey Wilder ($50), a small, women-owned, original design, vegan business in Alabama. It holds a surprisingly large amount of things in an organized way and never hurts my back. I love all their bags and own several.
BIC Cristal Stic Ball Pen ($15, 60pk)
I am never without a pen, specifically a Bic Cristal Stic in blue. While many people feel these pens are too skritchy, I find the haptic feedback of writing with one a feature, not a bug.
Leatherman Squirt ($40)
The little Leatherman Squirt was a gift years ago and it has proven to be so useful, practically every day. Sure Swiss Army knives are fine, but I find the addition of needle nose pliers to be game changing.
Suprus rechargeable lighter (varies)
This little arc lighter is very stealthy; it really looks like a USB memory stick. Although I am not a smoker, I find it comes in handy for candles, and makes a fun conversation starter. I am not certain that Suprus makes this specific USB rechargable lighter any more, but they make similar ones.
Checkbook
Although it may seem to be completely anachronistic, I never travel without my checkbook. I was able to secure a place in pottery class at the local community center because they did not take credit cards but they do take checks! My hand-tooled leather checkbook cover is also an object I find beautiful to look at and touch.
What's in your ...?
We want to hear about unusual and unusually useful items that you have in your desk, bag, closet, fridge or where ever you keep things. It can be anything really: work bag, pantry shelf, beauty drawer, toolbox, etc. Start by sending an email to claudia@cool-tools.org with a photo of the things in your chosen space (you can use your phone). If you get a reply from us, fill out the form. We’ll pay you $50 if we run your submission in our What’s in my ...? newsletter and blog.