What’s in my Bag
Here’s a look into my everyday carry backpack. These are the essentials that I have with me whenever I leave the house.
Aer City Pack Pro. The best backpack I’ve used thus far. Each compartment is well-thought-out and I’m pleased with how it’s held up over the past year.
2015 13” MacBook Pro. This has been my daily driver for many years. It’s a bit on the older side but it has served me well throughout college and graduate school.
Saddleback leather notebook cover with Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Notebook inside. This is my daily journal in which I write down thoughts and events. The leather cover is a nice addition to protect the notebook from getting damaged.
Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Notebook. I use this notebook to work through my ideas and to script my articles for this website.
Anker 24W Charging Block. It’s nice to have 2 USB ports to charge multiple devices quickly with one charging block.
Anker Portable Charger, Power Bank. A game-changer and life-saver. I never have to worry about my phone dying because I try to keep the power bank fully charged at all times. It can store multiple charges for my phone and iPad.
iPad Air (3rd Generation) with Apple Pencil (1st Generation). I used this combination throughout PT school and continue to use it to take notes for my orthopedic fellowship classes. It makes it easy to have hundreds of notes accessible to me wherever I go.
24 oz Hydro Flask Water Bottle. A nice slim profile that fits perfectly in my backpack.
WAOAW Sleep Mask. I’ve tested numerous sleep masks and this is the best one that I’ve found. It’s comfortable and light, yet manages to completely block out external light.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau and The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. I always carry around a couple of books for when I get downtime or take public transit.
Sharpie Pocket Style Highlighter. Good for highlighting in books due to its smaller tip and also doesn’t bleed through the pages like other highlighters.
Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm Black Pens. I typically use these pens to write in my notebooks because they have fine tips that allow small handwriting to be legible. They also write smoothly and you don’t need to press hard for the ink to flow onto the page.
Lamy Swift Rollerball Pen. A robust pen that I usually keep in my pocket to write down thoughts or ideas quickly.
Amazon Basics Pocket Notebook. I keep this with me at all times to capture thoughts and ideas. I’ve found that I get distracted when I use the notes app on my phone and I have been liking this analog alternative.
Cole Haan Bifold Wallet. I can’t find the link for this, but it’s a slim, minimalist wallet to hold a bit of cash and a few cards.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation. I usually don’t leave the house without these. Even if I don’t intend to listen to music or podcasts, I like to have this in my ears to block out the sounds of the city. As far as the sound quality, they match up well with even the high-end over-the-ear headphones.
Ice Breakers Coolmint. The antidote to bad breath.
Apple Watch 44mm 2nd Generation. I’ve had this for many years now and it’s still going strong. I typically have the notifications silenced, but it is nice to track workouts, heart rate, and overall activity levels. It’s also a plus to have the weather on the home screen to see the temperature outside at a glance.
THERABAND Resistance Bands. Traveling is no excuse for skipping a workout. With just a few resistance bands and body weight, I can get in a good workout just about anywhere.
Adhesive Bandages. These have come in handy more times than I’d like to admit, but when you get a cut…or fall off your bike, they are good to have at the ready.
Vaseline Lip Therapy. The antidote to dry cracked lips.
128GB iPhone 14. A much-needed recent upgrade. I’ve been a fan of Apple since I was a kid so I needed to keep it consistent with the phone.
