You Are What You Carry: The 6 Bags
It occurred to me the other day that I've been remarkably fortunate in acquiring possessions that last forever. An example of this would cover assorted bags. At a quick count, I've got 6 bags that I use pretty regularly, ranging in age from 10 years to 28 years.
1. My Bike Backpack - I went to a work conference in 2008, and the main piece of swag was a nice backpack with a Camelbak inset. I didn't use it very much for a few years absent a bit of hiking, but once I started biking to work in 2013 that pack became my standard commuting bag. As such, it's been soaked in sweat and rain, filled with let towels, and generally abused over 300 commutes.
2. My Suitcase - Late in 1998 my family did our first trip to New York City where I was an actual adult. I bought a green carry on suitcase for that occasion. Since then I've used it any time I needed to check luggage. Alone among the bags here, I actually had to get some repairs done on it a few years ago, and it's been beat up enough that in recent years I've seriously considered replacing it.
3. My Lettermen's Duffel - I played football in college during my freshman year. Through a combination of a mediocre team, thin depth on the defensive line and sheer stubbornness, I managed to letter. My alma mater at the time gave different standardized swag for those who lettered. For the first letter, it was a blue and white duffel bag. I got that bag late in 1996, and it has been my default gym bag ever since, including the last 3.5 years of CrossFit.
4. My Bookbag - When I went off to college in 1996 I bought a bag that was sort of like a soft-sided briefcase to haul my books around. As such, I used it constantly through graduation. After that it went unused for quite some time, until I realized that my baseball score book fits nicely inside it. Since then it's gone to almost every baseball game I've gone to.
5. My Pharmaceutical Bag - This was another purchase I made when I went to college. I basically need a bag to hold all my bathroom stuff - toothbrushes and the like. I used it daily throughout college and into my first apartment. Since then, it's been used every time I travel.
6. My Blue Duffel - When I had my bar mitzvah in 1990, I was given a large blue duffel bag by Mike & Kitty, who were two members of the synagogue. I used that duffel for 5 years of junior high and high school football, not to mention assorted other sports and occasionally even books. Since then it has seen regular use for travel, for hauling large loads, and routine other use. I remember distinctly that the packaging for the bag said it was guaranteed for life. Nearly 28 years later, so far, so good.
So by my quick math, my bag related purchases have lasted an average of 20 years apiece despite at least one extended period of heavy use each. That's pretty fantastic, especially given that I only actually purchased three of them.
1. My Bike Backpack - I went to a work conference in 2008, and the main piece of swag was a nice backpack with a Camelbak inset. I didn't use it very much for a few years absent a bit of hiking, but once I started biking to work in 2013 that pack became my standard commuting bag. As such, it's been soaked in sweat and rain, filled with let towels, and generally abused over 300 commutes.
2. My Suitcase - Late in 1998 my family did our first trip to New York City where I was an actual adult. I bought a green carry on suitcase for that occasion. Since then I've used it any time I needed to check luggage. Alone among the bags here, I actually had to get some repairs done on it a few years ago, and it's been beat up enough that in recent years I've seriously considered replacing it.
3. My Lettermen's Duffel - I played football in college during my freshman year. Through a combination of a mediocre team, thin depth on the defensive line and sheer stubbornness, I managed to letter. My alma mater at the time gave different standardized swag for those who lettered. For the first letter, it was a blue and white duffel bag. I got that bag late in 1996, and it has been my default gym bag ever since, including the last 3.5 years of CrossFit.
4. My Bookbag - When I went off to college in 1996 I bought a bag that was sort of like a soft-sided briefcase to haul my books around. As such, I used it constantly through graduation. After that it went unused for quite some time, until I realized that my baseball score book fits nicely inside it. Since then it's gone to almost every baseball game I've gone to.
5. My Pharmaceutical Bag - This was another purchase I made when I went to college. I basically need a bag to hold all my bathroom stuff - toothbrushes and the like. I used it daily throughout college and into my first apartment. Since then, it's been used every time I travel.
6. My Blue Duffel - When I had my bar mitzvah in 1990, I was given a large blue duffel bag by Mike & Kitty, who were two members of the synagogue. I used that duffel for 5 years of junior high and high school football, not to mention assorted other sports and occasionally even books. Since then it has seen regular use for travel, for hauling large loads, and routine other use. I remember distinctly that the packaging for the bag said it was guaranteed for life. Nearly 28 years later, so far, so good.
So by my quick math, my bag related purchases have lasted an average of 20 years apiece despite at least one extended period of heavy use each. That's pretty fantastic, especially given that I only actually purchased three of them.