2006
my attic has its charms
maura @ 10:13 pm
Yes, indeed, I did get sick, and remain sick at this writing. Bah. I am a miserable sick person, the kind who wallows not only in tissues but also self pity. However, I did take a sick day earlier in the week, and was in bed by 9pm two nights in a row, so I’m getting better at being sick these days. Still, it sucks, and I am ready for the sinus pain, sore throat (today verging on laryngitis!), headache and coughing to be over.
A while back my friend Daniel commented on my post about getting a new bag for Xmas, and asked if I had any other bags to recommend. Longtime (har!) readers may remember that yes, as Daniel mentions, I’m quite a suckah for bags, so I thought it might be nice to ramble on a bit about bags in the big main space here rather than in commentsland. Okay? Okay!
Hands down my favorite bag manufacturers are Timbuk2 and Frietag (I’m too lazy to link to these, you can google ’em your damn selves).
My nearly decade-old Timbuk2 messenger bag (it used to be called the “dee dog”, but now I think it’s just size medium) is my workday workhorse. The cross-section is a triangle, so it’s good for the things I need to take to work: folders, notebook, reading book, lunch (and possibly umbrella, hat, mittens, etc.). My lunch is often kinda bulky, so I need a bag that’s not too slim. There’re no dividers in the bag so you can just jam everything in there whichever way it fits best. There are a few little pockets for pens + small stuff, but not so many that things get lost. It secures with velcro and compression clasps, for extra subway security. It’s waterproof. And it comes in an enormous variety of colors, which you can customize to your liking. Mine pre-dates this swank personalization feature — nevertheless it is purple and orange which I still find lovely.
For non-work, just-running-around-town times, I’m currently in love with two bags: my oldie-but-goodie Frietag and my new-for-xmas Brooklyn Industries.
I’ve had my Frietag bag for nearly 8 yrs, and it is really really excellent. Made mostly of recycled materials (used truck tarps and seatbelts), it’s thus completely unique (as are all of the bags they make). And the tarp pieces have funny bits of words on them — mine says “die” (n.b. these bags are Swiss so it really doesn’t mean die). Mine’s the nightlub: it’s a DJ bag so it’s sized to fit forty 12″ records. The tarps are rubbery and thus it’s completely weatherproof. Secures with two massive strips of velcro. Frietag bags are in MOMA. Could it be more cool? In fact it could not.
However, there are two downsides to my Frietag bag: 1. the rubbery tarps get hot to have slung on yer body in the summer and 2. the innertubes which edge the tarps shed a bit of black schmutz onto my bright orange jacket (as well as onto my bare sunscreened arms in the summer).
Hence, my newest bag, the Brooklyn Industries medium messenger bag, in bright kiwi green. Just about the same size as my Frietag bag, but made of cordura. Velcro and compression clamp closures, lots of nicely sized and placed pockets, and made in Brooklyn (yo). Should be cool and fruity for the summer. I’ll keep you posted.
Time to watch the Lost I missed from sleeping in on Wednesday, and kill the laryngitis with brown liquor. Later gators!
P.S. Sometimes I have to bring my laptop to work, and on those days I just use my plain old JanSport backpack, because the padding is nice to my shoulders and back. Even though I’m really more of a shoulder bag gal, the backpack distributes the laptop weight much better. The bag is purple, so that’s good, at least.
4 comments on “my attic has its charms”
I remember when Maura introduced me to the timbuk2, way back in, oh ’96 or ’97. At least, I think we probably walked home together from work and would stop in the Bag House on Broadway where I got my own timbuk2 in blue and yellow. I especially loved the instantaneously adjustable strap, but sadly the bag was (still is) big and I would fill it with too much stuff. Now I have a smaller, more manageable manhattan portage in red with many pockets, though I removed the tag so its a nameless bag.
Hey Daniel, those vy and elle bags are also very cool! Yeah, the freitag bags are expensive, but they will seriously last forever. I think mine was $80 back in the day. Come visit! They sell them at a few stores here, maybe they are cheaper?
I’ve just discovered treehugger.com and spent a whole evening reading around there. So fun! I really want to go to this crazy clothing swap, but don’t know anyone who will go with me, sniff.
Lisa, I remember that, too! One of the few things I miss about living in Manhattan was walking to work. Yeah, my timbuk2 bag is the same size as yours, and it can get heavy when full. But the smaller bags I have are too small. It’s the lunch, really, that messes me up. Also the occasional large library book.
I took the tag off my jansport backpack, too, because it seemed less dorky that way, if only slightly. Jonathan has a manhattan portage briefcasey bag that converts into a backpack, but he never ever ever uses it anymore. It is a fetching shade of orange, though.
If you poke around the freitag site, they apparently have it set up so you can shop their store in Davos by webcam. First time I’ve seen that. Pretty cool!
omigod, I want one of those frietags! But US$200+ with shipping? Ouch. Do you know how much they are at MOMA?
Not as cool, but cheaper: http://www.vyandelle.com/
Unfortunately, they don’t have frietag’s wysiwyg shopping thingy, which seems like a must when each bag is so different.
and more links here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/01/ruw_design_recy_1.php
I am now officially mainlining “green” PVC/vinyl bag lust. Thanks. Thanks a lot. :)