funny this topic came up as i had recnetly had that same discussion with a friend who carries everything he owns in his wallet.. a big cellphone with a case and keys to gods know what with him…just seeing him makes me unfomfortable… over the years i have tried to carry less and less and ive got to tell u..once u get used to it..nothing like it… at first it seems difficult to cut down with all the stuff but eventually u realize u dont need eveythng everday… i am reduced to smallest cellphone, my car key doesnt have a keychain… and my wallet is now a card holder… holds 3 cards license and some cash…perfect… when u dont have space in your wallet ur forced to leave stuff like reciepts, calling cards at home

I think the article is right on about our transformation into autonomous agents. As the writer points out, this is not exactly something we chose — it’s a side effect of changes in our society.

I carry a large backpack containing a laptop, a book, a notepad, rain gear, food (breakfast and lunch), coffee, water, a small bicycle repair kit, and plastic bags. I ride a bike and take the train to work. All of these items are, effectively, necessities. I have pretty much eliminated anything I don’t really want to have during my long commute.

Some technology might eliminate these needs. When nanotech fabrics make work clothes waterproof, the rain gear can go. If I had a tablet computer that contained my study materials, I could eliminate the notepad and the book. If all of my devices were waterproof, I could get rid of all the plastic bags.

Actually, the tablet computer would be great for students, too — basically eliminating the need for a backpack, or at least a large one.

Forbidden You don’t have permission to access /index.php/Things_to_carry on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. Apache/1.3.34 Server at wiki.43folders.com Port 80

I get the “403 Forbidden” error trying to load those wiki.43folders.com articles.

Same here, 403 Forbidden…

Same here…

Same Here, I get the 403 Forbidden page when I click on any of the links

Yep. Them are what we in the industry call “site problems.”

I use a Tablet PC for work and school, and let me tell you, it is simply awesome. I have access to my schedule, email, task list, PDF documents, and handwritten notes in one small package. I can haul around the materials (notes, handouts, and for the really brave, scanned copies of textbooks) for five classes and 10 work projects (meeting notes, guideline documents, spreadsheets) and it never gains an ounce. Everything is searchable (even handwritten notes that haven’t been converted to text) in a matter of seconds. Let’s see your trusty Mead do all of that!

Ok, should be better now.

Apparently I just Slashdotted myself. And we all know how painful that can be.

IN my pockets, I carry a Jimi Wallet (http://www.thejimi.com/store.html) and a Treo 650 and nothing else. The iPod stays in the car, unless it is really hot or cold.

I got to a point where I was looking like a cross between a Jedi and Red Skelton and it was ridiculous.

I recently reduced (drastically) the amount of stuff I carry everywhere. I used to have a bag/briefcase in which I carried my Powerbook and a bunch of random crap, but I pared it all down to this: Pockets iPod nano, cell phone, keys, wallet, pen, folded index card 7-Pocket Expanding File Folder More index cards, business cards, receipts, miscellaneous paper goods (like the notes from an extension class I’m taking), a book (if my current reading material fits in the folder; otherwise I carry it separately) Car cassette-deck adapter for iPod I think I need to get a knife or multi-tool, though. BTW, Merlin, I took your advice about using the nano and index cards for a PIM instead of lugging around a PDA… I haven’t even turned on my Tungsten in months.

Things tied to your belt

Good fashion sense says this should be zero. I buy the smallest soapbar style phone available (currently a S/E T637) that slips practically undetected in my front pocket (flat front pants, of course) and leave the rest behind.

The phone syncs with my Mac’s Address Book and iCal, checks my email and serves as a bluetooth modem for my PB.

One of the things that I did to reduce the number of things I carry was to separate the things that I needed based on the activity. I then organized them into drawers.

I have my “essential” drawer; things that I shouldn’t leave home without: glasses, moleskine and pen, house keys, etc.

I have my “work” drawer: things that I should bring with me to work, ID Badge, work keys, company cell, etc.

Finally, my “optional” drawer, things that I might need to carry depending on the activity: keys to the bicycle lock, USB Keydrive, other membership ID’s, etc.

A beneficial side effect is that everything gets put away (no more running around the house looking for my keys) and I don’t forget to bring anything with me when I leave the house (no more having to go back home to get the forgotten badge).

[…] Washington Post: Why do we carry so much around? | 43 Folders […]

As a rule, my basic set of things to carry, that I need are the following:

• My wallet, with a folded piece of paper I refresh every day that I write notes and such on.

• A pen

• My kershaw spring-assist knife

• My handgun, usually concealed, but I do holster it sometimes at my side.

• Car keys

It’s not too much to carry, yet it’s everything that I should need.

It occurs to me that a lot of the things people carry merely exist to prove that you are who you say you are. As such, they (ID, credit cards, keys, badge) are redundant. In fact, we shouldn’t even need to carry even one proof of ID because our DNA says who we are!

Of course, we might not want people scanning our DNA all the time. So add non-invasive DNA scans (in GATTACA they were just a little bit invasive) to the list of stuff-eliminating technologies, then scratch it off again.

Nonetheless, it would be nice if the gatekeepers could get the information they need (“entry authorized” or “transaction approved”) without the help of an object that we need to carry.

I don’t want people to know who I am, and I don’t want to know who anyone else is.

Bert, I do the same thing. I have all of my essential stuff in my ScotteVest that I never leave home without, and then the rest of my stuff is divided into modules that I usually take or don’t take as a unit by tossing into the main pocket of my messenger bag (which I otherwise leave at home).

I love carrying tons of stuff with me ^_^. I don’t mind the weight - if anything, it’s strength training - and I feel prepared for any situation. I do try and be efficient with what I carry, though: I own only one copy of any given possession type, and I carefully choose what goes in the pocket coat (as my friends call it) and what new things I buy. Getting rid of stuff is a hobby of mine ^_^.

It does a lot to reduce the complexity in my life.

(Oh, and of course, on the computer, piles of messy stuff is perfectly fine, because you can always search for what you need and don’t have to worry about storage space.)

Guilty as charged. I am a fucking portable Radio Shack, art studio, gym bag, books… My i500 Palm phone, mini Moleskin + index cards and Shuffle ought to help, but this Sherpa routine is a painful fact of my life as an East Coast digital hobo. Everything that can be minimized is (my bike helmet gets locked to my bike, the bike light is the lightest one I could find…). Extra batteries, wires, adapters, books… I am hoping for a Mr. Miracle like uniform by next century. Hopeless in Manhattan

[…] Merlin Mann’s take on the crap we carry inspired by the Washington Post’s Burdens of the Modern Beast. […]

[…] There’s a post over at 43 Folders about how we’re all carrying way too much stuff around with us at any one time, along with links to handy hints on what you should and shouldn’t carry. […]

Portable Pack Rat-ism…

[That’s “pack rat”, not “brat pack” or “rat pack”.] Merlin of the great 43 Things lifehacking site blogged about the recent Washington Post article on carrying too much crap: how everyday people in this modern world feel compelled to tote……

[…] Washington Post: Why do we carry so much around? | 43 Folders (tags: lifehacks) Technorati Tags: Tags […]

As an experiment, I started leaving my wallet at home and just taking my license, debit card, and money. After a month, I made the change permanent. The only addition to the pocket is a laminated copy of my health insurance card. Everything else stays in the wallet: SS, liberry, credit cards; student ID; pistol permit; EIT license. It forces me to consider where I’m going and what I’m going to do, and it’s one less place to accumulate crap (receipts, business cards, whatever).

Regarding those motherhumping $UPER DI$COUNT $AVING$ CARD$!!!!1!one!!, I put them on their own keyring and threw it in the glovebox. The freaking things make a pile about half an inch thick (!). When Wifey saw mine, she was all over it. So I had to make a second one.

My next project is thinning out my bags. A typical day will see my carrying a shoulder bag, gym bag, lunchbox and thermos from my car into work. I want to get to the point where I’m comfortable just bringing in one bag and maybe the thermos.

[…] Ever wonder why people carry so much stuff in their bags? Well, check out THIS post, from 43 Folders on an article in the Washington Post. […]

Good Morning America did a fun segment with some chic from Lucky Magazine— “what’s in your purse” and the contents tells you who you are. — John

http://organizingla.blogs.com/organizingla_blog/2006/01/what_an_organiz.html