Bloggers who live the laptop life, jetting about the globe from project to project, every once in awhile offer their fans a peek inside their bags.
It’s a way to brag about the latest geek toys and show how they get the maximum work power from the least luggage.
While walking Fido is hardly a high tech, high wire gig, having a “bag” that’s packed with the right tools can make you ready for anything.
Here’s what’s in my bag:
First, let me clarify that my “bag” isn’t a bag. It’s a Kangatek Go Bandolier Sling. It goes across my body, easily fitting under jackets. It leaves my hands free and has a wonderful selection of pockets to hold the things I carry. (I like this so much that the next time I go on a trip, I’m taking this instead of a purse.)
In those various pockets, I keep:
- Business cards. Dogs are social magnets. It’s amazing how often a chance encounter with another dog walker leads to a conversation that leads to a need to follow up later. Sharing a business card makes it so much easier.
- A little money. This has gotten a lot less important after I moved my Starbucks card to my iPhone. But every once in awhile having real bills and coins is helpful.
- Chapstick. Okay, okay! This is no Polar Vortex, but tomorrow in my neighborhood, we’re expected to have a humidity level of 6% dropping to 5% on Thursday. Without a lubricant, a smile is a pain.
- Proof of Fido’s vaccinations. This is something you hope you’ll never need to pull out. But if the time comes, it’s worth its weight in gold. If (God forbid) your dog bites someone, being able to show immediately on the spot that your dog has a current rabies vaccination takes a layer of anxiety out of the situation. It helps show that you are a responsible, conscientious dog owner.
- My identification and health plan card. This is another worst case scenario document. It’s in my bag in the event I have a medical crisis and no one is around who knows me — or I’m hit by a car or a bike or a mugger and need medical or police attention. I usually walk with friends, but not always.
- A pocket knife. It’s a utility tool with a screw driver head, scissors, a knife, a saw and more. It falls into the Girl Scout category of “Be prepared.”
- My phone. Now this is the true utility tool. It has photos of me and Fido, in case we get separated and I need to show people what he looks like. It has my Starbucks’ bucks for a cup of coffee. It’s a phone and a camera and a map and a reference book . . . the only think it doesn’t do is pick up poop.
- A notepad. Yes, well, you can’t do everything digitally. It’s amazingly helpful to be able to write down a phone number or an email or other information and rip off the sheet and hand it to someone you’re talking to. I also use it for it for capturing fleeting ideas, brainstorming or collecting to dos for the day ahead.
- A pen. An essential companion for the notepad.
- Sunglasses. The sling has a well bound hole in the top pocket that is great for holding on to my sunglasses. Just as sunscreen is protection for my skin, these are protection for my eyes. Sunglasses just make walking a lot more comfortable.
- A folding water bowl. Originally this came with its own envelope. It was a gift from a friend and I’ve never been able to find anything like it. On a dog walk, it’s often easier to find water than it is to find a container to hold the water. This is so easy to carry and so useful, especially on summer walks.
- A spare leash. This cheap leash is little more than a length of webbing with a ring on the end. If you thread the end through the ring, you have a simple leash. If you put the simple leash over the dog’s head,then run it behind a leg, under its body, behind the second leg and then over its body and through the ring again, you have a harness. This is a life-saver if a leash or harness breaks on a walk — or if you run into a loose dog and you want to hold on to it while you check for its owner.
A couple of other things come with us that didn’t make it on the list. I have a small flashlight on my keys, which I carry in a pocket rather than the sling. I always have a few extra poop bags in the sling for those days when I didn’t realize I was low on bags or when Fido is unusually productive.
I also have a safety whistle attached to a key ring on one of the zipper pulls. The original thought was to use it for getting the attention of my fellow walkers when they got too far away or to train my dog to respond to it.
So now it’s your turn: what’s in your bag?
