Everyday mini Carry
A 2022 list of a few of the everyday carry items I sling around town.
Pockets are nifty, but 2022 has resurrected a classic vintage piece: the fanny pack! The fanny pack (otherwise known as a waist bag, belt bag, belly bag, bum bag, or banana bag) are small, lightweight slings that traditionally attach around the waist or, more contemporarily, worn across the body, with compartments for storing and sorting whatever small wears you're carrying around. Smaller than a backpack or messenger bag, these compact bags have seen a surge in popularity over the past couple of years after going dormant through much of the early 2000s.
Second only to my love for Apple products (and my pup) is my love of bags to transport said Apple products around. And one of the bags I picked up in late 2021 was a sling from Bellroy that I've been using around town for several months. Here's a peek at my everyday mini carry.
The Bag: Bellroy Riverbark Sling
Bellroy Sling in a small batch Riverbank pattern.
The particular bag I'm using is the Bellroy 7L Sling in a small batch Riverbark pattern inspired by the trees and waterways near Melbourne, Australia. I can't get over how beautiful the fabric on this bag looks.
The bag features two zippered compartments: a slimmer front pocket and the main compartment accessed from the back to store larger items or items you want to keep more securely. The back of the sling is padded, making wearing the bag super comfortable, and there's a small lined zippered pocket inside the main compartment for storing smaller items like glasses, wallets, etc.
But perhaps my favourite design feature of the Bellroy sling is its expandability. The bag is fashioned with gussets, allowing it to double in size as needed, and the straps are engineered to compress the bag to the minimum size based on its contents while keeping it pressed and comfortable to the body.
I keep my sling against my back during the day but love that I can easily swing it to my side or torso when I'm on public transit, in a crowd, or need to access something without doffing the bag. This easy adjustability makes finding and accessing items far more convenient than any other bag I currently own.
The slings from Bellroy are available in various colours, with capacities ranging from 4L to 9L. Bellroy also offers a range of material choices, from lightweight materials to more premium leather offerings.
The Tech
The iPad mini with a customized Smart Cover, Apple Pencil, MagSafe Wallet, AirPods Pro, sunglasses, lip chap, keys & my iPhone 13 Pro Max all comfortably fit inside my sling bag.
iPad Mini 6
One of the reasons I went with the 7L sling above was the ability to carry my iPad mini 6. The mini has become my go-to on-the-go iPad. It's not only my default reader (for News+, iBooks, etc.), but its slightly larger canvas & ability to do split-screen makes it a great companion app for maps, editing photos, watching videos, and playing games. I splurged and went with a cellular mini (and yes, I know I can use a hotspot from my phone) because I appreciate the ability to connect to the internet from anywhere when I'm out and about independent of my phone.
The Smart Cover is another custom sticker bomb I did following the same process I did with a previous iPad Air a year ago.
iPhone 13 Pro Max
Before you say anything, yes, I own an iPad mini & a Pro Max iPhone. And yes, I realize their overlap in size and capabilities. And no, I probably don't have a sensible justification for owning both besides saying that I enjoy both & prefer to use them differently.
While my iPhone Pro Max fits inside my jean pockets, I find it more comfortable to have my phone tucked away inside the sling rather than pressing up against me anytime I sit. It's become far more accessible to swing the sling around and pull out the phone than to try to pull out a Pro Max from a tight jeans pocket.
AirPods Pro
On the go, having access to noise cancellation is paramount, and to date, I haven't found a more comfortable feeling pair of in-ear headphones than the AirPods Pro. While I prefer the fit of the original AirPods, the flexibility of having transparency mode and switching to noise-cancelling in a single pair of earbuds is superb.
The Not Tech
Keys (but with AirTag)
With a leather keyring costing more than the price of the AirTag and keys combined, I carry a minimal set of keys to open a few of the most common things around me. The AirTag is largely ornamental since I've never lost a set of keys in my decades on this earth, though it does helpfully shorten the amount of time I spent rummaging through various hoodies, pockets, and bags in search of my keys at least twice per month.
MagSafe Wallet
Continuing to keep things minimal, I hold only a few cards (two credit cards and my ID) inside one of Apple's MagSafe leather wallets. I keep any other cards, like my ID for work and other documentation, in a separate wallet that I switch between when I'm going into the office. This particular wallet is the underrated, short-lived MagSafe wallet in the Arizona colour.
Lip Chap
Because it's dry in the snowy desert where I live.
Sunglasses
For the first time in decades, I finally purchased a pair of prescription sunglasses. And what a godsend! Before, I would either be blinded by the light or just blind; there was no in-between. Now I can see everything and look pretty sauvé too.
In Sum
Small slings are a great option when running small errands, and you want to carry a little more than a typical pair of jeans would comfortably. I love having the choice of bringing some of my favourite tech and other essentials along in a light, comfortable, and secure way.
