Well it was a toss up between the Gadgets forum and here.. but here goes.

For a long time I've been somewhat inspired to purchase and develop a 'geek bag'. Full of all the geeky goodies one could ever need throughout their day.

Amazingly enough it's not the simplest of tasks to research, but that's where you guys come in.

Ideally I'm after a shoulder bag (I just don't really like backpacks - and besides I've already got one for the SLR + shit) to fit the following. Note I don't own much of this crap yet - this is all pie-in-the-sky, wouldn't-it-be-cool-if kinda stuff.

One day..

Anyway, it'll need to fit:

• Macbook (i'm getting one in the next 12 months or so - probably not a pro as I can't find a justification for the extra $$, and the Macbook is smaller)
• Lunch (Geeks need to eat too)
• Wallet (I hate wearing my wallet in my arse pocket when wearing a suit - not required Fri-Sunday)
• Keys
• DS
• Whatever Apple announce tomorrow (some form of iPod)
• Magazine/folded newspaper
• Camera (SLR w/lense would be ideal, but I know this is kinda optimistic)
• AA usb charger
• Cables to charge iPod, phone, camera, whatever from AA usb charger
• GPS (maybe - if I can ever justify buying one)
• AA Maglite
• Leatherman Wave
• PDA - If one is ever invented that I would want to use. (COME ON IPHONE DAMN IT)

And that's about all I can think of for now.

Now, the rules:

Bag must be of reasonable quality and somewhat weatherproof
Bag must not be made by the crackheads at Crumpler (have you guys even tried to navigate their website?)

I've seen some cool ones around with solar panels and shit but $400 is a little over my price range. Lets aim for $100 for the bag, eh?

So, on to you happy happy Mac folk. Recommend me a bag and whatever else needs to go in the ultimate geek bag

Backpack and a laptop sleeve. You won't fit an SLR in there (I've tried), but a pocket cam (which I do keep on me) will fit fine

When I get home I'll give more detail of what's in my geek bag with photos, heh

What about your mobile phone - perhaps that can dub as your camera and gps.

Compact retractable cable set is a must! I got mine from Hardly Normal and it's just a stock standard Belkin job. It's got retractable network and phone cables, a cross over adapter for the network cable. A retractable USB cable that fits all the most common connections and zips up in a neat little moulded pouch. I'll take a pick later.

It didn't include a retractable iPod cable, which I got seperately.

The bag itself is a Targus backpack, which has served me pretty well. It's compact but still has enough room for two sets of clothes etc if I have to go for Sydney for two or three days and it fits easily into the overhead lockers on most planes It also comfortable fits my work laptop (Dell D620) and my Blackbook which lives inside a Foofbag sleeve when I travel.

The bag also has a small top compartment that I keep my digital camera and phone in. There's enough room in there for the iPod as well if need be.

I don't carry a letherman in that bag because I do a hell of a lot of flying, I do have one in the shoulder bag that I use when I'm working in Brisbane though...yes, I'm that sad that I have a geek bag for home and a geek bag for travel

A good sunglasses case wouldn't go amiss, I also pack a spare set of earbud headphones just in case.

Edit: I'd still go with a separate camera...but for GPS, phones aren't a bad option. I cheat and use google maps on my phone. It's not GPS, but it does support directions...just like the iPhone, but not as cool looking

I've got a "lifestyle Freelancer" satchel/messenger type bag that I got from KMart or Target for maybe $30? It could easily hold all that apart from SLR with lens attached. Plenty of sleeves to organise junk (I have most used/least used/papers) along with a padded one to protect your laptop.

I never saw the advantage for $100+ bags.

Oh, the other thing to remember is that you're geek bag will accumulate a lot more random crap after a while. It's good to empty it out every now and then and repack

And in an ideal world it'd be a PDA, too, but even the iPhone isn't a functional PDA/organiser. It's the closest thign out there that I'd actually want to use though.

At the moment I carry two phones. A Motorla V3X and an archaic Nokia 6610i.

I check the Motorola about once a day (it otherwise stays in my bag). It's on the Three network and it's shit. I dunno if Three have managed to make it shit with their own bullshit firmware or if it started out shit, but it's pretty slow and painful to use.

The Nokia is a work phone. It's light, makes calls, has a speaker phone for in the car or when I'm being remarkably lazy. It has the added benefits of not being mine so I can treat it a little rougher and of course all calls are paid for. My friends now call me on this number.

I am a strong believer in the idea that there are no good phones. I loved the Motorola Startac. To date it's the only phone I've enjoyed using. It had an awesome belt clip (I've not seen one as good since), an awesome flip bit and no bullshit. I'd still use mine if it hadn't have died a slow painful death years ago..

I was looking for a bag to hold my MB going oversees and someone here said a few weeks ago that www.stmbags.com.au were running a competition for a free small cargo shoulder bag, which I entered, and won. Fantastic. The competition is still alive.

Apart from the D-SLR I fit what you have noted into my STM Convertible. http://www.stmbags.com.au/largeconvertible

The thing is, that it is a shoulder bag and can be a backpack if you need it to be. It cost me $160 and I love it.

Chris.

I think I need pics of your various geek bags and their contents!

at first i thought this was about a 'Man bag" (a la Seinfeld) that had wifi capabilities or something

i use a sinking barge from crumpler to carry:

Powerbook 15"
Nikon D50 + 2 extra lenses
cables and powerpacks
books
card readers
lunch

and still have space for a fair bit more - weights a ton, but since it's a backpack, it's easy enough to wear.

I tried with a shoulder bag (complete seed) with a bucket for the camera, but it was more awkward to carry and killed my shoulder.

btw this isn't a suggestion for you (since you seem to be judging crumpler's bag design skill purely on their website design!!) - more a "this is what i use after much research"!

I know you have said you're not keen on crumpler because of their website however they have exactly what you need.



http://www.crumpler.com.au/Cart/index.php?catId=5

I have the next size up and it is the best most versatile bag I've owned..


SNAP!

I've got a crumpler Horseman (and many many wonderful others...), and it holds pretty much everything you describe (cause that's what I schlep around on a daily basis. The big items I have:
* 14" iBook
* 30D w/ battery grip & 50/1.4
* couple of books
* ipod & headphones
* sharpies, lots of sharpies
* moleskine
* random cables, mice, isight & electrical junk
* pharmaceuticals of various sorts
* occasionally my DVcam.

It all fits, all at once. It's a truely brilliant bag. Alternatively, you can pull out some of the junk (keep the iBook) and fit enough clothes for a 4 day trip to a cold place. As a bonus, it works as carry on, at least for domestic flights.

If you don't like the Crumpler website, visit one of their stores. Or just use the website.

I'm looking at getting one of these....

Booq Vyper Exo

The School Hymn?

I dislike Crumpler because their website is bullshit, their brochures are 50% irrelevant drawings and I find their bags over priced.

I'm of the want-it-now generation. If it's too difficult to research crumpler bags (and it is - I've bought three Lowepros because Crumpler insist of having stupid squiggles and noises on their website) then they lose my sale.

I'm not ruling them out, but it'd have to be a pretty perfect bag for me to back down on my consumer principles and buy from them...