If I've ever thought I might need something, I own it. And it's probably in my bag right now.
I come with a lot of baggage. Literally.
If I have ever thought I might need an item, I now own said item, and I carry it with me. Day to day. When I travel. Loaded in my car. Just in case.
People tease me about it (yes, I know my bag is big and heavy). Then they need a Tide pen, a phone charger, or a koozie (yes, a koozie), and suddenly I'm the most useful person in the room.
I counted for this post. There are 34 things in my everyday bag. Here's every one of them, why it made the cut, and what it says about me. Everything lives on The Kit if you want to shop the list.
First, a philosophy
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. I believe that about strategy, and I believe it about handbags.
But here's what I've figured out after years of carrying too much: being prepared isn't about anxiety. It's about calm. When you know you have what you need, you stop scanning the room for problems. You just handle them.
Calm is contagious. So is the person who has a tissue.
The system: one big bag, one little bag, a lot of pouches
The big bag is the Mansur Gavriel Helios Travel Bag. I bought it this year, and I'm obsessed. It holds everything and still looks polished. It zips. The straps fit over my shoulder. The color goes with everything.
The little bag lives inside the big bag. My Clare V Petite Moyen is my satellite purse. When I run errands or go to lunch, I pull it out and leave the tote behind. It's a shoulder bag or a crossbody, and it holds more than it looks like it should.
Inside that is my Clare V wristlet wallet, which is the most hardworking thing I own. It holds cards, cash, my car key, lip balm, an AirTag, a spare camera SD card, Listerine strips, and a tiny flashlight. I am not kidding. Clare V doesn't make it anymore, which makes me sad for you.
And hooked to the little bag is a Klipsta bag hook, so my purse hangs from the table at lunch instead of the back of my chair or, worse, the floor.
Everything else lives in pouches. A bag without pouches is just a hole you throw things into.
Tech: charged, connected, never without a spare
I carry three sets of headphones. I know.
AirPods Pro for when I want to block out the world.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for when I need to hear what's going on around me.
Wired headphones for when the other two are dead. I had to have the cute thread-wrapped version.
Then there's the reading situation. A purse-sized Kindle in a case covered in swans and roses, because I like always having a book with me. (Its regular-sized sibling stays by my bed.) And the newest addition: a reMarkable Paper Pro Move, which is replacing the notebook I used to haul around. I'm still figuring out where it fits in my day. Full report coming.
My phone rides in a Bandolier case with a Caep wrist strap, and a Moft tripod wallet on the back holds my office keycard. It's trackable if I lose it, and it turns into a tripod. An Anker power bank with a built-in cable and kickstand makes sure none of it ever dies.
Pouches: you can never have too many
A Cuyana Nano Pouch in Chili, because I carry way too many lip products.
A Hill House quilted pouch (monogrammed, naturally) for cords: laptop, Apple Watch, USB-C. I never want to be without a way to charge everything.
A PrintFresh quilted cosmetic bag in a special-edition Emily Henry print. One of my favorite authors, on a bag I use every day. It holds everything from makeup and skin care to Tide pens. Honestly, it could be its own post.
Just in case (the things people are most surprised to see me pull out of my bag)
This is where the philosophy gets real.
A featherlight cashmere scarf for the freezing air conditioning that happens every July. A Chord hat for hair emergencies. Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in Red Dahlia, which Amazon says I've bought three times. Blotting sponge, tissues, WaterWipes, and Aesop hand wash that smells delightful. A pocket Leuchtturm notebook and a pen engraved with my name. Several pairs of glasses, because I need them for distance and swap them out almost daily.
A spare pair of socks. Doesn't everyone keep spare socks in their bag for cold feet?
And three koozies in three sizes: regular (usually from whatever concert I went to last), slim (from work), and small (for Red Bull). You never know when you'll need a koozie. But when you do, you really do.
Snacks + sips
A BrüMate bottle that I match to my outfit, in whichever size suits the day: 20 oz for errands, 30 oz for the office. Stars & Honey protein bars, which I swear make my hair and nails grow faster. And fun-size Skittles. Love them. No notes.
What my bag says about me
Every item in here is a small decision I already made, so I don't have to make it in the moment. That's what preparation really buys you: fewer decisions, and more calm.
The through line: Being prepared isn't about expecting the worst. It's about not having to think about it.
Tote over clutch. Always.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend what I actually carry.
