Commuting on a bike is awesome, but you do get stuck stuffing everything you need for an entire day into a single bag. Linguist Laura Welcher shares how she does it with Cool Tools.
Welcher's bag is a Detour Ballard Market Pannier, a pannier that easily turns into a backpack. Here's everything that's inside:
Beauty kit
Bare Minerals Mini SPF 20 Concealer and Baby Buki mini kabuki brush.
Bare Minerals Lip Liner, Eye Liner, Liner Brush
Clinique Mascara, Mirror Compact
Aveda Lip Glaze
Bobby pins in assorted colors
Hair elastic (doubles as a way to keep the Mini Altoids tin securely closed)
Plastic spray bottle (empty — fill with water as needed for quick hair fixes)
Health kit
Mini Altoids Tin
Band-aid bandage
Asthma inhaler (did I mention if there is a cat in the room, it will find me?)
Spare contact lenses
Toothbrush, travel tube of toothpaste, and a little bundle of dental floss
Bike tools
Novara "Never a Bad Time to Ride" reflective velcro pant leg strap
Spare AAA batteries for rear bike light
Other tools: Buck Metro Knife, Mini Multi-tool
Everything Else
Drinkables: Teabags in individual wrappers (plastic wrappers are the most durable), packets of Starbucks Via instant coffee
BD Safe-Clip needle-nipper
Prescription and doctor contact info, 1-800 number for advice.
Wash cloth
Deodorant, travel size
AC charger, earphone mic, charged extra LI-ON battery
LaFont Topaze prescription lenses and Jellies readers
Key chain with too many keys
Overstuffed wallet
Free folding map of San Francisco bike routes from the SFMTA.
Cards: Clipper, BikeLink, ZipCar, Commuter Check, SF Bicycle Coalition Membership.
It's a ton of stuff with very specific uses, so head over to Cool Tools for the full explanation of why she brings what she does on a daily basis.
If you have a great go bag with a useful organization scheme and great features, let us know! You can share your bag by posting it to your personal Kinja blog using the tag featured bag or adding it to our Lifehacker Go Bag Show and Tell Flickr pool. Photos must be at least at least 640x360. Please include information about your bag, what you put in it, and any relevant details about how you made it awesome. If yours catches our eye, we might just feature it!
What's in my bag? - Laura Welcher | Cool Tools