Needing to carry a bag less and less...

[Pheasantlysurprised]

Anyone else?
Ive only just thought about it, but since many garments and jackets have deeper pockets now (thank the stars!) I am finding that I don't need the bag space I once did.
I used to live in the wilds of Cumbria so always had a backpack stuck to me, it contained a variety of gloves, neckwarmers, weather related bits and bobs, but now im elsewhere there hasn't been as much need.

So I have been on the lookout for a new, decent bag but simply can't be bothered paying a premium for something that isn't all that urgent to me.

Maybe a shopper is handy sometimes but it feels so curiously liberating to just toss stuff into my pockets and leave the house in a waft of lightness previously unknown to me! It feels almost rebellious, new, exquisite!

With smaller devices and more pockets, does anyone else think it might be less important to always have the right 'bag' nowadays? If you wear makeup even a small minimal pouch under the coat could take care of that. Or a nice inside pocket!

Thoughts?

Also, all this talk of coats - surely you don't wear coats in summer?? I'm in NZ and we wear as little as possible right through summer.

Ha have you been to England..?

I often don't take a bag if just my phone and keys (school run /etc).

I have a work bag but not anything special at all. A canvas bag I can fit my folder in!

Now we are office 365 I can access my work anywhere.

In summer I take a bumbag on walks. In cooler weather I wear my denim jacket as it has loads of pockets and two deep inside pockets.

My winter jacket has zipped pockets.

I take a handbag if wearing a dream and I want to look smart.

Dress not dream

I am finding that as I get older, I am carting more stuff around with me. To be fair, this does include reading glasses, collapsible walking stick, hand gel, folding shopping bag along with the usual stuff.

It's not a feminist win to not carry a handbag

Ah, that's a relief then, because ive never considered 'imitating the men' and denouncing the things women typically like to actually be feminism.

I carry a bag less and less, but still need one if going out for the day (or into work) for hairbrush, feminine hygiene products, plasters, pack of tissues, that kind of thing. What do people do for those?

Also, I find that keys scratch or even tear my coat pockets, do people keep them in a key holder or fob?

I'm still a part of the bag brigade, but I have downsized my bag considerably. Weekends I take my toddler out so we need extra everything, and weekdays I travel to work on the tube so I need things like a water bottle, brolly, snacks (otherwise buying it all in small quantities becomes v expensive) and a hand gel. Couldn't fit it all in a pocket, at least not yet

@missmoon

I carry a bag less and less, but still need one if going out for the day (or into work) for hairbrush, feminine hygiene products, plasters, pack of tissues, that kind of thing. What do people do for those?

Also, I find that keys scratch or even tear my coat pockets, do people keep them in a key holder or fob?

Out of those I only need tissues.

I've not given up on handbags. Mine have just got smaller now that I don't need sanitary protection or a home for random bits of Lego/treasures/action man.
DH often asks for me to carry stuff when we're out together. I get my revenge when he's wearing his sporran and ask him to carry stuff for me (we're usually dressed up for a wedding and I have a virtually useless clutch bag).

Thinking about it, I agree that going completely bagless is a leap, but my point is I am amazed how infrequently I need one since more pockets turned up in my clothing

There are times when it is just impossible to use pockets only. But I can't imagine wanting to spend a fortune on a bag now, with this in mind I suppose. A special bag used to be a big deal to me, and it was pretty liberating to go without one this year. We shall see how it pans out!

I've been back physically in work since June 2020 so have needed a bag still, but if you aren't leaving the house for a whole day, then yep, you'll need less.

Thinking about what was in my work bag this morning- phone, card holder (stopped bothering with big purse), san pro, masks, keys, work pass, brolly, reading glasses, sun glasses, little pouch with painkillers and plasters, tissues, travel hand sanitiser, pen (asked to always keep them separate as start of lockdown and now hate sharing), phone charging cable, headphones, lip barm, banana and oat bar.

Not a lot today, and all fitted in a relatively small cross body bag, but wouldn't all fit in coat pockets. If I'm doing a full day /later shift over lunch, I'd take a packed lunch as well. because its easier to make good food choices the night before than when I'm hungry in the canteen and they've got chips and cake and maybe some make up, so on those days need to carry a tote bag.

I guess as more people return to regularly being in the office, they'll need to carry more - particularly for those companies that are going for hot desking so you can't just leave things in your work drawers.

I do find it interesting how many peoples lives have remained so dramatically different from pre March 2020.

I find that having stuff in pockets, even if kept to a minimum, ruins the look of my clothes. Give me a discreet, smart bag any day.

It's situation dependant.

If it's a day where I'm writing/at uni then I need a bag with laptop, charger, enormous water bottle, notepad, pencil case, probably about three text books, an iPad...the list continues.

School run it's just phone and keys.

A day trip out I tend to pack a charger lead for phone, minimal make up just in case an eyebrow comes off (don't ask, I went through the 90's and didn't emerge unscathed). Also tend to carry a pack of cards for when we're on trains/sat in a pub or something.

I've kind of made a conscious effort to strip things back while not leaving me short if I get caught out. Making sure I've got chargers in the cars. Setting up multiple payment methods on my phone and watch, including all loyalty cards and travel cards. I've also got a couple of those tiny stash canisters on my keyring, one has a tenner in it and the other has 24 hours worth of my Neuro meds in case I end up having to stay somewhere overnight unexpectedly or something. Having all that in place stops me overpacking and panicking.

Am I the only person here who doesn't feel the need to take a bottle of water with me every time I leave the house?

Not quite RampantIvy but we're a small minority. I do tend to have one in the car, but that's for the dog.

@RampantIvy

Am I the only person here who doesn't feel the need to take a bottle of water with me every time I leave the house?

I don't know whether you're coming at this from a genuine question stance or if you're being snooty...but I am monumentally shit at drinking enough water. I don't drink tea etc either so if I don't take a bottle of water with me pretty much everywhere, I faff it and end up like a dehydrated prune.

It also stops the endless purchase of plastic water bottles when I'm out and about 🤷🏼‍♀️

No, I wasn't being snooty at all. It was just an observation. I don't understand why anyone would take this the wrong way.

If I go shopping I am out of the house for less than two hours. If I go to work we have tea/coffee making facilities.

I took a bottle of water with me when DH and I went on a long walk and we took a packed lunch with us, but generally I am a tea drinker.

I certainly need a bag. I usually have my work phone, my personal phone, car/house/office keys, purse, notebook and make up bag with me nearly everywhere I go, plus other odd bits . If you stuff things in your pockets they soon get out of shape. DH has taken to using a man bag for this very reason.

I never take a drink either! Unless it's a coffee or tea in a flask and then I carry it. I'd never risk an opened water bottle in one of my leather handbags with my phone and Kindle inside.

you know, I think both using a bag and not using a bag is pretty much not a value judgement or a reason to feel superior or challenged.

I had no idea when I began this thread that anything like that would evolve, it just felt liberating to me (just me personally) to do something different to how ive always done it. It is quite a lighthearted thing really.

I would also imagine someone might carry water around if they need to take regular medication or whatnot and can't see why something like that is even under question.

If just wearing jeans or trousers I would probably want to use a bag because as a pp says it would screw up the shape of the clothes. I tend to go bag free when I have large pockets (Barbour, large rain mac, etc).

I don't feel the need to take water with me everywhere I go @RampantIvy .

If I go to the shops, walk the dog, go to the hairdressers etc... no need for water.
Out walking for the day, then a backpack and a sandwich is fine or a cafe/pub somewhere.

I'm loving the freedom of not having a handbag. It took a while to get used to but if I go out , I just need a phone and a card.

I have a fold up shopping bag in one pocket, phone in an inside pocket, dog poo bags and treats in another.

Harder in the summer but I will then use a tiny cross shoulder bag that only just fits the above.

@RampantIvy

Haha I'm glad! Oddly some people get really irate about it and seem to think people who carry water are some kind of brainwashed idiot, I've had some very strange conversations to that effect over the years!

I am often out of the house or driving around all day, so I carry water as a convenience thing. I use the bottle at home just as a good habit, otherwise I go to bed and realise I've had a thimble of water all day and have a cracking headache 😂

No worries @daisyjgrey. I only fancy water if I am hot and thirsty. When I am cold I want a hot drink.