Originally in my personal journal, September 2003:
My wife and I have been married for 5 years and this bag has been with us the entire time. We’ve carried it to coffeeshops, hiking, to the grocery store, to Africa, Asia, and Central America, to friend’s houses, biking - everywhere. And still, after 5 years, when we speak to each other about finding something in the bag, our language is inelegant, inexact, and fumbling.
Me, wearing the bag: “Will you get my sunglasses out, please? They’re in the small pocket.”
Tara, behind me looking at the bag: “Which small pocket?”
Me: “The tiny one with the zipper, not the flap pocket or the one inside”.
Tara: “The one on top or the one on the side?”
etc...
What we could be saying to each other is:
“My sunglasses are in the blue pocket.”
“Got em.”
Or red pocket, or yellow pocket, etc...
As a lover and user of bags, I’ve got a whole list of design ideas for backpacks and other bags. This is priority numero uno. Make the zippers and pulls on different colors for conversational joy. One step closer to world peace.
This is a Black Diamond Switchback L20 backpack. It has 7 distinct pockets. I’ve had it for over 7 years. As you can see, it’s well used and loved. It’s the best bag I’ve ever had, and I love me some bags.
My wife and I have been married for 5 years and this bag has been with us the entire time. We’ve carried it to coffeeshops, hiking, to the grocery store, to Africa, Asia, and Central America, to friend’s houses, biking - everywhere. And still, after 5 years, when we speak to each other about finding something in the bag, our language is inelegant, inexact, and fumbling.
Me, wearing the bag: “Will you get my sunglasses out, please? They’re in the small pocket.”
Tara, behind me looking at the bag: “Which small pocket?”
Me: “The tiny one with the zipper, not the flap pocket or the one inside”.
Tara: “The one on top or the one on the side?”
etc...
What we could be saying to each other is:
“My sunglasses are in the blue pocket.”
“Got em.”
Or red pocket, or yellow pocket, etc...
Writing this, I’m struck that I haven’t modified this bag to add the color-coding myself. (Note to self - do that this week.) Instead, we’ve suffered through 5 years of repeatedly describing the bag’s construction to each other. And we understand each other well. When it’s somebody unfamiliar with this bag, the process is exponentially conversationally messier.
As a lover and user of bags, I’ve got a whole list of design ideas for backpacks and other bags. This is priority numero uno. Make the zippers and pulls on different colors for conversational joy. One step closer to world peace.
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