{"id":22624,"date":"2014-10-14T02:01:27","date_gmt":"2014-10-14T09:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=22624"},"modified":"2017-01-24T16:58:22","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T23:58:22","slug":"whats-in-my-bag-eric-mcclellan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/whats-in-my-bag-eric-mcclellan\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s in my bag? \u2013 Eric McClellan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eric McClellan spends his days working with talented people creating advertising for Ford as Executive Creative Director of Content and Brand Entertainment at Team Detroit. In his spare time he\u2019s obsessively doodling in pursuit of the perfect Superman symbol, making to\u00addo lists, and communicating with his 14 year old via Instagram and Snapchat. His blog, \u201cRough Ratio\u201d, chronicling his life with his daughter and dog can be found at ericmcclellan.tumblr.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re like me \u2013 and as a New Century Techno-\u00adNarcissist like the rest of you, I\u2019m assuming you are \u2013 the shoulder bag is more than a personal carry\u00adon item \u2013 it\u2019s a multi\u00adfunctional makeshift pillow-\u00adslash-\u00adstorage device and, at times, slash-\u00adbattering ram. My current bag of choice is a black canvas Jack Spade Messenger<\/a>. I don\u2019t particularly love it a lot but it was a thoughtful gift and has become a constant companion in my travels (Now that I think about it a lot of the things I carry around are some form of thoughtful gift and for that I am grateful). The thing I do like about this bag is that I can seemingly keep stuffing it\u2019s 11 x 18 x 6 inches full of all the stuff I want to lug around (or at least all the stuff I want to arrange neatly and photograph for this post \u037e ) As you can see I travel around with a garden variety grid of laptops, chewing gum, notecards, notebooks, printed pages, pixeled screens, tools, eyewear, ID, and assorted health & beauty products. I like to think it\u2019s the individual selections of the items that make it interesting and by \u201cit\u201d I mean \u201cme\u201d but that\u2019s just the Techno\u00ad-Narcissist talking.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: Despite 20+ years as a professional art director, having access to state\u00ad-of-the-\u00adart automated cameras (thx LV), and the constant critique of my image-\u00adfluent kid I remain an ungifted amateur photographer. But I do arrange things neatly.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Big(Ish) Computing<\/strong>
\nIn the dark times before TSA Pre<\/a> I slogged through life with a 17-inch MacBook Pro. I have since opted for the 64GB 11-inch MacBook Air<\/a>. Its light weight and super thin profile more than make up for the small screen size and relatively scanty memory. I use it mostly for stuff that requires typing on a larger-than-thumbsize keyboard — work email, messages, Tweeting, Googling, a little bit of ‘shooping and shopping, updating my blog, etc, and it sits smartly atop my sturdy worktable (a mass-produced dining room table from CB2 which they claim to be made of wood recycled from The Darjeeling Limited. I have my doubts about its provenance although the same table is in Cam and Mitchell\u2019s home in Modern Family<\/em>). The Air is also perfectly sized and weighted for the wobbly, under-engineered trays found on most commercial jets. When not in use, I keep it snugged up inside an InCase 11-inch Neoprene Pro Sleeve<\/a>. Also, I use the MagSafe charger WITH the AC extension cord as I find the AC adapter itself never stays plugged into the outlet. Never. In any outlet.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Two: In addition to being an amateur photographer I am also an amateur brand taxonomist so I might get lost in the bliss of naming things. Please bear with me (If there are any others out there similarly afflicted find me on Twitter @mctweet<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

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Smaller Computing<\/strong>
\nIt almost seems crazy to carry both an 11-inch MacBook Air AND a 128 GB iPad Mini<\/a> in the same bag but they are different and distinct platforms that I use for different and distinct platform-critical things. Plus my golden Nike Free Powerlines<\/a> look sick nasty as a lock screen image on the Retina display. One would think my 64GB iPhone 5s<\/a> would be extraneous in the extreme but, to tell a family secret, I use it more than the Mini and Air combined. That\u2019s where I keep my jams, y\u2019all. Sharp-eyed fashionistas (is that still a thing?) will spot my kid\u2019s Birkenstock Mocha Birkenbuck Arizona Sandals<\/a>. Who knew? AND she wears them with socks! After my cool friends at Vice News made fun of me as I unspooled skeins of white cable in a meeting, I immediately acquired a Mophie Juice Pack Plus<\/a>. P.S. They were right to laugh at me. The Anker Astro 6000mAh External Battery<\/a> was another thoughtful gift. It effortlessly powers the Mini (btw another thoughtful gift) when I burn though its battery while over-admiring my collection of photos of my collection of sneakers.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Three: I have no idea what “Powerlines” means any more than I know what “6000mAh” means.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Reddy Kilowatt Collection<\/strong>
\nIn addition to the flock of free-range charging outlet adapters (which apparently migrate regularly to my kid\u2019s laundry hamper) I also carry a snarl of USB-to-USB and Lightning-to-USB cables for things such as the 500GB Seagate Backup Slim<\/a>. This isn\u2019t just an external backup for me \u2013 it\u2019s an external hardrive for my Air, running iTunes and iPhoto and their ever-expanding libraries (I know, I know\u2026 Spotify<\/a>). The Kingston DataTraveler 16GB USB Flash Drive<\/a> makes the cut for it\u2019s superminimalist approach to life alone. It\u2019s close to being my favorite all-time great looking thing although nothing will dethrone my matched set of vintage Panasonic PanaPoint Electric Pencil Sharpener<\/a>s (not for travel use). The small Tumi bag was also a gift from Delta I received in exchange for full fare first class ticket. Although it originally contained a sleep mask and footies I now use it for all the EMF-emitting things you see displayed here.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Four: The Anker Astro shows up again because I needed something that color, shape, and size for an optimal composition. Plus I do really like it.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Eyewear And Earware<\/strong>
\nI hate my Apple In-Ear Headphones. Not only did I have to Google a how-to video just to rewind them into the triangular case but I can\u2019t keep them in my f#\u00a2king ears. Actually the video was kinda cool but the phones themselves? Ugh. No matter which size tip I use unless I sit completely still they tumble out of my ear. I realize they\u2019re out-of-date and I could get a new pair but I\u2019ve spent so much on earbuds over the years that frankly I\u2019d rather complain. Speaking of polygons, check out that sleek Lindberg eyeglass case that protects my sleek Lindberg sunglasses<\/a>. It\u2019s unique right-triangle design has stood up to being sat on, stood upon, and crushed. It has the scars to prove it. Normally I\u2019m an aviator type guy but the Electric Knoxville XL Polarized Sunglasses<\/a> were an impulse purchase made under the influence of UVB rays. At first I felt like I just walked out of a 3-D movie in 1996 but now I like them. And then there are the Beats By Dr. Dre\u00b4 Studio Headphones<\/a>. Unh. I was a Bose Quiet Comfort loyalist but this thoughtful gift dropped the bass in a way the elegant Bose just never could. Plus the built-in mic brings the noize.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Five: I\u2019ve since changed from Lindberg to Mykita eyeglasses<\/a> but kept the case. It\u2019s just that good.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Analog Things Mostly Made From From Logs<\/strong>
\nMy very first job was at a stop sign factory. I got it because I could sorta draw (you\u2019d be surprised how much drawing was required back then). Now I can write, too, so I\u2019m really into paper and pencil, and, to a milder extent, pen and ink. My go-to pencil is the wood and graphite Palomino Blackwing 602<\/a>. It lays down a sensuous, authoritative line that is easily modulated with just the slightest change in pressure (“Half the pressure, twice the speed” as it says on the barrel). The Palomino KUM Automatic Brake Long Point Two Step Pencil Sharpener<\/a> sounds complicated but it\u2019s not\u037e it\u2019s just two holes. The first hole is used to sharpen the wood, and the second is used to sharpen the lead. Plus it\u2019s orange plastic. The red Sharpie Fine Point Marker<\/a> is for marking done things off to-do lists with satisfying finality while the black Pentel RSVP Ballpoint Stick Pens<\/a> are fine for doing crossword puzzles (#humblebrag). The Whitelines Wire Slim Squared Notebook<\/a> isn\u2019t just a great spiral-bound notebook, it\u2019s a philosophical manifesto \u2013 namely that dark lines on paper distract. The perforated 6-inch x 11.625-inch sheets are light grey superimposed with a grid of white lines creating a clean, open space on which to scribble obsessive to-do lists and scrawl Superman symbols. The little East of India Office Clips<\/a> are from Crate & Barrel (and, yes, another gift \u2013 my friends know me so well). The 3.75-inch x 5.5-inch Rhodia notebook<\/a> contains all my passwords and appropriately sports Boing Boing\u2019s always hard-working Jackhammer Jill. I also carry thank you cards because I find I have so much for which to be thankful. Currently, I love the Kinaloon “thx.”<\/a> cards I got at Nora Modern in Detroit.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Six: I prefer the fat inky line of most Uniball pens but they don\u2019t seem to be able to withstand pressurized cabins without leaking. Get on it Uniball.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Other “R”<\/strong>
\nI travel a lot. And despite all the gear I use to wrangle electricity sometimes I find my devices fully discharged or that I just need to Dis. Con. Nect. I hoard New York Times Crossword Puzzles<\/em> and paperbacks for just those times. I try to limit the my crossword selection to Friday through Sunday editions with Saturday being the hardest while Sunday\u2019s is just the longest. I have a theory that not only do the puzzles get progressively more difficult during the week but also more difficult throughout the year. Unfortunately I can\u2019t test that hypothesis now that I do them out of order. I also believe that the more people who correctly complete any given puzzle make it easier for subsequent puzzlers to complete it so it all balances out. The book I\u2019m reading now is Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology<\/a>\u00a0by Lawrence Weschler which guides the reader through David Wilson\u2019s Museum of Jurassic Technolgy<\/a> and the hoaxes and head fakes that gave birth to both science and art. The canson paper feather bookmark is a hand painted watercolor from one of the coolest musicians I know. Plus she\u2019s my pen pal. I know what you\u2019re thinking, “A pen pal in 2014? Shut up.”<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Seven: To people who claim they can\u2019t do crosswords, I say this: all puzzles want to be solved. The crossword puzzle makes this particularly apparent by printing helpful clues in English. A really difficult crossword would be a grid of white squares with no clues! Plus after you do the NYT puzzles for a while you realize the same answers show up again and again. ELON College? Really, Will Shortz?<\/em><\/p>\n

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Gettin\u2019 My Drink On<\/strong>
\nMaybe the single-most jaw slackening bit of technology I carry is the reusable and foldable VAPUR Element<\/a> 1L Water Bottle. Emptied it\u2019s just a flexible swatch of BPA-free plastic that clips to my bag. But fill it up with water and it\u2019s a squeezable flask that stands stalwartly on its own bottom. Its deceptively simple form conceals a lot of future state plastics design and manufacturing. And I must admit it\u2019s yet another gift that, like all the best gifts, just keeps on giving. The two little boxes of Revolution Golden Chamomile Tea is caffiene — free but not a particular recommendation — it\u2019s just what they were serving at the last hotel I stayed in so I grabbed a couple. I\u2019 prefer green tea myself although I do like PG Tips builders tea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Eight: While tea is easy to travel with I\u2019m really a coffee guy and have my eye on the travel-friendly, Cory Doctrow-recommended Aerobie Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Spoiler Alert: TMI<\/strong>
\nThese last few items are, to me, essential for the traveler who gives more than a passing care to personal grooming. Let\u2019s start with the biggie: Preparation H Totables Wipes<\/a>. I spend a lot of time on the road headed towards strange locations and not all of them come equipped with toilet paper (have you ever been to the San Bernardino Airport?). As an Eagle Scout I\u2019m trained to be prepared for this because hygiene. A mini squeeze bottle of a hand sanitizer and a travel pack of Kleenex tissues (no aloe, no lotion, thank you) help deflect and denature the sneezes, spills, squirts and eruptions one encounters in the great wet world. I indulge another mild obsession by cleaning and caring for the sneakers I travel with with Jason Markk Quick Wipes<\/a>. This shoeshine-in-a-pouch keeps my kicks clean whenever I\u2019m away from home base. Each wipe is suffused with what I believe to be a magical potion \u2013 one side is pebbled to gently scrub while the other is smooth enough to wipe away the filth. The 24-count bottle of Extra-Strength Tylenol<\/a> contains a few Tylenol along with some pharmaceutical grade zinc capsules which I believe boost my auto-immune system. The tub of Kiehl\u2019s Lip Balm #1<\/a> is, in my experience, the most effective lip moisturizer and protector in the world. Orbitz Wintermint Chewing Gum<\/a> is always a welcome breath-freshener after hours of recycled and pressurized shared air. I like the Bubblemint flavor, too. The Hy-Ko Cable Lock Key Ring<\/a> is something I discovered after losing my ex\u2019s pricey gold keyring and while it does as good a job as expensive imitations it\u2019s here primarily because the orange tab on the key for my Kensington Microsaver Twin Notebook Lock<\/a> accurately quoted the the color and shape of orange field behind the Kleenex logo. What can I say? I\u2019m an art director who had some time on his hands to arrange things neatly.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer Nine: While I was getting the exact name of the Kiehl\u2019s lip balm I discovered it contains pertrolatum AKA petroleum jelly, an ingredient which I had previously convinced myself it didn\u2019t contain. I\u2019m now in the market for a new (and verifiably petroleum-free) lip balm. Thank Glob for obsessive brand taxonomy.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Eric McClellan spends his days working with talented people creating advertising for Ford as Executive Creative Director of Content and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[2303],"tags":[1553],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22624"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28159,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22624\/revisions\/28159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}