I always like to be prepared for any situation that arises, but this can be problematic as it’s hard to fit everything “for any situation” into a bag that doesn’t weigh 20 pounds. Living in a city for the past few months has caused me to whittle down to the absolute essentials, but still be ready for the unexpected. Below I’m going to share what I carry in my bag every day for my everyday life (i.e. school, days out, day trips, etc.).

The most important element for my urban survival kit is the bag that carries it all. These are a few of the criteria my bag has to fit:

• Provide full mobility of arms
• Be large enough to carry everything, but small enough to not need to be placed in bag check
• Have different pockets for storing items based on necessity and safety
• The ability for me to keep my eye on it at all times (when riding the metro, on a busy street, etc.)
• Match whatever outfit I’m wearing or at least not clash terribly
• Be made of durable material that will survive in different weather

The bag  that fulfills these criteria for me is a brown, medium-sized, shoulder-bag from Volcom. It has an adjustable strap and two outside pockets as well as an inner one with a zip.

In the two outer pockets I keep things I use all the time and need to be convenient for me to reach. The left pocket stores my phone and my headphones and the right pocket stores my little Kate Spade wallet with my transport pass, student ID, emergency contact info, etc.

 

In the main pocket are bulkier items, like my umbrella and pouch; I try to pack my bag with items that I might need at a moment’s notice on the top, for example my hat and gloves. Other items I keep in the main pocket are my coin purse for smaller, frequent purchases (i.e. vending machine in the metro), a reusable bag in case I go shopping, a small notebook and pen to record ideas and inspiration, and a pack of tissues. And perhaps, most importantly, some form of reading material (book or magazine). Also,  I usually am able to fit a bottle of water and small snack like a granola bar in there as well.

 

Now you might be asking yourself, “What about her wallet and keys?” and the answer is that I keep those in the zipper pouch in the main compartment, out of sight from potential pickpockets.

Part of being prepared for most situations comes down to the items inside my pouch. To keep up appearances, I have a small hairbrush, lip balm (and sometimes a lipgloss),  a hand cream, various hair accessories, and a mini perfume. In case of minor medical situations I keep Tylenol and Band-Aids (along with some sprayable Neosporin). Other miscellaneous items are tampons and panty liners (because you never know) and hand sanitizer, which I actually keep on the outside of my bag using one of those holders from Bath & Body Works.

 

 

 

I leave this bag packed and ready to go (changing out the items when necessary), so I can run off to a new adventure and not have to worry about if I have this or that