My Productive Every Day Carry 2025

By Ali Abdaal

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Key Concepts

  • Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L: The primary bag for daily carry, chosen for its capacity and versatility.
  • MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Main computing device, customized with a Dbrand skin.
  • iPad Pro 11-inch: Secondary computing device, used for portability, as a second display, and for drawing.
  • Paperlike Screen Protector (Paperlike 3): A screen protector for iPad that mimics the feel of paper for writing and drawing, utilizing Nano Dots technology and a new butterfly application system.
  • Happy Poe: A portable bidet, considered essential for personal hygiene on the go.
  • Ricoh GR3X: A compact, fixed-lens camera (40mm full-frame equivalent) for high-quality, unobtrusive photography.
  • DJI Pocket 3: A mini vlog camera with a gimbal, also usable as a webcam.
  • DJI Mic 2 (or Mic 1): A wireless microphone system for high-quality audio recording, especially useful for portable podcast setups.
  • Peak Design Travel Tripod: A compact tripod designed for iPhones, enhancing mobile filming capabilities.
  • Whoop 5 MG: A wearable fitness tracker focused on sleep and recovery data.
  • Peak Design Tech Pouch: A versatile pouch used for organizing cables/chargers and repurposed as a baby nappy bag.
  • Moleskine Notebooks: Specific Harry Potter editions used for different purposes (business, personal journaling, video ideas).
  • Wired EarPods: Carried as a backup microphone due to their "remarkably good" audio quality.
  • Beats Powerbeats: Wireless earbuds preferred for running and sauna use due to their secure fit and water resistance.

Everyday Carry Bag: Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L

The speaker's primary everyday carry bag is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L. Despite having tried "zillions of backpacks," this is the one he consistently returns to, highlighting its superior design and functionality. It is noted as being "quite heavy" due to its contents but offers "even more space" for additional items.


Computing & Digital Tools

  1. Laptop & Tablet Setup:

    • 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3): The main laptop, featuring a Dbrand skin with a "pallets aliodal color scheme."
    • 11-inch iPad Pro: Carried in a second compartment. It serves multiple purposes:
      • Portability: Used on trains or in coffee shops to avoid "bust[ing] out the big ass laptop" for quick work.
      • Secondary Display: Connects to the MacBook Pro as an extended screen.
      • Drawing & Diagrams: Utilized for drawing diagrams during workshops or courses, which can then be "beam[ed] that over Zoom."
  2. Paperlike Screen Protector for iPad:

    • Technology & Feel: This screen protector uses Nano Dots technology to give the iPad a "lovely like papery type feeling," making writing and drawing with the Apple Pencil feel more natural, akin to pen on paper, rather than a glossy screen.
    • User Experience: The speaker has been using Paperlike since 2018 and praises the newly released Paperlike 3 as "really really really good" and the "best version they've ever created."
    • Visual Clarity: Unlike some textured protectors, Paperlike 3 "doesn't blur or dull the screen," ensuring the display remains "crisp and clear" while providing the desired tactile feedback.
    • Installation: The new "butterfly application system" makes installation "almost foolproof," preventing bubbles, dust, and the need for endless repositioning.
    • Benefit Synthesis: It combines the advantages of digital note-taking, drawing, sketching, and journaling with the "tactile feel of writing on pen and paper." The product is a sponsor of the video.

Small Essentials & Security

  • Secret Pocket Items:
    • Travalo Perfume Atomizer: Contains Tom Ford Ombre Leather fragrance.
    • Belkin iPhone MagSafe Mount: A small gadget that attaches an iPhone to the top of a MacBook, allowing the iPhone to be used as a high-quality webcam. The speaker "very rarely use[s] this but it's there."
  • Padlock: Always carried for security. It's used to secure the backpack in lockers at places like train stations or gyms, especially when carrying "stupidly expensive amounts of like tech."

Main Compartment: Stationery & Notebooks

  1. Pencil Case:

    • A Broy Tech Pouch is repurposed as a pencil case.
    • Contents: Includes a pencil sharpener (blackened from lead shavings), a Uniball Air pen, a Mont Blanc fountain pen (a gift from fellow YouTuber and entrepreneur Iman Gadzhi), and an unused red pen.
  2. Moleskine Notebooks:

    • The speaker carries one to three Harry Potter Moleskine notebooks, selecting based on the day's focus.
    • Expecto Patronum: For notes on "business products and stuff like software or courses."
    • Lumos: A personal journal for "personal life and stuff."
    • ProGo Maxima: Dedicated to "video ideas."
    • Physical Books: The compartment also has space for carrying physical books, which the speaker enjoys.

Top Compartment: Photography & Audio

  1. Ricoh GR3X Camera:

    • Details: A compact, "old school like pocket camera" with a fixed lens (26.1mm crop lens, equivalent to 40mm full-frame).
    • Benefits: Takes "way better photos than an iPhone," offers a "cute and viby" aesthetic, and is "unobtrusive" (makes the user "look like a tourist" rather than a content creator).
    • Use Case: Primarily used for taking photos of people, including family and his baby.
  2. Wired EarPods:

    • Rationale: Carried as a backup due to their "remarkably good" and "absolutely sick" microphone quality, considered the "best microphone you can get" for its low cost and portability.
    • Use Case: Essential for Zoom calls or live sessions if Bluetooth headphones (AirPods) run out of battery.

Side Access Compartments: Personal Hygiene & Tech Tools

  1. Happy Poe (Portable Bidet):

    • Significance: Described as "freaking sick" and an absolute essential. The speaker "hate[s] it when I forget this at home" because it ensures a clean feeling after using the bathroom, unlike relying solely on toilet paper.
    • Availability: Has one in every bathroom at home, a travel one in his suitcase, and an extra one in his backpack.
  2. Mini Peak Design Tech Pouch (Cables & Chargers):

    • Contents: Contains essential charging accessories: a MacBook charging cable, an iPad charging cable, a small battery pack for an iPhone, and an extra USB-C to USB-C cable.
    • Purpose: Provides organized storage for various cables and chargers.
  3. DJI Pocket 3:

    • Details: A compact camera with a gimbal for stable footage, ideal as a "mini vlog camera" or for "social media filming."
    • Dual Functionality: Can also serve as a "nicer webcam" than the MacBook's built-in camera for workshops or other filming needs.
    • Portability: "Weighs almost nothing" and is "unobtrusive," making it easy to capture memories without drawing attention.
  4. DJI Mic 2 (or Mic 1):

    • Details: A wireless microphone system consisting of two clip-on microphones and a USB-C receiver.
    • Podcast Setup: When combined with the DJI Pocket 3, it creates a portable "podcast setup" for "ad hoc podcast type conversation[s]" with "amazing audio quality and pretty reasonable video quality" in a very compact form factor.
  5. Peak Design Travel Tripod (for iPhone):

    • Functionality: Attaches to an iPhone, allowing for hands-free use (e.g., reading a book) or stable filming in landscape orientation.
    • Advanced Setup: Can be integrated with the DJI Pocket 3 and Mic 2 for a "double angle podcast" in a "tiny ass setup," demonstrating its utility for content creators. The speaker acknowledges it's "incredibly useful" for his needs but "probably don't need that kind of thing" for non-content creators.
    • DJI Tripod Attachment: A small tripod attachment is also carried for DJI devices.

Extra Compartments: Miscellaneous Essentials

  • USB-C Dongle: For the MacBook Pro, used for connecting accessories like an SD card.
  • Another Pair of Wired Earbuds (USB-C): A second backup pair, specifically with a USB-C connector, for phone calls (e.g., Zoom on a phone) to ensure good audio quality if other headphones are out of battery.
  • AirTag: Placed inside the backpack for tracking in case it gets lost.
  • Disney Nail Clippers: Always carried because the speaker often realizes his nails are too long while typing when he's out and about.
  • Portable Battery Packs: Multiple battery packs are carried due to phones quickly running out of battery. The speaker finds it "very useful to have spare batteries" and enjoys being "the guy to supply a battery pack" to friends or team members, calling it a "very valuable addition to a group dynamic."

Bottom Compartment: Baby Nappy Bag

The large size of the backpack is justified by the empty bottom compartment, which is specifically designed to fit a Peak Design Tech Pouch repurposed as a baby's nappy changing bag when the baby is present.

Contents of the Nappy Bag (demonstrated separately):

  • Changing Mat: A foldable mat for changing the baby on any surface, though the baby "screams" on both hard and soft surfaces.
  • Inco Pad: An absorbent pad used for extra protection against "wee or poo" and to provide a slightly softer surface.
  • Dry Wipes: Huggies Hong Kong version.
  • Wet Wipes: "Knock baby wipes" for cleaning after a "little poop."
  • Vaseline: To prevent nappy rash.
  • Nappies: Usually three, though only one was shown due to forgetting to restock.
  • Spare Inco Pad: For backup.

All these items are "squeezed into this Peak Design Tech tech pouch," which then conveniently folds up and fits into the backpack or can be tied to its exterior.


Everyday Carry (Pockets)

Beyond the backpack, several items are consistently carried in pockets:

  • Pocket Notebook: Currently a "very nice one from Smithson" (a gift from Chris Ducker), sometimes Field Notes notebooks.
  • Pen: Usually a Pilot G207, or "whichever one I've got lying around."
  • Wireless Earbuds: Beats Powerbeats. The speaker recently lost his AirPods and prefers these for their ear hooks, which prevent them from falling out during running, and their "allegedly more waterproof" design, allowing use in a sauna without worry.
  • Wallet: Contains essential documents like his Hong Kong ID card and driver's license.
  • Keys: Equipped with an AirTag for tracking, found in his pocket after a brief search.
  • Two Watches:
    • Apple Watch: A Series 7, 6, or 8 (speaker notes they're "basically the same at this point").
    • Whoop 5 MG: A fitness tracker that provides "stats on my sleep and my recovery." The speaker has been a paying user and upgraded to the new device after Whoop sponsored a video years ago.
    • Aesthetic Coordination: The speaker appreciates the "color coordination" of the blue and silver Apple Watch, blue and silver Whoop, and his platinum/silver wedding band.

Synthesis & Conclusion

This comprehensive "what's in my bag" and "everyday carry" video provides a detailed look into a highly optimized setup for a content creator and entrepreneur. The speaker meticulously selects items based on their functionality, portability, and reliability, often prioritizing versatility and having backups for critical tech (e.g., multiple microphones, battery packs). The inclusion of personal items like the portable bidet and baby nappy bag highlights a lifestyle that seamlessly integrates professional demands with personal needs. The emphasis on specific brands like Peak Design, Paperlike, DJI, and Moleskine underscores a preference for quality and thoughtful design. The entire setup reflects a blend of high-tech gadgets and practical, "old school" essentials, all curated to support a dynamic and productive daily routine.

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