Gadgeteer Team – The Gear We Use in 2022 (David Sherman)

article – We were asked to write a quick essay about what we carry or in our bags every day or “the gear we’re using.” I decided to write a “what’s in my pocket (or belt)” article, so here it is.

I tend to keep a lot of stuff in my pockets, but they all serve a purpose, and I find myself touching these items multiple times a week, if not every day. Here’s what I carry, why, and links to some of them.

1. Facial mask. Who doesn’t often carry one of these around with them these days? I long for the days when we can be in public without worrying about COVID or something, but I have a feeling we’re going to be carrying masks around for a long time. I don’t like disposable masks, so I carry a cloth with me and wash it regularly.
2. Samsung Galaxy Buds+. These are by far my favorite bluetooth earbuds. I’ve researched hundreds of pairs of true wireless earbuds, reviewed about six here, and have owned many different mono or stereo Bluetooth headphones over the years, and these are the ones I keep coming back to. There are better earbuds out there, but I don’t usually listen to music with these. I listen to podcasts for hours a day and usually only have one earbud in my ear at any given time. When I’m walking, which is how I usually finish my workout ring at the end of the day, I’ll be using both earbuds and watching TV on my iPad Pro, one of the many streaming services out there. These are also great for mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house where I want binoculars, but I don’t have to crank up the volume just to hear, as they fit my ears perfectly and block out a lot of outside noise. They don’t have active noise cancellation, but they passively block noise because they fit my ears so well.
3. wallet. This is a bifold wallet that I’ve probably had for 8 to 10 years. My son bought it for me as a Christmas present because my old one is so shabby. This has been going on for a long time for me. I keep it in my right back pocket, usually with a plastic comb that I also use all the time.
4. Five C3 flashlights. I reviewed this about a month ago and it has been my main daily carry torch ever since. I’ve been using the Fenix ​​PD32 for the past five years and I still use the holster it came with to carry my Wuben. The Wuben is a bit shorter than the Fenix, maxing out at 1,200 lumens versus the PD32’s 900 lumens, and it’s internally rechargeable, unlike the PD32 where I had to remove the battery and use the Fenix ​​charger. This is a nice upgrade for me. I’m hoping to get something in the 2,000+ lumen range someday, but for now I’m happy with this light.
5. Gerber Gear TRUSS Multitool. I have carried several different Leatherman models for nearly three decades. I had my wife get this for me last Christmas so I could try something a little different and I’m loving it so far. I love that these tools can be used without opening the pliers. I still find myself often opening the pliers first, but I’m sure that habit will eventually go away. I don’t use all my tools every day, but I forget how many times a week I need a knife, pliers, screwdriver, or even wire cutters. I keep forgetting that it also has a small pair of scissors; I need to go find some uses this week.
6. nail clippers. I just like to carry a pair around. Cut a hanging nail, trim a nail that got stuck in something, and file off a sharp point that I hadn’t noticed before, it’s nice to have them with me when I need them. I recently realized that Victorinox makes some, so I might need to try them out when I need a replacement.
7. Various adapters. I work in audio, so at any time I may need to use my iPhone, iPad Pro or Google Pixel 6 for active music.For this, I carried an official Apple headphone adapter (although I just bought a non-branded one because I realized this one was starting to go bad), a USB-C headphone adapter, and a StarTech USB-C Audio and Charging Adapter, I reviewed this. I also brought a 3.5mm to 1/4″ headphone adapter as many of the professional devices I use use larger headphone jacks. Finally, I carry a generic USB-A to USB-C adapter with me. This one came with my purchase, I just decided it would be convenient to carry around.
8. Nitecore Tip SE Flashlight. Yes, I know, I already have a flashlight on my belt. My philosophy is that you can’t have enough flashlights. This one is compact, bright, and I can clip it to the brim of my hat as a makeshift headlight. It also has built-in security that shuts off after 30 seconds if it accidentally gets activated in my pocket, which happens from time to time. I like that this is also USB-C rechargeable, so I don’t have to replace the battery, and charging with the old Micro-USB connector is one less thing like my old one.
9. Nite Ize S-Biner. I’ve been carrying my keys from the belt loop with a carabiner for longer than I can remember. I’ve had to replace them a few times over the years because the springs are broken so they no longer close or open easily. I got this S-Biner a few years ago and I love it. The springs work great and I almost never had a problem getting or putting the keys away. My son uses the version with the lock, but I don’t want to have to unlock it every time I need to get the key, so this model works for me. I don’t remember the exact size, but it was about the same size as my previous carabiner and it was the perfect size I used. Oh, and also watch out for flashlight #3. This is a cheap giveaway LED flashlight, but as I said, you can never have enough.
10. Carmex lip balm. I love stick lip balms and I usually carry a Chapstick or Carmex with me. I’ve actually started carrying the Carmex more because the Chapstick style I love seems to melt and reform into a weird shape in my pocket. So far, Carmex has not done this for me. Having grown up in Alaska and now living in the Midwest for nearly 20 years, I always need to moisturize my lips during harsh, dry winters. Now, if my dry hands only have something like this…
11. marker and Zebra Salazar X20 0.7mm gel pen. I don’t write by hand very often, but I always like to carry these with me when I need to take quick notes, draw simple diagrams, or mark cables with tape. The Sharpie is a dual nib, and since I don’t like the larger end if I need to write small print, both sizes are perfect. Zebra Sarasa pens are something we use a lot at work and I always make sure to have one in my pocket. I’ve never liked pens, but I do like the way this pen writes and how it fits in my back pocket.
12. USB flash drive. Sometimes I wish I could tell my 20-year-old self that one day I’ll be carrying 176 GB of storage in my pocket. I remember when I first read about a 9 GB hard drive that cost over $2,000 for video editing work and had to be AV rated so they didn’t shut down regularly to prevent overheating. I don’t have a USB-C version of one of these yet, but I may be adding one soon. Most of the things I use them for are still USB-A, but when I need a USB-C adapter, I always have that USB-C adapter.

Not in the photo: iPhone 13 Pro and 44 mm Apple Watch Series 4. I always like to get larger screen versions of phones and watches. I’ve been wearing this Apple Watch for over three years. Every year I consider upgrading, but either I don’t want to spend the money, or the new features aren’t compelling enough to warrant an upgrade. I had the original Apple Watch and it was purchased refurbished and I wore that one until I got this one. That’s a leap forward in terms of size, battery life, and processing speed. The new generation, while good, doesn’t make the leap forward like this one. I do have a milestone birthday in a few months, so I might ask my wife to upgrade me to a Series 7. I wish I had been on the screen.

My iPhone 13 Pro Max has done a lot for me. Take photos and videos, listen to podcasts and music, check email, browse the web, control AV applications for work and home, play games, video call my daughter who is a teacher in the Middle East, and more. Oh, I almost forgot to add that it can also make calls. Since I do so many things with my phone, I like to have the biggest screen (I know there are bigger Android phones, but I’ve opted for the iPhone, so this is the biggest I can get).

I also bring a Google Pixel 6 days a week. It’s definitely not my everyday driving phone, but I like to give it a shot in the Android world and it’s an affordable way for me. It’s pretty much free with my carrier, so it’s pretty easy. In this case I don’t get the maximum screen size, but since it’s an assistive device for me, it’s not a big problem.

I hope you enjoy this article and The rest of the series is at The Gadgeteer. I would love to know what you carry with you every day. Maybe I can find what I’m missing or a better version of what I already have.