Club Obi Wan

Lotsa pics would be nice. I'll take a shot tomorrow, but I normally keep my knife, a large scarab, a leather-bound notebook, a clover lighter (in case I need to burn any rugs), a camera (digital. The 30s cameras just won't fit.) Sometimes it also holds a CD player, a magazine, mail or a snack, but don't tell anyone! Change, wallet (sometimes), flask, chapstick, keys, dig brush(when I finish making it!), space blanket, sleeping bag, tent (just kidding on the last 3. Anyway, I carry mine alot. My niece from LA called it my "man-purse," which gave me pause. It's my "Indy bag," gol durn it!
David

Yeah, my friends call it the man-purse, too. I accept it. That's what it is. But I figure, if all those skinny yuppies in there tight straightleg jeans and bad blazers can carry "courier bags" I can carry my Indy bag!

Mine holds tissues (bad allergies), tums, keys, a small knife, phone, glasses, notepad and pen, a bottle of water, and anything else I need that day. I rarely leave the house without it.

Chewie

I'm sure VP will soon put this but I'll try anyway.

Here is a thread that discussed this as well

viewtopic.php?t=4529

Oh BTW lately my MKVII is a Diaper Bag

Oops - Sorry! Freshman disease is what it is - you think you have a great idea for a discussion, but it has been gone through before.
As to the name, before I was bitten with the Indy dressing bug, I often carried a bag around, since I tend to lug a lot of doodah around. I have had several, mostly heavy nylon. One was pretty fancy - camel leather that I picked up in Casablanca a few thousand years ago. I always called 'em "bags" or "satchels," since they were carried on a strap around the shoulder, with the strap across the chest. I always associate the word "purse" with a hand-held carrier, like the ones my mother used to carry around back in the 50s, but "purse," for both men and women, has an ancient history. I suppose it could even be called a "budget," in the word's original sense (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/budget). It's just the phrase "man-purse" that gives me the willies. For some reason it reminds me of D.H Lawrence's writing, which gives me the willies, too.
David

Chewbacca Jones wrote:Yeah, my friends call it the man-purse, too. I accept it. That's what it is. But I figure, if all those skinny yuppies in there tight straightleg jeans and bad blazers can carry "courier bags" I can carry my Indy bag!

Two funny stories about the 'man purse' comments...well, funny to me, anyway.

First, I was at a government conference with a lot of military...a lietenant I know gave me a hassle - 'Nice purse, Jer.' We go back and forth...whenever I see him in his camos I ask him why he gets to come to work in his pajamas. All in good fun between friends. But this time a Colonel stepped in and corrected him! "Lietenant," he said, "that looks to be a WWII era gas mask bag, British or Canadian, I think." Dead on, I was amazed this senior officer stepped in on this, but then he said point blank to me: "But you have modified that fine piece of equipment by removing the original web strap, haven't you, son?" Being a civilian, I get to answer military honestly: "Yes sir, I replaced it with an Enfield rifle strap." Big smile from the Colonel: "Good choice. I approve." After that I stopped worrying about the purse comments.

Second funny story (which I hope does not get this removed, since this is open-minded and not intended as bashing, and isn't written so, if you read it calmly): after hours at a party a few years back, my wife and I were the last two straight couple in the room, the rest of the guys there were not. We were all laughing at one of the guys trying to figure out if a guy he knew was straight or not. They actually began examining how the guy in question wore a shoulder bag, and if it was an indication of preference or just ambiguously metrosexual. This is ridiculous, and hysterical...and all the time my wife is poking me in the ribs knowing my gearbag is in the truck outside. When they finally resolved that maybe a certain way might be an indication of orientation (which was baloney, we were all drunk and they were just picking on the other guy at this point), my wife made me go and get my bag and walk back in wearing it like I usually do. Dead silence when I walked back in and they saw it, looked at each, and then busted out laughing...when they could finally talk, they just reassured me saying, "You're safe, that's WAY too grungy for anybody to think you bought it at The Gap." hahaha...wait a second...

Those are both pretty funny, but no, the second doesn;t sound like bashing. I've had several gay friends over the years. One close friend was Judy. It was funny going into a bar with her, because we'd go through the same procedure, trying to figure out which of us got to do the pickup!
Good ID job by your colonel. That's pretty amazing.

Yes, I'm also amazed by the colonel's knowledge. Who knows, maybe he's into vintage stuff ?

Maybe he's a COW member...?

i was at my grandparents place last summer and a friend of my grandpa who was in the british military back in ww2 recognized my mk and said he had kept a few after he had gotten out of the military. sadly his had gotten used to the point of falling apart as fishing bags.

well what i normally carry is in that other thread, however if you catch me while i'm working one of the detection dogs it is best to stay out of my bag...as it usually get relegated to carry samples and extra specimen bags for what the dogs are finding.

Ew...and I thought MKVII's were stinky...

That was just a moment shot, I carry everything in my Mk that fits in it, but especially I like my Zippo in this little pocket

Indiana Max
just be careful with your zippo in that pocket. that is where i use to keep mine and i lost it . it is such a loose fit that if the bag gets knocked just the right way your lighter is gone. now i keep my compass in there (tighter fit so it won't fall out as easy). in my old original mk i can keep the lighter in the little pocket without worry because it actually has a little flap with a snap closure.

thankfully i will say the one i lost was my indy lighter not my zippo that had been my grandpas.

I put my zippo in that same pocket. Usually a pocket knife in one of the others and my phone. Lately I've been keeping the whip in the bag so folks don't pull on the whip when I'm walking around (I need to get a whip holder real bad) If it's out I'm either using it or it's slung over my shoulder TOD style. Depending on where I go depends on how much stuff goes in it.

I've actually started using mine as my geocaching bag...so, journal, compass, pen, GPSr, sewing kit (I'm always fixing the bag), camera, and a little box full of Geo-ready knicknacks...but this hobby is so addicting I will probably have to switch up to a backpack soon!

Normally the MKVII is my everyday bag...depending on where we are going (zoo, convention, traveling, work, whatever) it's got all sorts of stuff in it.

I know this topic gets repeated a lot, but I love these threads...they just keep changing.

Oh, and hey, for anybody figuring out how to make certain things fit, you have to check out Swindiana's old thread about removing the divider - and possibly converting it to a cell phone pocket!
Thread: viewtopic.php?t=6971&highlight=mkvii+divider+swindiana
Swindy's page direct: http://medlem.spray.se/larskalvemark/in ... viipocket/