I love cyberpunk. Ever since I played Deus Ex: Invisible War for the Xbox way back in 2003, I've been hooked. The idea of pristine technology, matched up against the gritty pall of humanity – and its consequences – is utterly fascinating to. I play it every now and then much in the same way I watch the movie Helvetica : mostly for a laugh, and then I end up taking something completely new away from it. Something about it starting in Chicago took hold of me back then. And of course, as something of a geek, I've always fantasised about my place in such a world.
Back in 2010, I bought myself the largest Freitag messenger bag I could get my grubby hands on. It's suffered many countries and even more miles, and up until recently it's been my daily driver. From a very early age, my dad imbued in me an 'always be ready' attitude, attracting a myriad of tools and bandaids and liquids and cables and other things into the bag. Combined with my laptop + charger, my iPad, my phone, breakfast, the book my dad got me for christmas, my gameboy micro, and the other miscellaneous bits and pieces that I apparently can't live without – the HMS Dreadnaught (as I christened it way back when) is a damn huge bag. Walking with it was a chore; and once I purchased a bike and (mercifully) got riding again, it became downright obnoxious.
Perhaps a backpack would be clever here? I had played around with hiking backpacks at some point, but they had trouble when it came to being flexible enough for a budding cyberpunk such as myself. Critically, around this time, I purchased an Apple Watch to combat having to have my huge iPhone 6s+ in my pocket; along with a pair of mid-range bluetooth headphones. The idea of a walking network stuck. I just had to make it myself.
The years since have been good to the brothers Freitag, and they have since expanded their line to encompass a weekend backpack. It's called Voyager (after the space program ?), and it holds 33 liters, and while it looks huge on most people, it is perfectly sized for someone of my stature. It's a very clever bag, that folds itself up nicely while still allowing plenty of space on its interior.
The first problem was that it's not set up to be a day bag like Freitag's other backpacks – indeed, it's a glorified suitcase for hipsters with too much money. But I have a different plan.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the construction, but I put together a series of 2mm cardboard stock and duct taped them together. I bought a shitload of super sticky black velcro (4m!), and spaced the coarse side out evenly on the board, much like tactical vests are spaced out.
And the soft side? It's been stuck to a myriad of plastic and metal boxes, and other items. To wit:
laptop case
charger
notebook
hard drive
battery
bike tool
gameboy micro
sunglasses case
survival toolbox
a series of boxes:
medical (bandaids, painkillers, inhaler, flashlights, mouthguard, etc)
small (nail clipper, business cards)
all things cables
an old android phone (more on that later)
a small charging rack, with wires
Sitting 'freely' atop the laptop case:
a clothes bag, that also doubles as a wet wipes bag
said book my dad gave me for christmas
a diminishing pack of beef jerky
an umbrella
miscellaneous bags
a blindfold (for sleeping on the train)
a store-flat water bottle
Smaller, commonly accessed things find their way into a small pouch just inside the largest zipper:
my bike headlight
the bluetooth headphones
My bike lock is captured in the thin pocket that spans the backside of the bag – and is padded against my back with a pillow of suspiciously-perfect size. My cell phone and wallet live in the little pocket within said thin pocket, and my keys can hang by a carabiner when I'm wearing a swimsuit.
I also purchased a polaroid cube camera, that sits atop my shoulder (right while walking, left while riding) – much to the chagrin of those around me.
At some point, I bought a small bluetooth speaker at a yard sale, and have since mounted (with velcro, of course) it to the top of my bag. This allows me to listen to something quietly, while still allowing me to have full consciousness of the road around me. I like it much better than headphones.
That android phone I mentioned earlier? While its battery is shot, it dutifully sniffs out the wireless networks for me as I traipse about bern.
It should also be noted that even with all of the above inventory, I still have ample room for small-medium sized trips to the grocery store, a couple days worth of clothing, the guitar cables of The Last Fiasco, etc etc.
Some of its downsides include:
It's the slightest bit unwieldy to quickly throw something in / take something out, as it requires laying the bag in a flat position somewhere, and undoing the bag's main zipper and plastic buckle. I have been able to quickly dispatch something close to hand while the bag is on my back, but retrieving anything deeper requires a full dismount.
The back is truck tarp, and leaves my back super sweaty on hot days. Bern has woefully many hills.
I'm not entirely certain how it will fare at the airport. :
Some of its upsides include:
I'm ready for just about anything, always.
I can quickly be ready for everything else.
On a practical level, I can bring just about anything, anywhere. Food, clothing, whatever.
Pickpockets need not apply. It stays safe when it's on me. And it's not going anywhere.
Despite its weight, I am still able to move quite swiftly.
Its weight decreases as I slowly (but surely!) get into shape.
I have a handmade playlist for my rides up and down that bleats softly into my ear.
I capture all my time in the public space.
I'm helping network the wireless radio space of wherever I go. Which I like .
All in all, I'm extremely pleased with my creation. I've approached this project with a 'fail fast, fail often' mentality, and it's seen many revisions. Different boxes get brought in to suit my changing needs. The position of the camera on my shoulder changes as needed. Larger items in the bag's bottom change position as I steal bits and pieces of beef jerky. Etc, etc.
And I get to star in my own little cyberpunk novella. As Trump circles the presidency, that world becomes more and more real. Call me paranoid, but – with Switzerland still thrashing about with its newfound American-style politics of appealing to the loud; with Britain facing some pretty nasty fallout from the regressive-types after the Brexit; with Germany, Poland, and Austria (to name a few) not terribly far behind – my personal portability is something that I'm acutely aware of.
Having said that, in light of the ongoing refugee crisis: it’s important to point out that there are indeed, other factors that play into the flight risks of people. I get it. I’m white. I'm educated. I live in Switzerland. I work and pay taxes. I speak the language.
But, well, being prepared brings me a little peace of mind in this maelstrom of a world we live in.
And I get to look damn good doing it.
Thanks for reading,
M