Every week a different FADER staff member will pick a clothing item or accessory that he or she has lately been spending a lot of time with—or would like to—and write a little love letter to it. We would’ve done a column on who we’re dating but that seemed a little bit much. This week Duncan Cooper talks the Daypack by Baggu.
Baggu is known for making simple, reusable ripstop nylon bags. Their weigh-nothing, hold-everything grocery-and-beach-supply bags are manufactured in what seems like every good color. Here are just the variations of red you can buy: hot pink, magenta, regular pink, papaya, regular red, rust, carrot, persimmon and electric poppy. I've had (and loved) one for a few years and stuff it with groceries weekly (I think it's carrot colored, or maybe persimmon—they're pretty similar), so I was excited when Baggu announced a Daypack.
I don't know why I don't like to put things in my pockets, maybe because I have a bony butt. Sitting on a wallet knocks me crooked, and I always feel funny when you can see my phone bulging on my upper thigh. So I like backpacks, and keeping my junk out of my mind. I don't have big muscles, so I prefer the bag doesn't dwarf my frame. My dream backpack is invisible—I don't want to feel like I'm carrying the thing I'm carrying. So, for me, the Baggu Daypack is perfect. It's just big enough to carry my little laptop and Infinite Jest, and it doesn't add extra bulk to the equation. Plus when it's empty, I can ball it up into near nothingness and stuff the bag in a drawer. Invisible, almost. The cobalt color is a little loud to use every day, but it makes me happy. Carrying stuff is oppressive, and above all, this bag is liberating. If it's bright blue and weighs less than one pound, I'll feel better about getting out of bed and schlepping my life around.