First, let me explain the need for a geek bag. As of currently, I spend a great deal of my time on the road. I don't mean necessarily that I travel, as much as mean that I am rarely home with my family. I'm usually at school, work, Linux meetings or friends houses. As such, because my laptop has now found retirement, I need tools at my fingertips that normally would be in my laptop bag.
What tools do I carry with me? Well, a number of different items. My TI-89 calculator, some important paperwork, Ubuntu Breezy 5.10 cds for all three covered architectures, Linux format DVD for various linux software tools, blank and used mini-cds holding DSL-N, Debian, Portable OpenOffice and other software, business card cds with Debian netinst and DSL 2.3 for handing out, my USB thumb drive, a USB 2.0 multi-card reader, PDA, MP3 player, pens, pencils and a 3" notebook. Those are the permanent items. Other nomadic items have come and gone. Overall, I don't need a ton of room, but need enough space to at least fold a letter sheet of paper in half.
Currently, I carry a rather large waistpack (not a fannypack) as my geek bag that I purchased at MEC (very similar to the Wave waistpack). It served originally as my mission pack touting my scriptures, missionary discussions, flipcharts, finding and teaching info, area maps, planners and writing utinsels. I carried it with me almost the full two years. Mainly designed for hiking in the back-country, it served me well. Now that I am home, married, have a job, etc., it has found a new purpose as my geek bag.
Here's the thing, though. It's getting old and used. While still very functional in every sense of the word, I am tempted to "upgrade" to a newer, better bag with more compartments and pockets to store my crap. I have been looking around at Eddie Bauer and Kelty waist packs, but haven't exactly found what I want. The Large Lumbar Bag is the closest to what I am looking for. If I can know that the sholder straps remove, it will be a very tempting item. I have thought of shoulder bags, but then, why not just carry around a regular backpack?
At any rate, if anyone has any good suggestions, please, comment about it with a link. It would help a bunch.
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