In my opinion, the secret of obtaining continuing satisfaction with a small bag is to know in advance how I want to use it and what I want to put into it, and to stick with that. I had conceptualized this bag as a writer’s bag, and I decided, in advance, how I was going to fill it: 1 Executive-sized Rocketbook; 1 A5 Rhoda notebook with top spiral; 1 small discbound notebook; 1 “logi” portable keyboard by Logitech; and 1 ghost-whale pouch (tethered to an o-ring) filled with pens, erasers, a Pentel multi pencil, a Tombow multi pen, a Pilot Frixon ballpoint pen (for the Rocketbook), a fountain pen, and a few paper clips. My phone goes into the interior phone-sized pocket (I can connect it by Bluetooth to the logi keyboard). In the front zipper pocket is my mini wallet, tethered by a fob, and there’s also room for a charger for my phone. My keychain is tethered to another o-ring in the main compartment. I can fit a protective facemask and a bottle of hand sanitizer in the back pocket, and also, if I want, a 12-ounce water bottle. (See photos 1 and 2.)
So, I have a writer’s bag, filled exactly as I like, and I don’t need anything larger. If I want to carry more items, I can use my Paradigm.
When I first got the Cafe Bag, I felt discombobulated when I tried to use the fidlock buckle. I didn’t like fumbling with the buckle in order to open the bag and get ahold of my keys. Later, I discovered that the o-ring with snapped keyhook is situated in the main compartment…