Blog · Everyday Carry
What I Actually Carry My EDC Stationery In (And Why)
For most days I reach for the Aer Day Sling 4 Max because it is the only bag that fits my full stationery kit and an iPad Pro without turning into a brick. When the iPad stays home, a Peak Design Field Pouch does the job in half the space.
If you carry a planner, a couple of pens, and sometimes an iPad, the bag matters as much as what's in it. My answer after switching between two pouches for months: the Aer Day Sling 4 Max is the default, and the Peak Design Field Pouch is the stripped-down backup for days when the iPad stays home.
Why the sling wins most days
The Aer Day Sling 4 Max holds about six liters, and that number matters more than it sounds like it should. Six liters is enough to fit my full stationery setup, my iPad Pro (M4), and still close without fighting the zipper.
I tested this against the least convenient case I could think of: a hefty hardcover, Truman by David McCullough. It went in next to everything else, no problem. That is the real test of a bag's volume claim, not how it looks empty.
The front pocket carries a Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer, which holds a Leatherman ARC and an Olight Arkfeld Pro. The Arkfeld gets used constantly, not just as a flashlight.
It has a pointer function that comes in handy with kids or in meetings, and a UV light for checking whether a hotel room is actually clean. It is a little bulky for what it does, but the feature set earns the space.
Next to it lives a UGREEN Nexode Pro 65W charger, slim enough that it does not add real bulk, and it charges the iPad along with two other devices off the same three ports.
The main compartment is where the actual planning system lives. A Uni-ball One sits in the sling's built-in loop, uncapped and untouched, as a backup pen I know is always there. The iPad Pro (M4) and Apple Pencil ride together so the pencil never wanders off on its own.
My sunglasses tuck into a side slot to keep them from getting crushed.
The front flap holds the two things I actually reach for the most: my LOCHBY Quattro and my planner, a MeePlus SlimPad in the personal size.
That planner replaced a Traveler's Company notebook setup I ran in the regular size, and before that a LOCHBY Voyager that I've since mostly retired, though its monthly insert still gets referenced now and then. The MeePlus binder system is the reason I switched.
The Traveler's Company notebook was too bulky for how I actually use a planner day to day, and the binder lets me swap pages instead of committing to a bound layout.
This kind of iterative swapping, from Voyager to Traveler's Company to MeePlus, is the same instinct behind sharing a process in public rather than presenting a finished system as if it arrived that way.
My carry setup has changed three times in the video record because I kept adjusting it in the open instead of waiting to land on a "final" answer.
What changes when the iPad stays home
Not every day needs the full sling. When I leave the iPad behind, I switch to the Peak Design Field Pouch, which expands or shrinks depending on how much I load into it. I use it more as a pocket extender than an organizer, so for me it is just a big open space, and that is totally fine.
It works as a pocket extender: wallet and keys in the back pocket, Kindle in the main space, sometimes the MeePlus SlimPad too since its compact form factor fits nearly anywhere. Tools and sunglasses go to the sides.
The tradeoff is real. If I strip it down to the essentials, the pouch becomes just a pocket notebook, a pen, and a phone, with the MeePlus left at home. That is less capacity for pens and pencils and less structure overall.
It is a fair trade for a lighter carry, but it is a trade, not an upgrade.
Aer Day Sling 4 Max vs. Peak Design Field Pouch
| Aer Day Sling 4 Max | Peak Design Field Pouch | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | ~6 liters | Expandable, smaller overall |
| Fits iPad Pro (M4) | Yes, daily | No |
| How I use it | Dedicated slots (pen loop, pencil holder, sunglasses slit, front pocket) | As a pocket extender, loaded as one open space |
| Padding | Structured, holds shape loaded | Soft lining, not heavily padded |
| Best for | Full stationery kit + iPad, daily driver | Pocket extender when leaving the iPad home |
The everyday-in-pocket layer
Underneath either bag is a constant: wallet, phone, keys, and a Field Notes-style pocket notebook with a pocket pen I keep for quick capture on the go. The leather on that pocket setup wears in nicely and stays slim, which is the whole point of a pocket tool. It should disappear until you need it.
Verdict
If your stationery kit includes a planner binder and you sometimes carry a tablet, get a sling-style bag with real capacity (six liters is a workable target), and dedicate a small pouch inside it to loose gear like a multitool and flashlight rather than letting them float.
If you are trying to go lighter, a simple field pouch with no internal structure forces useful discipline: you carry less because there is nowhere to hide extra stuff. Skip the field pouch if you need the iPad with you regularly.
Skip the full sling if most of your days do not need six liters of capacity. For the exact list of what is in either setup right now, see my full carry.
The gear worth a look
- Aer Day Sling 4 Max: My default carry, six liters is enough for the full stationery kit plus an iPad Pro without feeling stuffed.
- Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer: Houses the multitool and flashlight in the sling's front pocket so they do not scratch other gear.
- Leatherman ARC: Lives in the micro pouch as the go-to multitool for out-and-about days.
- Olight Arkfeld Pro: My main flashlight, with a pointer and UV light I actually use, worth the extra bulk for the feature set.
- UGREEN Nexode Pro 65W: Slim charger that handles the iPad and two other devices off three ports.
- Uni-ball One: Kept in the sling's pen loop as a backup so there is always a pen on hand.
- LOCHBY Quattro: One of the two things I reach for most in the front flap, alongside the planner.
- MeePlus SlimPad: My current planner in the personal size, the binder system replaced a bulkier notebook setup.
- Traveler's Company Brass Ballpoint Pen: A compact pen I carried during the Traveler's Company notebook era, before switching to the more compact MeePlus system.
- LOCHBY Voyager: Semi-retired planner, though I still reference its monthly insert from time to time.
- Truman by David McCullough: The hefty biography I used as a stress test for how much the sling can actually hold.
- iPad Pro (M4): Runs literally everything for the channel and my personal life, the main reason the sling needs real capacity.
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Related reading
- The 10 Pens I Actually Reach for Every Day (Ranked by Use)
- Planner Insert Sizes Explained: A5, Personal, Pocket, and the Rest
- Best Pocket Notebook for Everyday Carry? I Carry Three Instead
Frequently Asked Questions
What size bag do you need to carry a planner, pens, and an iPad?
A bag around six liters, like the Aer Day Sling 4 Max, comfortably fits a personal-size planner binder, a pen case, and an iPad Pro with room for a charger and a small tool pouch.
Is the Peak Design Field Pouch good for carrying stationery?
Yes, but with a tradeoff: I load it as one open space rather than using it to organize, so it works best as a pocket extender for a wallet, keys, Kindle, and a compact planner.
Why switch from a bound notebook to a binder-style planner?
A binder system like the MeePlus SlimPad lets pages and inserts be swapped instead of being locked into one bound layout, and its compact form factor made it easier to carry consistently than a bulkier bound notebook.
Do you always carry an iPad in your EDC bag?
No. On days without the iPad, a smaller pouch like the Peak Design Field Pouch replaces the sling, though it means leaving some of the pen and pencil capacity behind.