# Doper Men: A poll about your purse **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244 "2008-05-06T02:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/21 "2008-05-07T03:50:11Z")
Mine’s a pretty unashamed man-purse. I grabbed it out of the pile o totes at random and it surved my immediate purposes and got adopted. I’m not wild about the material, it’s a rubberized nylon whose texture I’m not sure I like. But it’s rugged as all hell, very simple outside, only two pockets on the end that close with velcro, perfect for writing instruments, and inside are compartments perfect for organizing files and books, and more pockets for pens and net pockets for whatnot. It’ll even carry my lunch. I’m happy with my man-purse for now. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/22 "2008-05-07T06:01:03Z")
I don’t have a purse, but I’ve always thought I should carry around a small pack with essentials just in case there’s a surprise zombie outbreak/apocalypse/etc. when I’m away from home. It would make me feel cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/23 "2008-05-07T12:35:04Z")
The only man-bag I have dangles between my legs. Purses are for men who don’t think logically. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/24 "2008-05-07T12:41:09Z")
I carry a wallet, sunglasses, keys, cigarettes and lighter. It all fits in my pockets fine, no matter what the weather. The messrs laptop have a rucksack. When I was living in Thailand and was only in shorts and a t-shirt the whole time, I carried a roll-top waterproof dive bag, which is perfectly manly. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/25 "2008-05-07T13:23:42Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] I carry a wallet, sunglasses, keys, cigarettes and lighter. [/QUOTE] Me too, minus the wallet, sunglasses, and lighter. And soon I won’t be carrying the cigarettes. My ATM card fits in a little paper sleeve, and I carry all other cards in it as well. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/26 "2008-05-07T13:38:52Z")
Living in NYC, I don’t have a car, so I don’t have a glove box, or a trunk. I do have a beautiful Coach messenger style bag that will carry many items including my portfolios and a book to read on the subway. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/27 "2008-05-07T13:47:55Z")
I have pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/28 "2008-05-07T13:53:16Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] I have pockets. [/QUOTE] Me too. I also go for “Belts with lots of pouches on them”, too. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/29 "2008-05-07T14:17:25Z")
I have thought about getting a man-bag. I keep a day-planner and would like to carry a book to read on the not-uncommon times that someone keeps me waiting. It would just be handy. But I suspect I would leave it everywhere. So no, I don’t have one. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/30 "2008-05-07T14:23:04Z")
Just pockets for me too. Smokes, phone, wallet, car key. Anything else and you’re overburdened. When I go fishing I use cargo pants to expand my pocket options. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/31 "2008-05-07T14:55:05Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] As a tangent, I’ve always wondered about people who carry around a bunch of stuff, not counting for work, of course. I see people with the hugest amount of stuff just for getting about…purses the size of duffels, or hell, just be toting an entire fricking suitcase, cell phone plastered to ear, fat full length parkas when it’s 60 degrees out. And this is for going a few stops on the Metro to a cubicle and back?!? [/QUOTE] Meh, two different philosophies of life. You may be unburdened, but I’m the guy with the camera or the pair of pliers or the flashlight or the rain gear when those things will come in handy. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/32 "2008-05-07T14:57:18Z")
[QUOTE=chaoticbear] Two. One is a small one that I got at Target that’s wonderful. The other is actually too big to be considered a man-purse, because I think it was designed to carry a laptop. The ex got it for me for Christmas one year. It’s held up amazingly well considering how rough I am on it. [/QUOTE] I have a little rucksack for a laptop too as my “man purse”, got it from my g/f for Christmas. Inside I keep my wallet, keys, phone (if I’m biking) and a magazine and book. Even without the literature, I can never keep that stuff comfortably within my pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/33 "2008-05-07T16:25:36Z")
I have a satchel, I really don’t like the term manbag (and besides pretty much every man in London has one so you’d be hard to call it unmanly here). In mine I have: a book (I challenge all you “I have pockets” guys to carry around a 400 page hardback without a bag comfortably), an umbrella (this is London), a few weight watchers guides (eating out, shopping guide), a couple of prescriptions I haven’t gotten around to picking up, a DVD a friend has lent to me, some moisturiser, a nail kit (not very manly), some aftershave, my mp3 player and a small bottle of water. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/34 "2008-05-07T16:53:55Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] I challenge all you “I have pockets” guys to carry around a 400 page hardback without a bag comfortably. [/QUOTE] Hardbacks are best for reading at home. I find that a normal paperback fits in my non-wallet back pocket just fine most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/35 "2008-05-07T20:44:00Z")
Money clip (Bills, ATM, Work Amex, License, Health Insurance Card) Keyring (w/ [itty bitty multitool](http://www.jazebra.com/utili-key.html?src=gbase)) Blackberry Smokes Lighter Why would I need a bag? It all fits in my pockets. My _front_ pockets. When I carry around the laptop, I’ve got a bag for that, but it’s only got an AC adapter and a Cat5 cable. If I’m on a flight or something, I might shove a paperback in there. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/36 "2008-05-07T21:21:27Z")
I’m with **black rabbit** on this one. For me, keys and change are in the two front pockets, wallet’s in one rear pocket. If I must have my cell phone with me, it goes either in the shirt pocket or in the pants pocket with the loose change. It’s hard to see what else I’d need to carry that I’d need a purse for. The times I’m carrying a briefcase or wearing a knapsack, it’s because I’m carrying something that wouldn’t fit in a purse anyway: books, laptop, manila folder with papers, stuff like that. So they’re not exactly purse substitutes: a woman carrying a purse would need a briefcase or knapsack to carry the same stuff. Unless she had one huge mammajamma purse. ETA: **black rabbit** , I just clicked that link. Damn, that’s cool - I’m gonna have to order me one. Or several, and give them to my friends. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/37 "2008-05-07T21:29:44Z")
Having 800 million items in my pockets, jabbing away at Little Elvis from both sides, has at times made me envy women their purses. But with laptop cases, satchels, briefcases and such, I’ve never gone to the purse. I think that’s where the fanny pack made its money, however. I think we need something uniquely ours. I propose the scrote-tote, a purselike accessory that has wrinkles, veins, etc. printed on it. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/38 "2008-05-08T02:13:47Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] In mine I have: a book (I challenge all you “I have pockets” guys to carry around a 400 page hardback without a bag comfortably) [/QUOTE] I have the complete Aubrey/Maturin series, a couple Zane Grey, far too many David Eddings books, _and_ all the Dirk Pitt novels (except the latest) in my front pocket right now. 1. I obviously have iffy taste in literature 2. ebooks rock ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/39 "2008-05-08T03:51:48Z")
Been carrying one for almost twenty years. Don’t get many comments, but if it’s a smartass, I tell them I need a place for my clips. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244/40 "2008-05-08T03:57:52Z")
I used the term “man-purse” today and got a chuckle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-men-a-poll-about-your-purse/448244.md?page=3)