# I like my guy purse! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088 "2005-02-03T01:10:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/1 "2005-02-03T01:10:10Z")
No wonder women carry purses – they’re handy! I have a canvas satchel I got free for subscribing to the New York Times, and it goes where I go. In it I carry a notebook, pen, iPod, headphones, vitamin pills, nutritional bars, checkbook, a book to read, and gloves and earmuffs (it’s cold out). What do you carry in your guy purse? ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/2 "2005-02-03T01:24:53Z")
Yes, **Walloon** , come over to the Dark Side… FaerieBeth, Evil Overmistress of Totebags ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/3 "2005-02-03T01:25:24Z")
Well, my [Timbuk2](http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/welcome.t2) bag is too large to be called a man-purse, especially since it’s more my shoulder-slung briefcase working around DC, carrying a notepad, a number of case folders, a reference binder or two, and of course my hand lotion, lip balm, book, advil, stamps, candy and/or breathmints… it really is a man-purse, isn’t it? I concede, bring on the [manpons.](http://www.kontraband.com/show/show.asp?ID=1503&NEXTID=0&PREVID=1521&DISPLAYORDER=20040805132226&CAT=tvads&NSFW=) (probably NSFW). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/4 "2005-02-03T01:43:37Z")
Hey, Johnny Carson carried a man purse. If it’s good enough for Johnny… ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/5 "2005-02-03T03:24:18Z")
El hubbo has a Patagonia 1-shoulder backpack thingie that he carries as a diaper bag. He calls it his “murse.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/6 "2005-02-03T14:40:08Z")
I carry my lunch, a book to read on the subway, and then various items like a pen, a notebook, my phone, gloves, a small umbrella. It’s also great to put small purchases in as well. I have a ‘messenger’ bag. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/7 "2005-02-03T14:57:08Z")
I have a messenger bag that I use to haul my notebook PC around, but that doesn’t count because it’s a single purpose item. What qualifies as my manpurse is the knapsack I use when I bicycle commute. All kinds of crap winds up inside, including a change of clothes… ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/8 "2005-02-03T14:58:57Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > El hubbo has a Patagonia 1-shoulder backpack thingie that he carries as a diaper bag. > > He calls it his “murse.” [hijack] Back in the day when a diaper bag was necessary, ours was a standard issue, but we refered to it as “Life Support”. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/9 "2005-02-03T15:00:44Z")
I used to have a satchel that I carried with me and it held my book, my insurance papers (so I can have it when I need to drive my employer’s car), pills, a drink, and whatever else I might need. Came in very handy. Then it somehow got torn when I got hit by a car (how the hell does that happen? I got hit, not it) and I had to throw it away. I’ll be buying a new one eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/10 "2005-02-03T15:36:04Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I used to have a satchel that I carried with me and it held my book, my insurance papers (so I can have it when I need to drive my employer’s car), pills, a drink, and whatever else I might need. Came in very handy. Then it somehow got torn when I got hit by a car (how the hell does that happen? I got hit, not it) and I had to throw it away. > > I’ll be buying a new one eventually. Ummm… Did you leg bone stick the bag? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/11 "2005-02-03T15:56:57Z")
God, no. It broke clean in all three places. Don’t even make me think about what a compound fracture would be like. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/12 "2005-02-03T16:30:40Z")
I prefer to call it my _Man Sack_. wallet, extra truck key, lip balm, credit card wallet, notebook, calculator, mints, checkbook, pen, mechanical pencil. I need a new one. Maybe a bigger one would be better. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/13 "2005-02-03T17:08:45Z")
After growing used to the convenience of carrying around my over the shoulder bag (satchel is it?) for all of college, I find myself carrying books and notebooks in it just to justify my constant carrying it aroun. It also gets my calculator, pencils, pens, spare change, breath strips, iPod, organizer, wallet and whatever else grows in its dark interior. I feel lost and empty walking around without a bag of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/14 "2005-02-03T19:48:06Z")
Behold and lust after the ultimate man purses: [Souyuz Bags](http://soyuzbags.everquestdesign.com/) made from parachute material recovered from Russian space missions! ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/15 "2005-02-03T20:14:12Z")
I’ve carry around my “purse” for probably 17 years now. I don’t think I could function without it, because it has everything I need in one place, ready to go as I run out the door. I’ve never had any odd stares or comments about it. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/16 "2005-02-03T21:19:36Z")
I’ve got my Army Surplus [Musette Bag](http://www.militaryclothing.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/030I/product-id/193499.html) that carries all my schoolbooks, plus usually a laptop, camera, cell phone, etc. Simple and strong; it’s perfect. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-my-guy-purse/288088/17 "2005-02-04T00:57:01Z")
I carry my PDA in a leather DayTimer zippered folder, and it has slots for my credit cards, I carry my checkbook in there, business cards, stamps, etc… But it isn’t a purse, it’s more of a clutch.