"Purses" for men

What is the closest equivalent for a purse for men?

One site I found that might apply is the MAN-n-BAG. They have messenger bags and other stuff. But what other stuff is there?

Purses are so convenient. One can throw tons of stuff into it. What can a man use? I just can’t go grab a purse and haul it around. Whenever I have to hold my sister’s purse, or fish something out of it for her while she’s driving, I feel like this is something I can really use.

WRS

I know a guy that has a Bible case and he keeps everything else in it to like money, credit cards, photos, keys, and whatever can fit he carries that around wherever he goes it’s sort of like a purse.
Other than that I think in 10 years half of men will carry some type of man purse and it won’t even be a big deal.

That’s why God gave us pockets. It’s what separates us from the women. Except the marsupial women.

In Japan, there are purses for men that don’t raise a glance when used. I was given one as a going away present, but can’t imagine using it in the US.

As it is now, I carry a satchel around with me to carry things, something like this. I can’t think of anything smaller that’s more socially acceptable.

Yeah, but guys pluck their eyebrows and shave their arms in Japan. Ah, pockets. My third favourite orifice.

Yep, pockets it is. I’m enough of a I-don’t-care-what-anyone-thinks to be sure that if I were a woman, I would still use pockets. Pockets rule. Pockets are a lot less prone to theft. Pockets allow you to put your cellphone on vibration. Pockets allow you to feel what you’re carrying around without having to do anything, or at best pat (:tingle:, yes I’ve got my keys with me).

When I buy a coat, it has to have at least one decent sized inside pocket that can carry, for instance, a folded newspaper or a DVD.

Pockets rule.

When (the three regular) pockets become too small, I usually use a backpack. The downside of backpacks are … my cats. I’ll spare you the details, but if you’re wondering why you see them standing outside of my house in the middle of winter … .

A male friend of mine used to carry a fanny pack with him. (I’m not sure I ever saw him wear it). Of course, the average fanny pack is far less sophisticated looking than is a purse intended for an evening at the opera.

I’ve seen black leather diaper bags which could substitute for a small backpack that a guy could probably use.

(personally, I’m female and generally try to put all the stuff I need to carry in my pockets. It usually works-although not always if I dress up).

Are you kidding?
Backpacks

Briefcases

Floppy briefcases

Gym Bags

Shopping Bags
There’s no end of substitutes.

It’s pockets for me too. Wallet, keys, pocket knife. Cell phone clips on my pants, or belt.

I work with two guys that bring backpacks into work every day. They drive to work, go home everyday for lunch. I just wonder what the heck they need a backpack for.

I guess once you get used to carrying a bunch of stuff around, it’s hard to break the habit.

Once you take the time to carry a bunch of stuff around, you wonder why you never did before. I love bags. I have two satchel-like things and a regular style backpack that I switch between, depending on what I’m doing. Most normal purses for women are far, far too small. They’re more of an accessory than anything useful. If it can’t hold two magazines, a book (or three), a calculator, a can of loose tobacco, cigarette tubes and machine, some pens, and an electronic Yahtzee game, why bother? That’s what I always say.

In high school I was Kid-Cargo ©, I never wore anything but nice and pocketed cargo pants. I’d fill the pockets with my various daily electronics, palm pilot, cell phone, mp3 player, etc. But when I came to college I decided I didn’t like Cargos and so I got a very nice messenger bag for my birthday and I use it quite regularly.

Funnily enough one of my friends called it a man purse this week, and I just shrugged and pointed out what I carried in this bag was what he had strapped to his back.

He left me alone about it after that.

[Obligatory Seinfeld reference]It’s not a purse! It’s European![/Obligatory Seinfeld reference]

Because of my carpal tunnel I can’t carry a briefcase, so I needed a substitute with a shoulder strap. The best one I found was by Kenneth Cole. None of the ones on that page look quite right, and I got mine at a big sale so I can’t compare prices. But it looks professional, has all the right compartments inside, and can carry a ton comfortably because the strap is properly designed, unlike most of the other ones I tried.

That last issue is so important - to me, at least - that I suggest not buying anything you haven’t tried on in a store.

Go to the Army Surplus store. They’ll have various types and sizes of satchels. Army green, khaki or black, heavy canvas - now that’s a manly purse! :stuck_out_tongue:

If purses are so much better than pockets, why do I always end up carrying my wife’s wallet, keys, and cell phone – the three items that one should never let someone else carry.

I usually wear a fishing/photojournalist’s vest with a ton of pockets. If for some reason I don’t wear that, I wear a jacket or coat with pockets. I wear a backpack to work. Many men carry courier bags, briefcases, portfolios of various kinds. You could also use a waist bag. One friend of mine got some kind of cell phone/PDA carrier that he also used for his wallet and keys.

I always sigh when a woman needs to write a check/whatever and she hands her purse to her SO. A few times I’ve made eye contact and given him a smirk. OK, if you have a bag designed to be carried by a male, fine. But you look silly as hell standing there holding her obviously babe bag. Sit the damn thing down on the counter, or better yet learn how to write a check. :wink:

Heck, it doesn’t bother me. I view it in the same way as buying sanitary napkins for my wife – well, obviously they’re not mine. It just shows you I’ve got a honey back home. I don’t mind holding her purse for a few minutes. It just annoys me when she decides she doesn’t feel like carrying a purse and then I have to carry her stuff for her because women’s clothes don’t have any freaking pockets!

Years ago I worked with a veterinarian who did ear crops. He used the cardboard applicators from tampons as supports to hold the ear upright. When he got low on tampons we would send a minimum wage teen guy to the local mini-mart with instructions to buy as many boxes as he could. I tagged along once to watch and the look on the cashiers face was priceless. The kid made two or three trips from the aisle to the counter, and asked the cashier if there were any more boxes in the back. :smiley:

That is exactly my problem.

I carry a messenger bag [this one] when I can, but it’s not exactly formal enough to wear all the time. When I dress up I tend to wear pants that have a slimmer cut and putting anything in my pockets larger than a very slim wallet, especially keys, looks ridiculous – I think.

I’m sure I could find something that would work, but I’d be constantly worrying about leaving it someplace.

Oh, please. I remember people saying the exact same thing, with the exact same timeframe, in the 1960s. It didn’t happen, and ain’t gonna happen.

That said, the briefcase is a pretty good equivilant. If you want a shoulder strap, a laptop case works just fine. And nobody but you need know there isn’t a laptop inside.