Yesterday we looked at why you need a murse, today let's look at potential murses

The options of a murse are pretty varied. There's the sling pack - a single strap back pack that does make you feel like you're wearing a bandolier while being athletic. But it's not a great look for the office (unless the office is some hipster outdoor clothing company). And the sling pack is becoming a Mommy look.

You can go the full backpack - go too small however and you'll look like you're carrying your wife's/partner's purse from 10 years ago. Go too big and people will assume you're looking for the nearby hostel and will shun you as some old Swedish guy that never grew up and is still 'finding' himself.

So I'm going to suggest the shoulder bag - maybe a small courier bag.


The upside on this bag is that it'll carry all that stuff you 'need' and it doesn't look like a purse. Plus by having a bike courier bag you feel like your closer to that anarchic vibe that real couriers have, maybe you'll quit that desk job buy a fixie and live free man. Of course you won’t be able to afford to eat and after a year you'll get pasted b a taxi cab and be bankrupt from medical bills. So there's that too.

You could go for the map case, it's a solid option and that this was covered by Gizmodo a couple of years ago. But the line between 'gently used' and 'beat the shit up' is very thin. Tack on the possibility that someone will start a fight with you because you have a Nazi/Commie bag and it may not be worth it. And getting anything in camo makes you look like a tool.


So get something new and avoid the bed-bug infestation.

Get a geologist field case. Unlike Nazis we still are happily creating new geologists (that shale oil isn't going to frack itself). Geologists are scientists and as a culture we like science, but geologists are rugged and outdoorsy scientists. They have rock hammers, not pocket protectors. The wear boots and denim not white lab coats and birkenstocks. This is the murse you need, a leather field bag WITH the optional acid bottle holder. You wouldn't know what to do with a bottle of hydrochloric acid but you do know that Skyler's inhaler would fit in that pocket.


I promise you that if in your next team meeting you pull out one of these, open the case and extract a notebook and pencil you'll be the envy of every guy on the team. Who's the professional now, mister fancy pen and Franklin Covey planner??

Because this is not a pen it's a rapidograph. That's not a ruler, it's a scale. And that's not a murse - it's a field case.


ursa is a father of a couple of kids, a dog and a mortgage. In his free time he creates macros and other labour saving short cuts in MS Office.