How many of you men carry a man purse? I know in the midwest where I live I have never seen another male with one in the 3 years I have carried one, but I understand on the coasts and in some parts of Europe they are pretty common.

When I first got a man purse my male friends made all the necessary homosexual jokes and a few females laughed so hard they snorted. By now everyone I know is just used to it.

What is a man purse? It is basically just a purse carried by women, but fashioned to look more manly. Same thing really.

I am one of those people who hates having stuff in my pocket or on my belt. My work requires me to carry a cell phone and pager so I needed another means of carrying them than my pockets or belt.

In winter I have plenty of pockets for carrying stuff, but in summer when I wear shorts, t-shirt and sandals carrying room is at a premium.

I used to use a fanny pack, but it is a waist worn item and few are designed to organize what is carried, they are usually just one pouch.

Then I found a Lewis N Clark man purse. It is only about 11" long x 8" tall x 2-4" wide (depending on how much it is stuffed full of stuff). It has a shoulder strap to carry like a purse as well as a waist strap to carry like a nerd bag (fanny pack).

This thing has 4 zippered areas and 2 of those areas have sub areas with sub areas for organization.

In the main area I carry my keys, wallet, mini survival kit, hand held GPS, eye drops, aspirin etc. In another compartment I carry a digital camera and lots of spare batteries. In another area I carry change and a small knife. I also carry a writing pad, pen and pencil, cell phone and pager.

The purse is perhaps at half it's carrying capacity. If I wanted to I could put a smaller Glock in it and still have room to spare.

Yes, it is a purse and it is for men and I get that many find the idea too 'feminine', but for me I think it is too practical to not carry.

What do you think?

does the countycomm bob bag count??

Yeah, I have one, it's called and F350 .

I do use a computer bag from Oakley, but only if the laptop is on the trip.
Oakley Laptop Bag

I usually have a small EDC backpack on or near me for most of the time, however there are some occasions that wearing a backpack is not that conducive. On these occasions, I carry a $15.00 shoulder bag ( the term, man purse is not heard around this area). The bag can hold a fair amount of EDC and still not look out of place as they are very common here.

As I have stated many times, I have small backpack (summit style) with me at all times. It fits my lifestyle. I think a large part of pulling off a look is being committed to it.

I also have small drawstring bags with race logos on them that I will use and a roughed up canvas utility bag similar to Izzy's.

The responses to people who pick on my bag of tricks vary by the gender and apparent education of the person trying it.

To the higher brow, I point out that until very recently, all men carried a purse with their money in it, usually tucked into their tunic or cloak or belt, as the pocket was something of a rarity. The equally wise, but less frilly, I just remind them than Dan Boone, Dave Crockett and no finer butt kickers than Roger's Rangers, the US Sharpshooters, and even some units in WWII carried bags of similar size to hold much of their stuff. To women, I just ask if they want to know where I got it. (Sold a fatboy that way.) And for the tacky, I just point out to them some of us have bigger bags for a reason and they have my pity. *laughs*

Very true. I say carry whatever setup you need for the occasion and walk like you gotta brass pair. To quote Dan Aykroyd in Spies Like Us, "We mock what we don't understand."

The WWII bag was known as a musette bag. The F350 is literally my murse, my tool box and until recently my office. It even has the laptop mount like you see in EMS/LEO vehicles. Don't knock it, it's the only murse with heat and air.

Sherpadog, I like your 'shoulder bag'. I guess man purse/murse might be a midwestern term since folks around here seem to be instinctively/reflexively homophobic.

What I like about it is that it is longer from top to bottom than from side to side. My 'man purse' is longer from side to side than top to bottom which makes it look more purse like, whereas your looks more utilitarian and thus 'manly'.

I am not looking to change from what I have since I have worn it for 3 years and it looks the same as the day I got it, but if I were to do it all over again I would probably choose something taller than it is wide as it breaks the 'purse' stereotype very well.

Then again, anyone who harrasses me on account of my having a purse will have to contend with what the purse holds

When I rode the train to work I used to stow my gear in a bag VEEERY much like that shown by Sherpadog, but made by Eagle Creek. I think it was called a Guide Bag or similar.

I looked at Eagle Creek's web site and don't see it listed. The one Sherpadog showed looks so much like it I wonder if someone bought or licensed the design. Nice bag.