Full Length
- Weekly Executive Staff Meeting
- Monthly All-Hands Staff Meeting
- Desktop Scratchpad
- Everyday Notes
- Digital Notes
- Bonus: Writing (Pens)
- Yamamoto Notebook
- Rhodia Pocket Size Notebook
- Life Noble Notebook
- Studio Neat Mini Totebook (obviously)
- Meetings/Etc: Uni-ball Signo UM-151 0.38 with Blue/Black Ink
- Desk: Studio Neat Mark One
- Carry: Studio Neat Mark Two
- Alternate Desk: Lamy Safari Rollerball
- Fountain Pen: Lamy Safari Fountain Pen
- Pencil: Uni Kuru Toga Roulette
- Half Sheet Shipping Labels - Buy a bunch and use them for years.
- Package Filler
- The Best Tape & Dispenser - Shipping tape can be such a hassle to deal with. This tape is strong enough and the dispensers are best in class (you never have to find the end of the tape.
- Small Bubble Mailers
- Large Bubble Mailers
- Save Small Boxes - Recycle all of those smaller Amazon, etc boxes you get.
- Mail Scale - Knowing the correct weight will save you time and money.
- Measuring Tape - Any measuring tape will do, but having one of these makes it so much easier.
Notes About Taking Notes
Thanks to a short post (and a long thread of comments), I decided to re-think how I capture daily notes. I’m hardly a heavy note-taker, but I do have times when they’re needed.
Let’s take each one of those individually. But first a heads-up…you’ll notice one product line keeps popping up.
Weekly Executive Staff Meeting
This is an informal touching base type of meeting. There’s almost always something for me to write down, but rarely more than a few lines. In the past, I’ve used a variety of Rhodia notebooks, but I was looking for something nicer and more consistent.
Result: Studio Neat Standard Totebook
Happiness: 8/10
Monthly All-Hands Staff Meeting
This meeting is much more involved and frequently requires more notes. Fortunately, it’s something that the same notebook can easily handle.
Result: Studio Neat Standard Totebook
Happiness: 8/10
Desktop Scratchpad
While I’m working, I jot down things throughout the day. It could be reminders, a checklist, an idea, a quick sketch, etc. No limits. I’m not making any changes here, as I’ve been using the same thing for a couple years. It’s the product that first turned me on to Studio Neat. A relationship was born!
Result: Studio Neat Panobook
Happiness: 10/10
Everyday Notes
This will be the biggest change for me going forward. Over the years, I’ve tried out a lot of products. While I do like Field Notes, they just wear down quickly for me. Maybe I’m rougher than others? Maybe it’s the hot/humid climate where I live?
In any case, I’ve decided to test a few products going forward:
I’m confident one of those will work.
Digital Notes
There’s no avoiding digital notes for me. I have a large quantity of shared notes with family and co-workers. Beyond that, there are times when having a digital note just makes the most sense (for ease of access or longterm storage).
I’ve tried almost every note taking app ever imagined. Obsidian? Not for me. Same for Notion and Workflowy and Minimal and Bear, etc. The list is endless. So where have I landed?
Result: Apple Notes
Happiness: 6/10
Writing
There’s one other critical element to note taking. You have to have a writing tool! While I enjoy a nice fountain pen, I’m not the type to care and clean for them well enough to stick with the high end ones. These are the pens I use the most.
Happiness: 9/10
Wrap Up
I’m pretty happy with where I’ve landed so far. I’m sure there are improvements that can be made. It may surprise you to know I’m interested in trying out the Studio Neat Mark Three Pencil.
One product I would love to have that I’ve been unable to find is a proper note taking index-style card. My desires would be 3”x5” (or 4”x6”), subtle dot grid, medium weight paper, double sided. Maybe I can get Studio Neat to make it?
GoRuck GR2 26L
I’ve always been a believer in having a nice bag when possible. Often times, people put thousands of dollars of equipment (laptop, phone, iPad, Kindle, chargers, adapters, batteries, cameras, books, etc) in a $40 bargain basement bag. It just doesn’t make sense!
There are many solid options in a variety of price ranges. Today, I’m going to take a quick look at the GoRuck GR2 26L.
My Uses
These bags are almost indestructible. They’re frequently used by ruckers (hence the name), soldiers, and the like. I am none of those things. In fact, my primary use cases for the bag revolves around daily office use and light travel.
You can find countless reviews on the durability and functions of such a bag, so I’m gonna skip past all that. I’ll simply try to answer the question: Does it work for me?
The Good Things
It’s built to last a lifetime. I won’t get into the material specifics, but you can rest assured that it’ll handle whatever you throw at it. It has a lay-flat opening for the main compartments that I love. This is especially great for travel. Accessing what’s on the bottom of the bag is as easy as getting what’s on the top.
The laptop compartment is well built, close to your back, and out of the way of other things. The straps are perfect once they’ve broken in (they’re a little stiff initially). Unlike other GoRuck Bags, this one offers a good bit of organization.
Lastly, it looks and fits well on a variety of people. Here’s how it looks on me (6'3"):
Here’s how it looks on my wife (5'4"):
The Lesser Things
Honestly, there are no true negatives. It can be a little rough on some shirts if you wear it all day, but that’s the nature of these types of bags. Accessing the laptop can be annoying if it’s something you do multiple times per day.
The biggest drawback to these bags is the price. At almost $400 for a new one, you might think twice. However, this is a case of “you get what you pay for.” It really can be the last bag you buy.
How to Ship
Ben Brooks at Brooks Review (link is behind a paywall) recently posted some tips for shipping items. I do a lot of the same things he does but with a few slight differences.
My process is the best cheap/easy combination I’ve been able to find.
PayPal has a solid built-in integration with Shipstation, but you have to jump through a few hoops from time to time to make it work (particularly if you don't use Goods & Service or Purchase Protection). I think what I use is better, PayPal or not.
The most important part of the process is using Pirate Ship. You create a free account and don’t have to worry about any extra fees. The only money they make is through their partnerships with USPS and UPS. Because of that, they have the cheapest shipping rates you’ll find..
Pirate Ship also has the easiest and most straightforward process for getting from I’ve packed the box to the label is on and it’s ready to drop off.
Here are the products to have on hand:
I ship a lot of things, so I bought one of these roller carts from Target (IKEA has a similar one) to use as a mobile shipping station.
Lastly, if you live in an area that doesn’t have restrictions on the types of mailboxes you can have, I suggest grabbing one of these monsters. It’ll help you save countless trips to the post office, and your mailman will love you too.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links for products I use and recommend.
