How to use the side pockets of Pilot?

[bendan]

Hello everybody,

I got my Pilot recently and love it very much. I use it everyday as my briefcase.

But use of the side pockets is a problem to me. They are so deep that I don’t know how to use them efficiently. I’m always wasting a lot of space.

Do you have any suggestions on how to use the side pockets of the Pilot?

Thanks.

[Muni_Jedi]

I usually put stuff in them.

Seriously though, I find that using cubelets, or 3DOC helps keep things accessible in the front pockets. That or I keep items that are a bit bulkier there. Small tablets fit nicely, sunglasses, snacks etc.

[haraya]

If you don't have an item that fits the space just right ( that is, tall enough to be accessible without diving into the pocket) - then you could try either a stuff sack or an Organizer Pouch of the right size, on a keystrap if necessary. I find that the Halcyon/nylon also makes it easier to slide things in and out of pockets.

(Note that in some cases, the clear-front pouches can be stickier than the all-fabric versions.)

Hello everybody,

I got my Pilot recently and love it very much. I use it everyday as my briefcase.

But use of the side pockets is a problem to me. They are so deep that I don’t know how to use them efficiently. I’m always wasting a lot of space.

Do you have any suggestions on how to use the side pockets of the Pilot?

Thanks.

[G42]

I use the built in organization for some things and also a combination of: mini OPs, small OPs, Cubelet, Travel Cubelet, mini Q-Kit, small Q-Kit, Stuff Sack size1, Pocket Pouch, 3DOC, etc.

It really depends on what I need for the day or the trip...I mostly use it as a briefcase when I'm on work trips and am using the A30 on my back.
My EDC is the S19 and I use a lot of the same pouches - they go back and forth... I find the pockets on the Pilot quite useful.

[BWeaves]

For travel, one side gets a Clear 3-D pouch with toiletries, and the other side gets a SE or TC that I'll use as a purse once I get to my destination.

For everyday use, one side gets pens, keys, glasses case, and the other side gets wallet and phone, or a TC with wallet and phone in it.

[AHesting]

Assuming I have a water bottle in the water bottle pocket, I will often put a travel coffee mug in one of the side pockets.

[Kaadk]

All depends on what I'm doing with it.

Travelling:

Left pouch (looking from the front):

• iPad Mini in the pocket
• Electric razor, travel electric toothbrush and foldable hairbrush in the bottom
• 3DCOC with toiletries attached to 16" keystrap attached to the o-ring

Water bottle pouch:

• Socks and underwear

Right pouch:

• Pen/Stylus in a pen slot
• Travel chopsticks in a pen slot
• Dry erase marker in a pen slot
• Business cards in a case in the 'phone' pocket
• Microsoft Arc mouse behind the card case
• Bottle opener on a keystrap attached to the o-ring
• Keys on a keystrap attached to the o-ring
• Mini OP pouch with lightning/watch charging cables loose in the bottom
• USB charger loose in the bottom.
• Passport sleeve loose in the bottom.
• Client id/badge (if I have one at the time) loose in the bottom.
• Phone and wallet go loose in the pocket, on top of the other loose stuff, as I pass through airport security.

Main pocket:

• Pilot packing cube with pants and shirts
• Laptop (sometimes in a cache, sometimes in an Amazon Basics sleeve, often just loose and unprotected)
• Power supply for laptop loose on top of laptop.

If I'm travelling to a local client, and using it more in EDC mode:

Left pocket:

• iPad Mini in the pocket
• If winter, toque and gloves might end up in here.
• If summer, sometimes a backup emergency protein bar or two goes in here for when I'm stuck in meetings and miss getting lunch.

Water bottle pocket:

• Either a water bottle, or a coffee thermos, depending on my needs. Sometimes both, water on way to work, coffee in hand, coffee on way home, water bottle in hand.

Right side pocket:

• Pen/Stylus in a pen slot
• Travel chopsticks in a pen slot
• Dry erase marker in a pen slot
• Business cards in a case in the 'phone' pocket
• Microsoft Arc mouse behind the card case
• Bottle opener on a keystrap attached to the o-ring
• Keys on a keystrap attached to the o-ring
• Mini OP pouch with lightning/watch charging cables loose in the bottom
• USB charger loose in the bottom.
• Passport sleeve loose in the bottom (if a cross border client)
• Client id/badge (if I have one at the time) loose in the bottom.
• Earbuds in their case, (either PowerBeats or Apple's, depending on how I feel) loose in the bottom.
• In winter, the backup emergency protein bar ends up in this pocket, so the left pocket can accommodate my toque and gloves.

Main pocket:

• Laptop in Cache
• Power supply for laptop loose in pocket.

[pkshooter]

I use a small snake charmer in one of the pockets. I usually keep my laptop power brick and phone chargers in one side of the snake charmer and my AirPods and portable battery in the other side of the snake charmer. I keep a pencil pouch and other smaller stuff in the other side. When traveling, my noise cancelling headphones fit nicely in one of the large pockets and the other one I typically keep my toiletries kit.

[aedifica]

When I use my Pilot for class, I put a Side Effect in one pocket to act as a purse; the other pocket usually holds a folded cardigan these days, though I used to put another brand packing cube (similar to the 3DOC) there with my pen case, calculator, and other odds and ends needed for class.

[moriond]

Hi @benden,

You've received some great, and very detailed answers to your questions. I think, for many people, Side Effects and 3D Organizer Cubes are frequently used in these side pockets, as some of the answers mention. However, I thought it might help to point you to the Pilot owners, please post pics of your pockets! thread from a year ago (February 2018) that @chaimonkey started, with a request for a "visual tour" of the Pilot then being considered for purchase. I included a number of old forum pictures in my reply post. Just for the record, the largest accessory I was able to fit into the side pockets at that time was the Standard Size Spiff Kit. At 2.5 liters, it's bigger than the Small Snake Charmer (2.0 liters), and also has a larger cross section.

HTH

moriond

[BWeaves]

For travel, one side gets a Clear 3-D pouch with toiletries, and the other side gets a SE or TC that I'll use as a purse once I get to my destination.

For everyday use, one side gets pens, keys, glasses case, and the other side gets wallet and phone, or a TC with wallet and phone in it.

I want to add: While the SE makes the best use of the space of the Pilot front pocket, the SE opens from the side, so I have to remove the SE from the Pilot front pocket in order to get to the SE contents. I switched to using a TC. It's not quite as good a fit, but it opens from the top, so I don't have to remove the TC from the Pilot front pocket in order to access the TC contents.

[adamlanghans]

I have a cubelet in each of the front side pockets. They perfectly take up the bottom half of the pocket, leaving access to the built in organization. Each of them is attached to the o-ring with a keystrap. One of them contains some throat spray, contact cleaner, a couple bandages, and extra contacts. The other has a wireless phone charger, cables, and a wrist rest for my mouse hand. One of pockets also has a mini organizer pouch connected to the o-ring which contains some earbuds. I couldn't be happier with the organization of this bag!

[bendan]

I want to add: While the SE makes the best use of the space of the Pilot front pocket, the SE opens from the side, so I have to remove the SE from the Pilot front pocket in order to get to the SE contents. I switched to using a TC. It's not quite as good a fit, but it opens from the top, so I don't have to remove the TC from the Pilot front pocket in order to access the TC contents.

The dimension of TC is bigger than SE. Does it mean that TC is harder to be squeezed into Pilot?

[Shortie]

I keep my TC in the left front pocket of my Pilot. The TC fits easily but I also don't have it stuffed like a sausage.