What's your Clutterbug style?

[loma]

Clutterbug is the organizing philosophy of professional organizer Cas Aarssen. It divides people into 4 organizing styles based on whether they prefer macro- or micro-organizing, and having things visible or hidden away.

Butterfly = visible, macro-organizing
Bee = visible, micro-organizing
Ladybug = hidden, macro-organizing
Cricket = hidden, micro-organizing

She developed this system to explain how people organize their homes, but maybe it applies to the kinds of bags we like too? I am a cricket and I think my favorite bags are pretty cricket-ish: Luminary, Synapse 19, Aeronaut, and packing cubes and pouches galore. They offer many compartments for separating different types of contents, but hide it behind a sleek exterior. And I love my Everyday Cubelet but wish it had more pockets. Probably a lot of crickets on this forum!

[Cristina]

This is so interesting! I’ve never heard of this, but I definitely would be a bee. I don’t like anything to be hidden away, I like to see everything. I also love pockets, the more the merrier, unless the pockets cause stuff to be too hidden, then I tend to prefer to have it all accessible in one large pocket.

[b1gsky]

I hadn’t heard of this either, but I am probably a ladybug… I hate visible clutter (or even too many decorations), but my cupboards aren’t super organised when you open doors. I personally know where things are, but that’s because I put them away and don’t have tons of stuff to start with.

[nsh]

This was cool to learn about! I took the quiz on line and enjoyed reading about the tips for Crickets! Not surprisingly, given my love for all the little pouches and compartments in the PU- I am a cricket

[zkai5]

I'm either a Ladybug or a Bee. I tend toward easily accessed, minimal macro organization. I need my items to have a "home", but I need to be able to access it quickly and easily. I lose track of items that are too hidden or too well organized, but get frustrated by a lot of visual clutter, or no organization at all.

My ideal organization is large, overarching "systems" and "kits"- basic categories of like items bundled together near where they will be used. I like colorful open baskets on a shelf, and labeled drawers with basic sections for like items.

For my bag, I like a fairly open, accessible bag with a few pockets and basic organization. I thought the Synapse/Syniks would be the perfect bag, because I could just put like items together into separate pockets. I liked my Synapse, but the system only partially worked, because other than a few essentials, what I need to carry changes on a daily basis. Only essential items that I carry daily, have a designated spot. Any other items or kits I need to carry that day usually get thrown into a "catch all" spot, like the main compartment or water bottle pocket.

After it was discontinued, I got to try a Smart Alec, and realized that it would be a better bag for me. It has a lot more open capacity for bulky items or the kits of the day, and a few pockets to give my essentials a designated "home". Everything is open, easily accessible, but also simply organized. I know where everything is at, and it looks fairly neat/tidy.

[G42]

zkai5 You would probably like the Shadow Guide and Paragon layouts too... Big empty space with a bit of organization

[zkai5]

G42 Thanks very much for the suggestions

I have already tried out the Shadow Guide, but haven't been able to check out the Paragon yet. I liked the Shadow Guide a lot, but I liked the Smart Alec just a little bit more. I was hoping TB would do one more run of them, for the people who missed it.

The Shadow Guide was excellent, and I loved the internal "organization". The pros of the SG (in my opinion) are it's big open compartment, and the minimalist design. The user mostly builds their own organization, and it can fit a lot of stuff. I also like that it looks pretty normal in most environments.

I was not as much a fan of the top "brain" pocket and the lack of external attachment points. I know that big pocket is a hiking toploader bag staple, but I find them to be cumbersome in use. They tend to get heavy/bulky fast, and get in the way of getting into the bag. As for the lack of external attachment points, I didn't realize how much I use them until they were gone. I don't need a whole Molle system, but I often have to carry miscellaneous items on the outside of the bag, such as trekking poles, a camera tripod, a wet rain jacket, wet shoes, etc. I tried to rig something up using the compression straps and the bottom loop, but it was not as good as a dedicated solution.

I'm hoping to try out the Paragon soon, especially if I can get my hands on a Guides edition. I'll probably post a review/comparison of all the bags at some point, depending on how much time I have in my schedule. Also, I may order a Shadow Guide of my own, keep it around for a while, and see if it grows on me. Other than the Smart Alec, the Shadow Guide and the Guides edition Synapse seem to be the two bags that come the closest (so far) to what I'm looking for.

[G42]

zkai5

You were in the thread lobbying for the return of the Smart Alec, so I believe you know that they're working on an updated version
https://forums.tombihn.com/forum/tom...928#post332928

It does sound like you should try out the Paragon GE version and see how you like it, especially vs the existing SA.... I have both versions of the Paragon but haven't had a lot of time yet to play with the GE version. I'll be driving cross country in September and I'm contemplating taking this as my primary laptop & daypack or the SG23...decisions, decisions...
The shape of the space on the two packs is a consideration... the Paragon more rectangular and the SA/SG more square, if that makes any sense.

I hope you do get one and run some comparisons for us all

[zkai5]

Yes, I was so excited to read that! If I recall correctly though, Darcy mentioned that it would most likely be early 2022 before TB could offer a pre-order.

I have several reviews to do that have just been backlogged due to the pandemic chaos. I'm hoping to get to them soon. I really enjoy the care that went into the design and production of the bags. All of the TB bags that I've tried/tested have been awesome, even if some of them weren't for me. When I actually do my reviews, I'll try to show the bags side-by-side for a size comparison, as well as answer a few questions that I had when I was looking at reviews. I will also try to focus on differences that affect/change practical use of the bag, rather than specs that can be easily looked up.

The Paragon looks like it would be a good lightweight laptop bag for such a trip, as does the Shadow Guide 23. Decisions indeed. What usually helps me decide which bag I will carry is what other stuff I have to carry as well. I get the stuff I will need together, and choose the lightest, most comfortable bag that fits it all nicely. If the itms will change day-to-day on the trip, I do the same thing for each setup, and pick the one that best matches my carry.

[Jlange]

I took the quiz- definitely a bee. I've been on a big basket/kit making kick in my house and have gotten immense pleasure from having things corralled by use. (My favorite? I made a salad basket to go in the fridge!) As far as bags go, I have stuck with my Icon as my everyday bag lately, though I got in Maker's bag recently (used sale). This makes me think that once school life starts back up in the fall, I may want to re-evaluate to do something more modular- Maker's bag + Freudian Slip, perhaps? Last year, I mainly carried my Swift and it kinda became a black hole at times.

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums Jlange !