Can I make my Maker’s Bag work or get a different bag?

[Finnabair]

Hi...first time poster and apologies for the long post!
I have a Nordic Halcyon Maker’s Bag I bought about a year ago and I’m trying to ‘make’ it work for me as an EDC. I really like the bag...it may be a tad big but I’m ok with that. I like having some extra space. I don’t pack the bag full...the Catch-22 causing the issue...which is the utter shapelessness of the bag when it doesn’t have a bunch of stuff in it to actually give it shape. I carry it over one shoulder (I don’t like carrying crossbody) and the bag just becomes a puddle when worn. The top flap sags, the sides moosh inwards...it collapses.
Here’s what I usually carry in a bag:
A leather personal items bag about 7” long x 5” high x 1.5” deep
A nylon zipper bag with three small eyeglass cases in it (about 5” x 6” x 2” )
A compact leather Sunglass case
A very small wallet (3” x 3” x 1”)
Mints, a few small things like that.
Couple of Field Notes notebooks (no cover)
Small case for 3 pens
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Occasionally a Kindle Paperwhite

So here’s what I’ve tried:
Stiff cardboard in either the front, back or both big zipper pockets. (Not a solution I can live with!) The bag looks, and hangs best with the cardboard in both the zipper pockets.
A couple of different sizes of those really cheap nylon purse organizers (gives some shape and keep the bottom from sagging) This helps with the general collapsing but not with the badly sagging flap.
A really stiff felt purse organizer (yuk...turned the bag into a box on a strap).

So, I’m turning to you more knowledgeable Bihnions.
Would a MB FS cure my ills?
Any other solutions that would give an understuffed MB shape?

The other option I am serious considering is just getting a different bag for an EDC rather than investing in a FS that may or may not do what is needed. And when I say EDC I mean the bag replaces my purse.
I have looked at all the TB options and decided Co-Pilot in Halcyon may be my best bet. Will it hold the items above? I don’t mind that the CP has a boxy shape. For reference the bag I’ve been carrying is an MZ Wallace medium Sutton (don’t know how to post a link or photo) and it’s quite boxy.
The other bag I am obsessed with is the PU in Halcyon. How ‘squishy’ and moldable to the body is the PU in the softer fabric? Since that bag is bigger than the MB I would actually PREFER that it collapses when underpacked. I love the ‘banana’ hobo shape of the PU and the interior organization on both the PU and the CP. How would the halcyon PU or the halcyon CP be as an EDC for a 5’7” not very skinny woman?
The Swift, Pop Tote, DLBC, SK just don’t appeal to me or are too small or too big and all backpacks are out.

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums @Finnabair!

I don't have a MB, so can't help you there - but hopefully folks will chime in.

[BrittaKnitta]

I have a copilot and a makers bag, which is new to me. I don’t mind my mb being a bit softer, but I’ve found that when I keep larger, flat notebooks in the back zip pocket, that helps it to have more structure without overfilling the bag. When I keep my notebooks there, even without anything in the open compartment, the bag stands up by itself.

I used the cp for several years, but finally found myself too frustrated with the boxiness and lack of space. It always sticks out even when not full, thanks to the built in organization, and yet is too segmented to put much in it that isn’t flat and square. The bottle pocket is too short for a 16 oz bottle. I very much prefer the mb to the cp.


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[Fructa]

Re: getting the maker bag to hold its shape: I've had good results putting stiff cardboard, cut to size, in both of the water bottle pockets. They're too small for my water bottle anyway (40oz Kleen Kanteen), and having something rigid in there allows the bag to stand up on its own, pretty much. I also keep a stiff folder in the back zip pocket.

[DWSeattle]

Cross body carry will help and the soft structure of the bag will come into play, with it wrapping around your side in a stable and more comfortable way.

A bag hooked on your shoulder is always in danger of slipping and creating more leverage on your neck amd shoulder. That said, you shouldn't carry as much weight in a shoulder or crossbody bag as you might in a backpack. IMHO, a few pounds is it for anything but walking from the car to your office, etc. I


So a big bag like a MB should be limited to a few personal items and something bulky and relatively light like a sweater or rain jacket but not a bunch of books, files, big wayer bottles and the like. I had a MB and find a medium Cafe Bag or a Daylight Briefcase more practical for all day wear.