Of course, for someone in a scientific-technical profession, the skill and art to solve problems is part of the daily life. That’s what we have been trained for, that’s what we do. And one of the approaches to solve a problem is to imagine where else a compatible problem may have come up and what solutions may have been found in other fields of science and technology to solve this problem. Some call this lateral thinking.
So, where else do people need practical bags to carry their gear, their professional and private bits and pieces? Which other professions carry tools and equipment in a shoulder bag?
Many! Doctors and health workers, rescue workers. Plumbers and electricians, pilots, police, army, law enforcement, hunters, surveyors. Ah. – So there are doctors’ bags, rescue bags, pilot bags, police bags and some other, unsuspected others.
The first group I checked out, were doctors’ bags. I went through the catalogs and all the websites offering gear or the health workers. Half of the bags I saw were red, with a red (or white) cross on them saying “I am here, I came here to rescue you…”. Too obvious, too specific for my purpose. The other group of bags were those which doctors might use when they are called to a terminally ill patient. Morphine and a form to fill out for the insurance. Black, leather, expensive and inherently sad equipment. Or those toolboxes for midwifes when they get on their 750cc motorbike and drive at night through the rain to help some woman in a distant village to give birth. Big huge bags. All nice and purpose-built, – but not what I want to carry to my office or into a client office.
Next, we will look at my new pilot bag.