i wrote this for foundtypology:
we can all agree that those stainless steel canteens are a good idea, right? less waste; a better-hydrated populace. i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that if every man, woman and child drank water from these canteens, we would be living in a utopia.
what is the only way to improve the canteen? by giving it a completely unnecessary carrying case, of course.
i came across these cases from us canteen tonight. my favorite is the bouchet case - described by us canteen as its most “elegant carrier.” this does not seem like hyperbole. carrying your stupid canteen in a hundred-dollar tote absolutely stinks of elegance. plus, since it’s made of “buttery leather” it tells people that you care about the environment in general - but not about animals specifically.
the other day i saw a gentleman on the subway wearing a tiny shoulder bag for his kindle. i was fascinated. here was a grown man, apparently in good physical health. somewhere along the way he decided that the 10-ounce kindle was simply too much for his soft, toddler-like hands to manage. this man thought to himself, “i need a bag to help me carry this monstrous kindle. but it cannot be just any bag. it must be large enough to carry the kindle, but too small to carry an actual book. also, if it could make me look like a german tourist, that would be great.” that’s a pretty specific set of demands. and yet, there are many bags out there that meet just these needs.
perhaps we are entering the age of the specialized carrying case. every morning, before we leave for work, we will array our various cases on the bed and choose the ones we will need to help us face the day. the kindle and canteen cases. the powerbar shoulder holster. we will all be quite happy to walk around like tech-savvy, carb-conscious bag ladies. then one day some retro-minded designer will reintroduce a product most of us had forgotten. this product will not hold just one item. it will hold many. marketing materials will use the language of the web to highlight this product’s virtues - “an open platform, customizable to your individual carrying needs.” it will simplify our lives and make single-purpose carrying cases seem all at once passe.
in the future, we will rediscover the benefits of owning a FUCKING BACKPACK.
Reblogged from foundtypology| |# Comments