Bizarro, by Dan Piraro, 24 March 2010.

Cargo Creep

Pick your pockets well…

Where did I put my compass this time? And my pen? And my map? And my wallet? And my …?

Memo to my amused friends and family: Dan Piraro, creative mastermind of Bizarro, makes my case. There are too many pockets in the world. Yes, they are everywhere. Ubiquitous. And they all weigh something.

You can find them in hats, shirts, vests, jackets, rain shells, pants, shorts, socks!, backpacks, even hidden within other pockets, and no doubt elsewhere, but I can’t find my list right now – hmmn, I’m sure it’s here with me somewhere… A few manufacturers trumpet clothing with 15 or 20 pockets, “including a secret one we can’t tell you about”.

Seriously, pockets are wonderful for holding many things: for hand warming (no gloves), load distribution (lower pack weight), convenience (priceless). But as part of an ultralight system, you don’t need lots of them in every piece of gear and clothing. Figure out what you need to keep close at hand, and practice putting each thing in the same place every time. Otherwise you’ll be carrying around a lot of black holes in which to misplace everything. I know I’ve had to pat myself down in frustration many times in the past (not quite so often anymore).

Fortunately, if you find your pocket collection has grown too large, it’s usually pretty easy to get rid of a few, either by yourself, or by a local seamstress, tailor, “alterationist”. I’ve removed many over the years from shirts, pants, packs, and especially, vests.

Thanks again, Dan, for such a cogent comic strip. By the way, for all Bizarro fans, Dan has a cool app for the iPhone.

Note: Bizarro image ©2010 Dan Piraro. Used here by permission of the artist.