What's In My Bag - Tech Bag 2022 - ZERO BUDGET BACKPACK (FREE)

Hi Guys,

I am in pursuit of a tech bag since the beginning of school and college. I have been a fan of stationery products that are unique as well as collecting pens that are unique be it a fountain or gel pens. I also love collecting small stuff that is not available to the general public unless it gets printed by the brands to give away in their contests or launch event goodie bags. 

I am also a big fan of participating in online contests be it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Sooner or later, I do win some of them from time to time. There was a time when I used to participate in 100s of them weekly and will win at least 15-20 of them in my best weeks. There was also a time when I didn't win any for continuous 3 months also without any change in my efforts to participate. 

All the items showcased here in my video are collected over several years and let's analyze what constitutes a tech backpack and how you can make it too! 

1. Bag Pack - It can be anything that can take all your stuff inside and can provide easy access to carry all the necessities. I got this Thule Achiever Backpack at one of the events and since then it's been my top choice. I have got others backpacks but those are cheap quality bags given at many launch events. None of them will last as long as this Thule one. Some people also use Targus or Dell laptop bags as their tech bags which is also good. I used Google bag (extensively in London and South Africa) for a lot of many years before switching to a Converse Messenger Bag. I used both for so many years depending on where I am going. Converse Messenger Bag I still use to keep all my original documents. Later for 3-4 years, I used a Dell backpack which came with the office laptop and now recently last year I moved to this Thule Achiever backpack that came along with the white t-shirt I am wearing in the initial part of the video and some other things in Telkom Music event. 

The purpose of the bag is to provide a transportation mechanism for all your gadgets safely. Secondly, it can give you some space to put in extra things you want to carry from time to time. Thirdly, the pockets should be easily accessible but not so open that anyone can take stuff out if I am sleeping while using public transport. 

2. Laptop/Tablet - I only have an ASUS VivoBook S15 that I won from an Instagram contest by the brand way back in 2019. I upgraded the same with a 1TB SSD which made it really fast to boot and process the videos I am editing on Filmora software. I have never won a tablet so not considering the same for this zero-budget backpack. 

3. Camera - For a life of a YouTuber or Blogger, a camera is a necessity. You can also use the best of the iPhones or Samsung Ultra devices in case you have them but I don't have them so I am carrying Canon 77D in my tech bag. This camera is super powerful for all kinds of videos and photos. I won this in 2018 from an Instagram meet. Since that time this has been my go-to camera. 

4. SD Cards - Canon provided 32GB cards at one of their roadshows to all participants that I use in my camera along with an SD card reader at one of their previous roadshows. I also got a cleaning cloth and a diary pen combo that's also part of the roadshows and all this is totally free of cost. 

5. Tripods - I got some tripods from several events (Huawei, Canon etc) that are used to carry the phone or the camera in case required with the latest one from Nikon and the same they were selling at their shop for R10 also. 

6. Travel Kit - I got a travel kit bag from DJI Global when they launched DJI Mavic Mini and since then I keep all my cables, pen drives etc in the bag. All cables came free with smartphones I use and pen drives were also part of the launch event goodies. 

7. Pens and Notepads - I use some pens that can write smoothly with fine tips so anytime I attend any conference, I get to see a wide variety of pens - plastic, metal and unique ones so the one that catches my attention I use for some time. I totally love my Emirates, Ster Kinekor Prestige and Singapore Airlines pens. I am using the Payflex notepad for Bullet journalling that I got from the Money/eCommerce Expo last year. And remember, if this is your very first time using Payflex to shop, use coupon code PAYSMART100 in the Payflex checkout for R100 off when you spend R600 or more.

The purpose of the pens and notebooks is to doodle and think and write ideas on the go. I totally write down all the tasks pending on me in a small journal and then strike off once I complete them. 

8. Earphones/Headphones - I use wired Beats Solo HD headphones that I received long back and Huawei FreeLace which I also got at one of their launch events. Recently I received VIVO TWS Air wireless earphones that I am using as I have passed my Huawei FreeBuds4i to my daughter. Very soon I am moving to the Nokia Essential Headphones as they are more comfortable and packed in their own bag to have both wires and a wireless experience. All these items are trade exchanges or won from the contests or from goodies bags so totally free of cost. 

9. Powerbanks - I am using a Huawei 20000mAh power bank that I received when they launched the Sandton City store last year. Earlier I was using Samsung Powerbank 8400mAh that I received at the launch event of the Samsung Galaxy S6. 

10. Portable Hard Disk - I use this Adata HD710 Pro 1 TB that I won at the rAge Expo way back in 2017. I also bought Seagate SSD for which I won ZAR 2000 gift voucher but I paid over and above that ZAR 300 so didn't include it in this zero-budget backpack. 

11. Smartphones - I use Samsung smartphones as I won Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 when it was launched in South Africa during the launch event itself so that's my day-to-day smartphone of choice since that time. I also got a ZAR 1000 voucher that I spent on buying the Leather cover for the same. I also use Samsung Note 20 5G phone that I also won during the previous launch events and has been my companion since then. The cover for the same I bought using the gift vouchers for takealot that you can earn if you have an FNB credit card and eBucks. 

12. Smart Watch - I use Huawei Watch GT2e as I received the same during the 2021 Christmas gift they sent me. I have covered 1000 km in 2022 using the same device. 

13. Water bottles - I have multiple water bottles that I received from various brands but my mom also likes them so I generally give them away to her. My Telkom Music waterbottle I kept it in case so that I can give it to her. I have received a water bottle from YouTube Shorts that is going to be my daily drinking partner. 

14. Lip Balms and Lotions - These are from the travel kits that they give you when you travel in business class or when you go to any hotel. I use those ones till they are finished and keep other ones if required thereafter. 

15. MP3 Player - The only Apple item in my backpack is iPod Shuffle which has been with me since the start and is now around 12 years. I won one in London from McDonald's contest in 2011. 

Let me know if you liked my video and if any items I have missed packing and showing you in my backpack. Let me know if you are building your backpack as well and what all times form part of the same. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Support me with $3.34 only per month - https://www.patreon.com/TheLifesWay Namaste! https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h 

9 Years of www.TheLifesWay.com #TheLifesWay #BlogAnniversary #9YearsofTheLifesWay #2500Post

Hi Friends,

1 Dream to make The Life's Way a brand to reckon!
9th Blog Anniversary on 27th December 2021
3.46 Million Pageviews Achieved on 2500 Blog Posts

Reached Local Guides Level 9 Top Contributor in Johannesburg, South Africa

40 Million Photo Views Achieved on Google Maps with 12300+ Photos

220k Views on 229 Reviews Posted for Google Maps #LetsGuide #LocalGuides

Posted 235 Videos on The Life's Way - Youtube Channel

Crossed 845+ Subscribers and gained 150+ subscribers in 2021

#TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay

Thousands of photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Thanks to everyone who contributed and collaborated in the growth of The Life's Way!

2021 has been my best year ever in terms of getting some paid assignments in cash which is really good in terms of paying some of the bills and building on the equipment necessary to shoot the videos and write the blog posts. The next year of 2022 will be totally focused on getting more and more self-written blog posts and also getting more sponsored social media content deals. No free press releases will be posted on TheLife'sWay anymore in 2022. Before posting anything I will always ask the PR executives what's in there for me and if I feel value provided then only I will go ahead else TATA Bye Bye! as I don't want to waste my and theirs time spent on sending the same to my email ID etc.

The Life's Way in 2021 enjoyed goodies from a lot of contests as compared to the Blog and Media drops though it was much more than previous years this season. I received a lot of snacks and also a lot of online invites as the lockdown level was reduced. I did a lot of Youtube videos of unboxing goodies and also my biggest will be having a white desk of my own which I can now decorate with the RGB lights and all the gaming keyboards, mouse and mousepad. Some of the stuff I have to buy for which I am looking at the deals on takealot.com. I also factory reset my smartphone after many many years and it's a divine feeling of spring cleaning the device. Automatically, you will see that the phone starts working faster as compared to before. I also did a modelling assignment for one of the facemask companies and received a thousand rand for half a day of shooting with 3 dress changes. 

This year there was no Christmas Gifts from any brands other than Nokia who sent 4 cupcakes and I didn't get to eat as we were 6 family members and my turn never came and now from Huawei just now in the form of macaroons and biltong. But luckily I participated in some contests on Twitter and won in one or two to receive to buy my own Christmas gifts, the main one being the R2000 Gift Voucher from #PredatorTreasureHunt to shop on Acer Shop where I bought Seagate SSD 500GB for R2300 which is really beautiful and small. Another one was a Twitter contest won from CNA Africa for 2 toys from SolarPop that my kids loved playing with. Earlier in the year I won a GV of R2000 from Nescafe Ricoffy in their Twitter contest and bought all the Lindt chocolates as well as some clothes from Polo during the black Friday sale. Taking two doses of vaccine has been the highlight of the year as after the first one I got Covid positive and took a lot of time to recover but thankfully I am back to okay health. 

In my 9 Years of The Life's Way, I gifted a lot of Lindt Chocolates and other goodies to various people in PR companies and fellow influencers/celebrities who supported me throughout with launch event invites from time to time. I also packed a suitcase of products to be shared in India as I planned to travel to India in December 2021 but the flights got cancelled due to the new variant of Corona. Keisha's Youtube channel also was deleted and I intend to relaunch it in 2022. I also shifted my Internet Fibre connection from SADV/Afrihost to RAIN 5G and I am using the top package (R999 per month) which is giving me a great speed of 150+Mbps all the time. I travelled to the Northern Cape to see Namaqua National Park as well as Augrabies Waterfall in the month of Sep-21. Also, I received my first Thule Lifestyle bag ever from the Telkom Music Launch event and I am really grateful to Tencent who invited me to the event as a last-minute entry. 

I also received the legendary Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G smartphone in Phantom Black colour which is my day to day device that I won during the Foldable Launch event in Aug-21 and received in Oct-21. For the first time ever I also bought something in the Samsung shop as I bought the expensive Leather cover for my Z Flip 3 phone for R1000. This is the most expensive mobile cover I have ever bought in my life as earlier I have always bought them from takealot.com or China mall. The last one I bought was R400 for my Galaxy Note 20 from the online store of takealot.com and one before that for R200 from Celcom Pty for Samsung Note 8. I did a lot of shopping this year in terms of setting up the house from paint to furniture to various other things. During this time of setting up my new home, I also loved the LeRoy Merlin Store in Edenvale and Fourways. I visited Edenvale store more than 10 times already and Fourways for around 4-5 times.

I fell in love with the Canon's EOSM 22mm lens but couldn't find it at the right price and am still on the lookout to buy the same. I am also thinking of switching to Sony Alpha 7 series mirrorless camera by selling all the camera gear I collected over the years but the camera shops are pricing them too low for which I think that I shall gift it to my family rather than selling it. I also intend to buy the MacBook with an M1 chip along with an Apple iPad with Pencil and iPhone 13 Pro to get into the Apple ecosystem in 2022 if I travel to the USA then I will definitely buy them from there and till that time I will keep collecting money by pitching sponsored posts to all the brands. Whatever cash is earned will be going to the Apple Fund for TheLife'sWay.

In the end, thanks to all the Brands, PR executives, Marketing managers, Readers and Followers for keeping me in the loop with their products and services. I hope I have done enough justice to their products offered to me and I intend to focus on the Technology niche going forward and a lot of self-written posts on Thought Leadership and the learnings I have had in all these 42 Years on Planet Earth. Have a great festive season and a Merry Christmas and wishing you all a great Happy New Year 2022!

I am also thinking of switching from Blogger to WordPress so that I can monetize my blog in 2022. I am only going to do the paid posts which is very much clear in my mind now. I don't need this biltong and other stuff which is of no use to me and not taking me closer to my goal of buying some of the Apple products and other gadgets of my choice. I have started writing my own thought leadership articles and you can check them on my blog going forward and I hope it will create some value in your life as it has been created in mines as I share daily habits which I also want to follow or is following already.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!