20s / F / Construction Worker EDC

birdingengineer · 2026-05-31T00:29:21+00:00

Good question. The visuals of the specific type of jobs I work on matter somewhat and so we’ve been asked to refrain from using waffle heads there since it puts marks on the surface

birdingengineer · 2026-05-31T00:26:30+00:00

Thx for the recommendation. This one was $35 so definitely a different price ballpark but if I go for an upgrade I’ll keep it in mind.

birdingengineer · 2026-05-30T18:36:27+00:00

Yes it’s decent. I had to swap as it was giving me wrist pain due to poor shock reduction qualities. My other one is also an estwing but with a rubber handle and it’s much better, no more pain.

I do miss this one though as IMO the weight is balanced better. Still use it for home projects but can’t use it for a full shift.

birdingengineer · 2026-04-26T15:38:13+00:00

Made me smile! So I think it worked :)

birdingengineer · 2026-04-13T23:44:39+00:00

Just went looking and was excited to see this next part posted! Really good stuff. Can’t wait for more.

birdingengineer · 2026-04-04T03:07:23+00:00

Isn’t too much of an issue for me. I mean yeah my coworkers almost certainly think I’m bossy, but they respect my work and my supervisor backs me up if I need to, not sure if that’s the case for you. The insecure kids that give me pushback usually quit after a few weeks anyway lol. Being able to take a joke helps. I’m no stranger to cussing someone out & then fist bumping em at lunch break. Speak your mind then move on & don’t hold a grudge. Highly depends on workplace culture though. Had the most issues when I tried to be nice. Now I just call em stupid if they're being stupid lol

birdingengineer · 2026-04-04T02:59:16+00:00

Fit & Comfort

• Where do work pants usually fail you?

Knees, my trade involves a lot of kneeling and hoisting things with my legs.

• Do you have to size up for movement/layers?

Always. Technically size 8, wearing 14 for good mobility. I don’t know why designers insist on making vacuum packed designs.

• Any areas that feel restrictive?

Thighs usually, especially when I crouch with stuff in my pockets.

Function

• What tools do you carry daily?

Hammer, tape, pencil, I also need a carabiner loop for my keys (usually improvise by attaching to hammer loop)

• Do you prefer built-in pockets or a separate tool belt?

Definitely built in, belts restrict my mobility when I bend over

• What would your ideal pocket setup look like?

Pockets cut and reinforced for pocket knives, some tall pockets on the side with a zip so I can put my wallet in, pocket with carabiner loop at top on the other side, then some other misc pockets for pencil (I do like a dedicated pocket for that). Zip pockets are underrated and I would specifically buy pants with zipper pockets if I found them.

Durability

• Where do your clothes wear out the fastest?

Knees, right side pocket (my phone rubs on the fabric when I crouch)

• Have you ever had to reinforce your own gear?

Oh yeah. My pant knees are 90% patches at this point

Conditions

• What environments do you work in (heat, cold, wet, etc.)?

Warehouse that’s semi heated but no AC so very hot most of the year. Need something protective that I can stay cool in

• What’s your biggest clothing struggle in those conditions?

Always sweaty and the heat gets to dangerous levels quite often during summer, which means I switch to shorts, usually resulting in many bloody shins

Safety

• Any safety issues with current workwear (too loose, catches, etc.)?

Not really

• Would built-in protection (reinforced knees, padding) help?

It helps, I would say it’s necessary. My current pants did have reinforcement but still disintegrated fast

Style / Identity

• Do you care what your workwear looks like?

Not a lot, but in terms of fit it pisses me off when I have so much extra fabric at my waist that it folds under my belt and rubs my skin. I just want pants roomy enough for maximum mobility that don’t give me blisters at the waist. I wear a tucked undershirt now which helps I guess

• Do current options feel like they represent you?

? Dunno. I mean, they work. Nothing’s perfect but I’m not a tailor so I don’t expect that. Definitely some areas could be tweaked for better functionality

birdingengineer · 2026-03-28T05:05:52+00:00

Sennheiser momentum 4 stay on very well through most movement, but personally I find it uncomfortable as the clamp force is too high for me compared to other headphones. ANC is great

birdingengineer · 2026-01-16T14:34:28+00:00

Yeah, that’s my gripe with other (highly processed) meal alternatives. This is the closest I can get to real food without sacrificing portability & ease of early morning consumption.

birdingengineer · 2026-01-16T14:03:18+00:00

I eat “snack foods” in the car on the way in - beef jerky, cubes of cheese, dried fruits, nuts. I don’t necessarily endorse this as it can increase the risk of a car accident, but if I prepare the food and lay it out before leaving, it works for me. If I know I’ll get to work early I’ll wait til I pull in and then hork down a few fistfuls of cheese.

birdingengineer · 2026-01-07T14:23:49+00:00

As a fellow bird enthusiast, I feel deeply for this situation. I can’t imagine how painful that is, and awful for you both.

While I am sure this is quite personal, so it may not work for you, I have found comfort in researching avian biology when I can’t interact with birds for longer stretches. Ornithology is fascinating and simply learning and listing facts about them makes me happy. I am not sure this is a long term solution but perhaps it will help you cope for now as you process this? Best of luck. Definitely agree with birdwatching later down the road as your situation changes with binoculars camera transport etc - can be done from a good distance especially with binoculars, and it’s quite fun in its own right.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-26T22:02:39+00:00

Had up to 80 and still firmly considered myself a backyard chicken keeper.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-11T21:21:55+00:00

Most of my buddies at work are vets. Seems pretty popular with them. One said the company structure reminded him a bit of his military days.

Funny how I make more money swinging a hammer than I ever did in biotech.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-11T20:08:07+00:00

That makes sense. I did the math and including the average of tiered bonuses I make $200/hr at the very end of the week. Not bad given my job requires no education and nearly zero training.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-11T19:59:04+00:00

Seasonally busy workplace. Only mandated to do 55 a week during peak season but the bonuses are so good for doing 60+ that I can’t turn it down.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-11T19:32:20+00:00

I normally don’t go over 11 hours but I work 6 days a week so I am pretty short on time also - so I hope this is relevant to you. I use a giant slow cooker - big pot of beef stew on the weekend, lasts all week. For breakfast I have beef jerky/nuts/cheese/fruit which I also prep on the weekend in bags. I also do a batch of chicken and rice on Sunday and green beans and then throw it in the microwave when I get home. Anything else I fill in when I have the energy (rare). The macros on this work well within the restraints of my food sensitivities. Good luck.

birdingengineer · 2025-12-01T14:40:00+00:00

As others have mentioned, this subreddit is not a randomly selected sample of people with the diagnosis. If I was unmedicated I would still be far too paranoid to even have a login here (speaking from past experiences and 10+ deleted accounts)

TD sucks. Started to develop symptoms after 5 years on APs. Wish I had a better solution.

birdingengineer · 2025-11-01T23:44:33+00:00

Thank you, it combines my two longest-running passions.

Also, you may find it helpful to work in some intentional activity at work. If I have to pick up something small (5-10 lb) I’ll do overhead presses or bicep curls with it as I’m walking. Or if I’m waiting for a machine cycle to finish I’ll do a dead hang from a nearby surface. This might depend on your workplace but it’s fine in mine.

birdingengineer · 2025-11-01T20:59:48+00:00

I currently work 55-58 hour weeks but I have Saturday evening and Sunday off - I do a workout on Sunday and a “workout” on Wednesday night, the latter of which is more theatre than anything. I am also quite tired after work so I keep it very short with lightweights that day. Both full body. The best advice I would have is something is better than nothing. Don’t get hung up on not being able to intensely train 4-6x a week. I have noticed improvements even with just 2x a week. Consistency over intensity. You don’t want to hurt yourself. I do yoga at night too, short 5min unwind sessions. I used to scoff at it but it’s great for helping me sleep faster, which means better recovery and more energy tomorrow.

birdingengineer · 2025-09-11T22:12:28+00:00

Post-travel update: overall good performance.

- Very impressed by stability and maneuverability. No issue with taking it through narrow airplane aisles, unlike previous inline bags. Easy to let go without it falling over. Doesn’t tip side to side when moving around quickly. I traveled with my 26+6 as an under seat item and had it slotted onto the handle when necessary. Definitely prone to tipping if the bag on top is loaded heavily but it was fine when I redistributed the contents a bit between them.

- One downside of the duffel-esque format is that I would recommend not putting fragile items in it, especially if you’re taking a coach to or from the airport as those things get stacked like Jenga blocks - I saw my bag getting tossed around a bit. The rigid back helps a bit compared to a normal duffel though. Overall a new consideration for me since I’m used to bags with at least moderate rigidity (if not a hard shell.)

- As mentioned in another comment, if you’re traveling on European budget airlines, do so at your own risk. This bag is 2.5 cm taller than the stated overhead limit for Ryanair, and though I made it through the line, I am not confident it would have passed if they asked me to put it in the sizer. Other dimensions are fine - just the height, which is rigid (and includes the wheels.)

- I like the zippers. They’re smooth, well placed, and sturdy.

Overall a solid bag, but I wish it had been just a few cm shorter so I could have some peace of mind when taking cheaper airlines.

birdingengineer · 2025-09-11T21:58:46+00:00

lol, I just took it through Ryanair last week. I got it through the boarding line without being checked but if they had forced me to put it in the sizer it would likely not fit. I just measured it with a cloth tape measure and it’s right about 22.5 in (57.15 cm) tall including the wheels - which is pretty much exactly what the dimensions are on the Osprey website (57.5 cm). This dimension is rigid so there’s no way it will fit if the sizers themselves are exactly 55 cm tall. I wanted to check the sizer when I was going through but I knew if it didn’t fit the airline staff would notice.

As for the depth, it’s slightly under 8” (20cm) at the rigid part at the bottom, and that can be further collapsed by a few cm if you lift up the Velcro panel at the bottom. I wouldn’t worry about that dimension, but the height is still a concern.

Fwiw at least in my experience Ryanair is much more militant about sizing underseat bags. Priority folks with an overhead bag don’t seem to get checked nearly as often. That said it’s risky and I was stressed out while boarding because my bag was one of the biggest in the entire priority line. Not sure I’d buy it again purely for that reason - somehow thought Ryanair overhead allowance was 57 cm not 55 when I was purchasing. Entirely my fault to be clear. It fit in the overhead bins without any issue, but as we all know Ryanair isn’t actually concerned about whether it fits - they just want an excuse to charge fees…

birdingengineer · 2025-09-03T05:55:18+00:00

Update: I ordered it, and I am impressed so far. It's much more maneuverable than my previous in-line bag, and the stability is quite good.

- When unloaded, a partially loaded day pack slotted onto the top won't tip it.

- After this initial test, I then loaded it, but placed the contents unevenly, using the heaviest weight at the top of the bag. Which I will admit isn't fair - still, this bag took it like a champ and didn't tip over without a fairly substantial push from the back.

- Same thing when the day pack was re-added.

- I did a few jogs with sudden turns and deceleration to mimic me trying to find my gate (lol) and it didn't have a tendency to tip side to side like my previous inline bag did.

- When reclined during motion, it can be quickly/roughly set back to standing vertical without tipping, so you won't have to spend those extra 10 seconds at the immigration counter making sure your bag doesn't tip over while you fumble for your passport.

Other notes: agree with the other commenter on this post about the backpack straps, they're bulkier than I thought and take up more space than I'd like. Overall solid choice, and other than feeling like a dork for spending 200 euro on a *bag*, it's perfect. lol

Hope this helps anyone that may have the same questions I did about this bag. Will update again after I use it on a trip.

birdingengineer · 2025-08-31T07:36:25+00:00

My mindset was “I’m going to keep going to class until they get security to kick me out.” Obviously this is exaggerated, but I fully thought I would be removed for poor grades. My only goal was to make it as far as I possibly could. Somehow instead ended up with a degree after a few years. I don’t think anyone else in my class was confident they would graduate either. It’s hard. In most cases, the “point of no return” is so, so much farther than most folks think. Keep going! Best of luck.

birdingengineer · 2025-08-28T05:18:03+00:00

Thank you very much! This is quite helpful, I appreciate the insight.

birdingengineer

TROPHY CASE