The backpack of anthropologist Rafael Cristaldo.

Hello, everyone! How are you? My name is Rafael, I was born in November 1997, I’m from Farroupilha (RS), and I’m currently an anthropologist living in the capital, Porto Alegre. You can find me on LinkedIn and Instagram.

I’m writing this inspired by my artist friend and roommate Tiago Gasperin, who recently wrote about his fanny pack.

I want to tell you about my little backpack (a 10-liter NH100 from Decathlon) and what’s inside it. I call it the “Porto Alegre backpack” because many people here have one of these. I joke that one very Porto Alegre thing about it is that it fits a bottle of wine perfectly.

I’ve had this backpack for a few years, and before it was just the bag I used for outings, but this year it became my official backpack because it’s extremely light. Since 2018, I was using a heavy canvas backpack that I now only use when I need to take my laptop out of the house.

The contents of the main pocket vary quite a bit, depending on what I’m doing that day. But the backpack can hold:

• Bottle of mineral water. One of those plastic ones you buy at the grocery store. I always take water to avoid paying for it.
• Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses. I’ve had them since 2020, and they’re in good condition. I chose this model because it was the prettiest at the optical store I went to. There’s just one thing I don’t like that I didn’t notice in my excitement to buy: either I have a big head or they are small, haha. So far, only one mean uncle has made a comment about it.
• JBL Quantum 50 earbuds. They’re just thrown in there. I like them for three reasons: (i) they’re in-ear; (ii) the sound quality; and (iii) they have a wire. The plug-and-play feature is essential for me to switch between my phone and laptop quickly and easily.
• Notebook and field notebook. Both are unlined, which is very important for anthropologists. This way, we can make notes and drawings freely. I use the notebook for classes and meetings, while the field notebook is for my research. The field notebook was made by Tiago, and I bought the regular notebook at a stationery store.

• Pencil case. I bought it at Tok&Stok 11 years ago. What I like about it is that it’s quite sober and compact. Inside, I have:
• • Pentel Graphgear 500 0.7mm mechanical pencil. I mainly write with this. I bought it because I transitioned from pencil to mechanical pencil (I didn’t want to worry about sharpening anymore), and at the time, I wanted a model that was better than the traditional ones.
  • Pentel HI-Polymer Soft eraser. I like it because it’s really soft, doesn’t make a mess, and erases well without smudging or being harsh on the paper.
  • Extra-soft Faber-Castell leads. I’ve been using these leads since I was a child, and they’re comfortable.
  • Stabilo point 88 pen collection. I prefer to write with a BIC ballpoint pen because I like a “firm” writing feel, but I use the Stabilo pens for highlighting, even though they’re quite “fast” and “slippery.”
  • Highlighter. In a non-fluorescent color because I think it looks nicer that way. I spent years using the Stabilo Boss Original Pastel line, but now I’m trying out a Staedtler Textsurfer classic in beige. Important: in the pencil case, all the tips must be facing the same direction.
  • Any old USB flash drive. I use it to transfer presentations between computers because it’s not good to rely on the internet connection at UFRGS and to take files to print shops.

The contents of the smaller pocket are fewer and fixed. In there, I always carry my wallet, a lip balm, my keys, and a rosary.

• The wallet is quite traditional, simple, and made of leather. It holds my ID card, my bank cards, and most importantly, my TRI Card. That one’s essential because the bus is my main mode of transportation, and this is the card for the system.
• I can’t live without lip balm. I apply it several times a day. I use and really like Nivea’s Original Care Lip Balm.
• Keychain – absolutely essential for getting in and out of the house and accessing the office of the Religion Studies Group. It has my phone number on it in case some kind soul finds it.
• And the rosary! My relationship with religion is complicated. At some point during my youth, I came to believe that God doesn’t exist. But today I live with and love people for whom religion is something alive and deeply meaningful, and for that reason, I can’t help but take it seriously. I got this rosary from a friend’s grandmother. When she gave it to me, she told me to \*always\* carry it with me. It has something special: a Medal of the Two Crosses. I recently forgot it at home and felt pretty anxious while I was out—like something was going to go wrong. Since then, I’ve been more careful.

Outside the backpack, but always on me:

• Moto G84 5G phone. I’ve been using phones from this brand for years, and unless I have more money to spend, I think I’ll stick with them. I’m used to how they work, I like the camera on this model, and it became even more important after I started using Google Wallet. I feel it’s safer to make payments this way, with authentication, than to carry tap-enabled cards. Bonus: it has a nice sticker by the artist Gabriel Bulbo.
• Xiaomi Mi Band 7. I once had an analog watch and couldn’t read the time at night, so I went for one with a screen. Now, it’s set not to track vital signs or send any notifications, which also saves battery. The screen uses a black wallpaper to take advantage of the AMOLED display and further conserve energy. The battery lasts a long time and charges quickly.

Best wishes!