The single most important item on earth is the bag. Without the bag, we couldn't have carried the water from the stream to the cave. We couldn't have stored the nuts and roots necessary to get us through the cold months. Without bags, we couldn't have hauled the sticks from the forest to our fire. Bags have kept us alive.

Ask 10 people what they want for a holiday gift and eight and a half will say, "A bag." Bags keep our keys, money, address books, portable phones, sunglasses, condoms and gum a safe three-feet or so from the ground--shielded from bad weather, car tires, the groping hands of small children and the eyes of parents and suspicious lovers.

Some lesser-appreciated bags, despite their daily use, include ice bags, body bags, barf bags, doggy bags, brown bags, garbage bags and mail bags. There are tucker bags (used in the Australian bush to carry food), kit bags (traveling bags such as knapsacks), the musette bag (a small bag with a shoulder strap), and ditty bags (used by the military to carry small items like sewing kits).

This shopping season, be a "bag-snatcher" and a one-stop shopper--you'll delight not only your friends who have too many things, but those with not enough.