I didn't know there was a portable 8-track, thought it was just car or home.
At the time, the discman was the coolest thing ever when I got it for Christmas in 98. I really did love it, but I could only really bring maybe 2 or 3 cd's with me where ever I went. The skipping was definitely pretty lame. Then my grandfather got me this little discman fannypack thing, which I would use when I cut the grass, or did work around the house.
It was cool for the time, but the day I got my ipod was one of the defining moments of my life. I love music, but I never had any of my cd's with me during the discman days and if I did, it was just 2 or 3. Now I have over 600 albums in my pocket and my love of music has exploded to levels I could have never dreamed.
Everything you said it almost identical to my story except fannypack. I've always been religiously dedicated to having everything in my pockets cause I hated carrying stuff that can detach from my body
in other words; if it's not stuck to me; I'll forget it somewhere. It's a me problem.
Back pack was my only except of course and that's where the small CDs bag was. I used to have it full, at least 15 CDs. Then listen to 3 or 4 a day while thinking about the easiest way to commit suicide if the CDs bag was to be stolen or lost. That's Egypt, traveling friends and relatives got me these CDs from abroad so money was not the only problem in replacing them. They were my most valuable asset
I never carried spare batteries cause someone ends up begging for them and taking them away for their own discman/walkman, usually 30 minutes before my own batteries run out and I have to take them out and bite on them leaving teeth marks which functioned as battery 2 minutes boost + anger venting.
btw one of the icons of the Egyptian revolution now used to be a co-metalhead friend in high school and college and the biggest threat to everybody's spare batteries.