Baskets FTW.

But when I'm on foot, I almost always have a small backpack.

My view is that a bike is an adaptation of our bodies to the conditions of riding. We all have different bodies, and ride under different conditions -- terrain, distance, climate, cargo, etc. So we all come up with our own adaptations. And of course we're affected by the aesthetics of cycling as well.

All that can be hoped for on a web forum is to share experiences and enjoy the conversation. Maybe somebody who is trying to decide what to do, can see that a few people have come up with satisfactory solutions under similar circumstances, or have discovered that something doesn't work. That's useful information, even if it doesn't point to a single definite answer to any question. Those who have been exposed to the Internet for more than a couple weeks, should already have realistic expectations of what can be learned from a web forum.