Posts Tagged tote
Overland Equipment Radcliffe Bag
I’ve been carrying around Overland Equipment’s new Radcliffe Tote for the past months, putting it through my daily paces: back and forth to my teaching job, around town as I drive kids to various activities, and on several weekend overnights. With its elegantly stitched ‘tree of life’ design and rich color, this shoulder bag (part of Overland’s Bidwell Collection…check out Jill’s review of the Bidwell Bag from last year) is definitely a looker, though its color options spurred an argument between my husband and me about whether periwinkle is a flower or a color (answer: both!).
Overall, it’s very functional as well. At 11x13x7.5″, it’s not too big, and not too small, which makes it an ideal day-to-day tote. I love that it zips fully closed at the top (with duel ’2-way’ zippers with leather pulls that meet together). Its nylon exterior stays clean and spot-free, and inside, coordinating, lighter-toned ripstop nylon makes for a stylish finish.
Inside the tote, you’ve got several pockets: a larger-than-it-looks security pocket which zips fully closed (which I use to store grab-and-go items like sunscreen, tissues, etc), plus three smaller, stitched pockets on the opposite side, perfect for chapstick or lipstick, coins, or even a small camera. All the pockets are lined with a soft, fleecy-material, which keeps small items from slipping away from your grasp. There’s also a key fob, which I always love; it’s so easy to clip my keys to it when running quick errands. I appreciate the interior’s simplicity: too many pockets and zippers, and I forget where I’ve stashed things (I’m looking at you, Timbuk2!).
What’s missing: I like the Radcliffe’s streamlined look, but I do wish it had a cell phone pocket on the outside; I like my phone within easy reach. I also find myself pining for a built-in laptop sleeve. A laptop or iPad will fit, but you’ll need a separate laptop sleeve to keep your computer safe. I’m also not crazy about the shoulder straps. They look quite nice (thin black leather on the periwinkle version), but slip off my shoulder too easily.
All-in-all, I really love this bag. It’s a great size, it’s simple and streamlined, and it’s feminine without being fussy or overly cute. I imagine it will remain my day-to-day bag for a long time to come. To graduate to my travel bag, it would need the afore-mentioned laptop sleeve and a more substantial shoulder or across-the-body strap.
The Radcliffe retails for $80 at Overland Equipment, or snag one for considerably less at eBags.com. It’s also available at Zappos. It comes in three colors, including blue-violent/periwinkle (shown here), dove/blue mist, and tangerine/sand.
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Posted by Amy in General Gear on April 3rd, 2012
Sunflower Tote from lilypond
The girlie counterpart to fishpond, bag company lilypond is right up my alley. Its handbags, shoulder bags, totes, backpacks, rolling duffels and more come in bright colors — pink! purple! orange! turquoise! — with plenty of function for women on the go. I reviewed the cute Daybreak shoulder bag ($39) and recently made good use of the Sunflower Tote ($89) on a family road trip to Lake Powell.
I used the generous tote (18.5 x 9 x 17 inches) to stash all of the kids’ entertainment for a 6-hour drive. We’re talking activity books, small board games, crayons, artist pads, playing cards, plus iPods and Nintendo DS video-game players, Magellan eXplorist GC, my point-and-shoot camera… and all of the assorted chargers that come with such electronics. The bag is roomy enough for the kids to paw through it and find items easily; it’s rugged enough to store on the floor of motorhome (getting kicked, drinks spilled on it) without my worrying about it getting ruined or dirtied (easy wipe-off nylon material).
I love the four interior pouch pockets to help keep small items separated and in place. There’s also an interior zipper pocket, plus an exterior zipper pocket and exterior open slide pocket. The same upbeat, color-coordinated patterned webbing accent found on most fishpond and lilypond products also adds a splash of whimsy to the Sunflower Tote.
The entire bag zippers shut at the top, and it features double padded hand straps (long enough to carry over one’s shoulder). The interior is lined with waterproof nylon. The rigid molded bottom protects the bag with its heavy-duty rubber.
The Sunflower Tote is a multi-purpose bag, for sure. I’d carry it to the pool, the beach, or even use to store food for a picnic or bring along as a carry-on for plane travel. It’s definitely thicker and heavier than, say, your reusable shopping bag, but if you’re in the market or a durable, hearty tote, consider this one.
Posted by Kara in General Gear, Kids and Family on June 9th, 2011
Briggs & Riley Large Shopping Tote – Great Quality and Loads of Space
In all honesty, I just learned of Briggs & Riley Travelware earlier this year. The luggage company just wasn’t on my radar prior to my joining the social-media network Twitter (where the brand has a lively presence) and reading recent gear reviews from fellow travel writers. But I’m glad through word of mouth I’m now intimately acquainted with Briggs & Riley: its Large Shopping Tote ($139) accompanied me on a five-night trip to Belize last week and it served me quite well.
The tote was my “personal carry on” through four flights (DEN-IAH-BZE round trip), as well as three domestic flights on 14-seat planes in Belize (where twice I stowed the bag in the plane’s luggage hold). One feature that worked well as I navigated my way through airports: the “slip through back pocket,” which allows you to slide the tote over the handle of nearly any pull-behind roller bag. I found this worked on my way to Belize, when my tote wasn’t too full. But on my way home, when it was packed with various papers, brochures and flyers I picked up on my travels, I had a hard time slipping the tote through my pull-behind handles. It was just too overstuffed! Instead, I wrapped the bag’s leather straps around my pull-behind luggage handle and balanced the tote on top.
Indeed, I was able to pack a lot into this tote, which measures 13 x 17 x 7.3 inches. Even though I typically like using a checkpoint-friendly bag for traveling with my computer, I forewent that type of carry-on this go around so I could properly test the tote. So in the bag I fit my laptop in a sleeve, a gajillion chargers, camera, water bottle, book, aforementioned work papers, three (!) toiletry bags, sweater, scarf and snacks. The bag comes with a snap-on, waterproof pocket which I left at home since I brought along so many other little bags for small items.
In hindsight, I likely should have brought along the extra zippered pocket, because I wished I had had more spots inside the roomy bag to stash all my stuff in specific places. There is one huge zippered pocket inside, which became a dumping ground for all the little things that didn’t have little bag of their own, and it was hard to find my pens, notebook and tins of mints in the deep space. I also stuck items in the two, inside, open-topped pouches. The bag comes with a water-bottle pouch, but it was too slim to fit my 12-oz bottle; I used the water-bottle pocket for my hard eyeglasses carrying case instead. I always knew where my glasses were!
One brilliant zippered pocket that did help me stay organized: the slim, exterior SpeedThru pocket that’s the perfect size for carrying a boarding pass, flight itinerary (folded twice) and passport. I kept important items here at all times, and could easily access them when checking in and going through airport security. The pocket is lined in bright orange nylon so you can tell at a glance whether it’s unzipped. An additional exterior pocket has a magnetic closure to help keep your paperback book or other papers from falling out.
The Large Shopping Tote is built to last, as it’s constructed with thick, durable ballistic nylon. The bag — like all Briggs & Riley products — comes with a lifetime guarantee. Even if your bag is broken or damaged by an airline, the company will fix it free of charge.
I’d recommend the tote as a holiday gift for the female traveler on your list. If she already owns Briggs & Riley Baseline Wheeled Luggage, purchase the coordinating tote in chocolate, black or olive. Feeling extra generous? Give matching luggage at once! All of the Baseline (and Transcend) style products over $249 are on sale through Christmas Eve. Save $50 on items between $249 and $349, and save $100 on items over $350.
Or, if you’re feeling lucky, enter my giveaway to win a Large Shopping Tote, courtesy of Briggs & Riley. Just leave a comment below telling me what you’d do with the tote — keep it or give it away. And if you want it for your very own (and I don’t blame you), tell me where you’d travel with it next! I’ll take entries through Thursday, November 26 at 11:59 p.m., pick one name randomly, and announce the winner, fittingly, on Black Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year – November 27. One entry per person; U.S. mailing address only. Good luck!
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UPDATE: Congrats go out to commenter#80 Renee Richardson, “With 3 kids (4 counting hubby) I would use this as an everyday bag. Diapers, wipes, drinks, snacks, cellphone. My whole life. LOL!! This would be perfect.”
I’ll email you, Renee, for your mailing address. Happy holidays!
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on November 17th, 2009
