I Found the Goldilocksian Ideal of a Tote Bag
I’ve always preferred to lug stuff around in atote bag. Unlike abackpack, a tote won’t cause your shirt to ride up every ten steps, and you don’t have to contort yourself to take it off on a crowded train. For years, I was partial to myRootote(a free gift with a subscription toMonocle), so named because it housed an interior pouch (like the marsupial) that you could access via side zipper. And I stayed loyal, even though I could barely fit a pair of sneakers andshortsinside, or when my passport andheadphoneswould spill out after I’d lay it underneath the airplane seat in front of me.
I looked past its problems because the bag passed a crucial test — handles that were long enough to be comfortable on my shoulder, but not so long that the bottom of the bag grazed the ground when I carried it like a shopping bag. You’d be surprised how many totes (at least the ones you’d carry on a flight rather than to Fairway) fail the test! Forget about pulling theWant shopperover your shoulder. Good luck trying to look slick with the shortandlong handles on theMismo tote.
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But the Rootote’s been languishing over a closet door handle ever since I discovered theMakr weekender tote, which passed my shoulder-to-hand test and had none of the Rootote issues I’d explained away like a resigned spouse. Instead of lengthening to accommodate more stuff, the Makr goes wide — enough not only to carry a pair of shorts and sneakers, but also a Kindle, a pair of jeans and three shirts for a long weekend (first for my college reunion and then a getaway to New Hampshire). Its fold-over style creates a makeshift closure system that still keeps everything within easy access, and the two interior pockets is all I need for pens and knickknacks (any more and I just end up stowing things I forget about).
And this is a bit obnoxious to admit, but the only-more-comfortable-with-time leather handles have a Filson-esque quality without being as immediately identifiable — it’s also unisex in a way that “manly” Filson bags aren’t. At $200, it’s admittedly spendy for a tote bag (especially with theBaggusof the world, though there is a more affordable and even machine-washable$150 all-canvas version), but consider the rarity of a tote that does triple duty asweekender, grocery bag, and gym bag. Think of it as three $67 bags that take up the closet space of one.
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