The design is well-thought and the particular use of the fabrics for the Elements Tote. Alpaka has generally opted for an XPAC material on all their carries but has branched out into exploring other materials including Axoflux, Ballistic Nylon, and recycled XPAC variants – I appreciate this setup best suits the Elements Tote as a travel-friendly, durable, and light carry. Storage & Features Cloth foldable bags are actually stronger than grocery bags so you won’t run the risk of the bag splitting and your souvenirs falling out. Apart from being practical, ensure this bag will comfort you when carrying it. Convenient means this bag is easy to carry and has a strong yet flexible strap. Price The bags take up no room and are multi-functional. One reader even used her Baggu tote to “carry snorkeling equipment on the Great Barrier Reef.” The awesome patterns of the bag will add style and color to any vacation wardrobe. Our readers love their Baggu reusable bags. One reader said “I have found them to be very sturdy and they fold up. I have the bright Barney-colored one so I don’t lose it.”

Plus, a reusable shopping bag will allow you to save money, as one bag can be used for years and you won’t need to pay for carrier bags. And, of course, they’re eco-friendly! Fortunately, we’ve seen self-healing nylon in action with Peak Design’s Shoe Pouch. Spoiler alert: it works, and it works rather well. The short explanation is that molecules in the nylon fabric are engineered so that they can bond together after breaking, so minor tears and loose threads are patched up neatly—nice! Usage & Features An awesome gift for your friends and family, and it takes up no room in your luggage to transport it home!The tote bags below still came highly recommended for travelers, but didn’t quite make our list of winners. Here, are readers share their recommendations for the best reusable bags that they keep handy in their purses while traveling! Not all tote bags are best for certain types of travel, so it’s important to invest in a bag that meets your needs. Traveling somewhere wet and rainy? You’ll want to opt for a more rugged tote bag that features waterproof or resistant materials like nylon or polyester for protecting items. Leather tote bags work well for air travel or office days, but you’ll likely want to skip bringing it to the beach or for camping where you may speed up the wear and tear on the bag. According to another reader “Envirosax make some cute ones that have lasted me for years, and they roll up”. A perfect all round bag! Enviorsax bags are so popular because of their different and beautiful designs. They come in multiple colors and styles, so there is a bag for everyone! One reader says “I take one everywhere I go. I’ve used them for groceries and shopping, as a beach bag, and as an extra bag just in case. I can’t say enough about them”.

What You Should Know: The travel tote will sag under the weight of your mat if you’re not carrying anything else. Many people choose a foldable travel tote bag because it’s practical, but is it just because of that? Here are some things we considered when choosing this type of bag. Durability The Ikea KNALLA bag is perfect for traveling light and is only a few dollars. Just fold it up and stash it away at the bottom of your purse until you have need of the sturdy bag. One reader says, “I have one from Ikea that’s perfect and I use it all the time. The one from Ikea is sturdy and has handles with a decent length that don’t cut into your shoulder.” It’s so simple to carry around and easier on the hands and shoulders. Portland Leather Tote Bag: It’s a very portable tote bag due to the smaller size, but it isn’t the most practical for long trips with less storage and organizational features.The comfort is about what we expect from a tote bag. Since there’s no padding on the handles, how it feels on your shoulder depends on what you’re carrying. Loading it up with water bottles and other heavy gear causes it to dig some into your shoulders, though it’s not unbearable and is easy enough to switch sides to give one a break. It stays put as we wander throughout the day, too, which we appreciate—it’s rather annoying when a shoulder bag slips off your shoulder constantly, and we didn’t find that happening with the Aer Go Tote 2. Inside The Tote

The material is actually quite futuristic as well, and prepare yourself because it’s got quite the resume. Ready? Ehem. This humble tote is made from a single sheet of 100% recycled self-healing Ripstop 70D nylon with a water-resistant coating. Breathe Yes, you’ve read the middle part of that right. No, “self-healing” doesn’t mean it’s able to survive being torn to shreds by a wild animal. We’re not quite there yet, but this self-healing nylon can survive very light damage. The bad news is since we’re always extra careful with our gear, we haven’t had the chance to put this to the test yet. However, it’s worth noting that no rips or tears after two weeks of testing is inherently a good thing. They have become a popular new fashion trend available in different materials, colors and designs, so they can even liven up your travel outfit. And when the bag gets dirty, just put it in the washer and then carry on using it. Several readers recommend bringing a foldable RuMe bag as it makes for a great shopping bag, is perfect for carrying souvenirs and can hold a ton of weight. It is also makes a fantastic beach bag or picnic bag. So one bag for many occasions. The Elements Tote is no exception in that Totes don’t sit well on my sloping shoulders and tend to slide off, but the clearance is enough for my long arms to comfortably grip the base of the carry strap and not find it awkward or uncomfortable to hold onto. Other duffels or totes I’ve tried are too short in length and make it difficult to do the same, while I found it sit well under my arm and for my wrist. This is the bag I use on my travels – it’s a Travel Fashion Girl tote! I use it for everything at home and abroad. At home, I use it to replace plastic bags when I go shopping for groceries or even clothes. On my travels, it holds my laundry, groceries, acts as a personal item on the plane, beach bag, or an easy to carry purse for the day. This convenient tote is always in my purse or carryon suitcase. Get it here!There are mostly refinement details that can be built into the current Elements Tote design and would no doubt be perfection for me if they do build those features in. Value for Money YKK zippers with Hypalon pulls are easy to grab, and the front section snaps closed with a Woojin magnetic fastener. Each zipper pull sports the Aer brand name. It’s also stamped in white on a 2-inch tab of material on the front of the bag. We’re unsure what it is, though it’s soft like Hypalon. Aer Go Tote 2 | Slip the bag over a luggage handle to cruise through the airport. The 46cm length and 34cm height work well to fit long items like my Marshall Middleton speaker, and Sony A7IV camera with a 70-200mm lens. It’s very spacious yet still maintains a reasonable dimension that doesn’t feel overly large or big. Since totes have the luxury of a simple design at their core, they make for great compressible bags you can have in reserve. Case in point: REI Co-op’s Stuff Travel Tote. Its key feature is the ability to compress from a 20-liter travel tote bag and down to a smartphone-sized pouch. To put that into perspective, that’s smaller than the 32-ounce Nalgene bottle we like to travel with. Even in its uncompressed form, tight dimensions are a key focus, as REI keenly points out that its linear dimensions comply with airport requirements (though that’s subject to change depending on the regulations).