Canvas Tote Bag

Going to work in the morning used to be a real hassle for me. Besides having to wait at the train station for my train to arrive and squeeze into any open seat I could find for my 30 minute ride, I always had my hands full with everything I needed to bring to the office. My lunch bag, water bottle, purse, sweater, laptop, and books never failed to pose a problem for me. I would either drop them somewhere along my commute, leave them behind at the train station, or just absolutely crowd the seat with all of my things, leaving no room for another person to comfortably sit next to me. I knew I had to consolidate my “stuff”, and after months of trying different arrangements like carrying 4 different kinds of bags or just leaving some items at home, I finally went out and bought a big, customized canvas tote bag to carry all of my things.

It’s a pretty big bag, too. It measures in at around 18 inches high and 20 inches wide, but it fits all of my things perfectly. I love the big size of the bag because it’s almost like a “one size fits all” carrying tote, where I can throw all of my essentials into and not have to worry about them spilling out. The canvas material is also a big benefit too; its durability protects all of my most important items (like my lunch!). After carrying my canvas tote bag through train stations, storing it in luggage racks, and hauling it around the office, the material has yet to break, tear, rip, or fray.

Of course, it has gotten pretty dirty along the way, but I have found that this fabric is extremely easy to clean. To get all of the dirt removed, all I had to do was throw it in the washer and let the machine do all of the hard work. After about a 30 minute cycle, I pulled it out looking just as clean as the day I bought it.

I splurged a bit and chose to buy a customized bag embroidered with my initials in my favorite color and chose to buy the “sustainable” version made from recycled cotton. I am trying my best to “go green” and leave less of a carbon footprint, so this option was perfect for me. The custom embroidery was a little extra than the original cost of the bag, but I thought it would be worth it because in case I ever lose it or leave it behind somewhere I can easily describe and identify it.

My canvas tote had become so useful for my everyday commute that I decided to use it for some of my other activities too! This summer I spent a week vacationing at the beach and brought along my canvas tote bag. I loaded it up with all my beach essentials like sunscreen, a water bottle, sunglasses, flip flops, 2 towels, an iPod, the new book I bought specifically to read on the beach, and some molds for my traditional sand castle. I was pleasantly surprised when it held up after a full week of dragging it through the sand and sitting out in the hot sun. The canvas material again proved its worth!

After seeing how well my bag held up in the hot weather and rough beach conditions, my friends went out and bought their own canvas tote bags as well. Their clunky coolers and light cotton bags were just not practical, so they had been looking for something more suitable for their beach lifestyle. The canvas tote was a perfect solution!

Even though summer is coming to a close, I am not packing up my canvas tote bag just yet. I’ll still be using it year-round for my commute to work, and I already have a few fun weekend activities planned for me and my friends. Instead of packing big, bulky luggage, I think I’ll just throw all of my essentials into my tote, load up the car, and hit the road.

I couldn’t be happier with my selection for a new bag. After months of carrying all of my things individually on the train and through the city on my way to work, I am happy I could find a solution to my commuting troubles. I can say that after a few months of carrying around my canvas tote bag, my commute is much easier and I no longer worry about losing anything or leaving things behind. As a plus, I now have a versatile and customized bag that goes from work to the beach and everything in between.