It Takes Time To Appreciate Just How Versatile This Tote Is

Just as spring was morphing into summer last year, Remote Equipment's new-and-improved version of the BRAVO 18 tote bag came to the market. My initial reaction was a bit tepid — I mean, it's a tote bag — but mostly because I had yet to fully imagine the almost endless possibilities that a lightweight, rugged tote bag presents.

But we've had the pomegranate BRAVO for a year, and my wife and I continue finding new ways to use this bag. While certainly not life-changing, this bag has handled many creative tasks over the past year with the possibility of more to come.

BOAT BAG

Our boat, a 20-year-old, 19-foot Chaparral, (so we're not exactly members of an exclusive yacht club) is docked at a marina about 20 minutes away. We'll use it after work for sunset cruises, on nice weekends, and we'll hang out with friends on Lake Champlain. The BRAVO accompanies us on every trip, sometimes carrying food, sometimes stuffed with dry clothes, or even packed with day-on-the-water essentials like sunscreen, books, a Frisbee, and a Bluetooth speaker. The G3 fabric provides enough water repellency to protect against splashes and boat spray. Plus, it kind of matches the interior of our boat. Styling!

CHANGE OF CLOTHES

I was fishing early one morning and had plans to meet family in the afternoon for a surprise birthday party. All my dry, non-fishy clothes (including shoes) entered the BRAVO. After fishing, I pulled into a McDonald's, ran in with the BRAVO over my shoulder, quickly changed clothes in the bathroom, and arrived at the birthday party with bells and whistles on. My wife, however, has once again outdone me. See below.

FINISH LINE BAG

My wife's use of the BRAVO to carry her clothes is more hardcore than mine. A month or so ago, she ran a half marathon. If you've ever been to (or better yet, run) a half or full marathon, you might know that race organizers typically have a spot near the finish line for runners to store bags filled with comfortable, dry clothes for a post-race change. My wife's half marathon occurred on a cold, misty New England spring day. She filled the BRAVO with yoga pants, a long-sleeve T-shirt, a pair of wool socks, a sweatshirt, non-running shoes, and a baseball cap and left it at the finish line. When she finished, she had dry clothes to change into.

MARKET BAG

There's a little farmer's market held every Sunday in a park about a five-minute walk away. If we get there early enough, a local farmer will still have his frozen grass-fed beef, smoked bacon, and pork for sale. We take the BRAVO with us and fill it with meat and cheese before walking home. Hey, we support local farmers and carry our goods home in a sustainable manner. Win-win, am I right?

BLUEGRASS FESTIVALS

A good bag is the second most important thing you can have at a music festival. A good camp chair is first. After that, the BRAVO, with its multiple carrying options, is a must-have. We fill ours with a sweatshirt, a bottle of bug spray, a phone charger, and some snacks and bring it with us as we bounce from small stage to small stage. And when a cool band sells merchandise, we can buy a shirt or a CD (although we don't have a CD player) and add it into the BRAVO.

CAMPING

If you've ever done your camping at a state park or a well-designed campground (you know, with electric hookups, Wi-Fi, showers, a recreation hall, a pool, etc.), you know how hard it can be to stay organized. When we camp – although the last time we went to a glamping spot on the coast of Maine – the BRAVO is always filled with something. It is often filled with books, a laptop, and many charge cords. But sometimes we put essential dry goods in it – graham crackers, marshmallows, and the like.

As we enter our second year as BRAVO owners, we continue to find uses for this handy little bag. We might get another one to leave on the boat. Perhaps I'll start running half marathons and need one for the finish line. Scratch that. We'll get one for the boat.

This blog was written Matt Crawford, who lives in Vermont and assists in the marketing of Remote Equipment gear. His favorite bag is the CHARLIE 25, but he's found plenty of uses for both the ORG KITS and, as you've just read, the BRAVO 18.