L.L.Bean's Zip Hunter's Tote Is the Only Carryall You Need

As we get out of the house, the gear-obsessed WIRED Reviews team is writing about our favorite bags and EDCs. Today, reviewer Michael Calore raves about his do-it-all L.L.Bean tote bag. You can also check out other Bag Check stories where WIRED writers share their carryall of choice.

Every single Sunday morning, I roll my electric cargo bike out of the garage and pedal it to the food co-op just over a mile from my house, my shopping companion in tow: a heavy zip-up tote bag from L.L.Bean with a reinforced bottom and a water-resistant lining. I do my weekly shop there, picking up enough groceries and staples to last me and my wife a full seven days. The place, Rainbow Grocery , is an old-school hippie co-op that's been in San Francisco since 1975. All of the produce is organic, and—as is typical of the way natural-food purveyors sell food—the fruits and vegetables aren't bagged or wrapped in cellophane, the way you'd find things at, say, a Kroger or an Albertsons. Rather, Rainbow is closer to a farmer's market than a supermarket; the chicories are dewy, the chanterelles are dusted with decaying leaves, and the beets are messy with earth. It's the type of food that really feels like somebody used their hands to pull it out of the ground. All of my provisions go directly into my trusty Zip Hunter's Tote Bag . The Zip Hunter's practicality and durability is seemingly unending: Its beefy handles make it comfortable to lift on and off the cargo bike, even when I've stuffed the bag beyond its capacity. And no matter how much mud or grit or schmutz is on the parsnips, turnips, and daikon radishes I carry home, I can just rinse the bag out and hang it to dry. The walls of the bag are tough enough, made from 1,200-denier polyester, which is heavy-duty and water-resistant, not to mention so rugged that it's nearly indestructible. I've checked it as luggage on a dozen or so flights, and it doesn't show any scuffs or tears. The zipper at the top isn't sealed, but it's heavier than it needs to be and works just fine in the rain.

Key points

• Every single Sunday morning, I roll my electric cargo bike out of the garage and pedal it to the food co-op just over a mile from my house, my shopping companion in tow: a heavy zip-up tote bag fro…
• I do my weekly shop there, picking up enough groceries and staples to last me and my wife a full seven days.
• The place, Rainbow Grocery , is an old-school hippie co-op that's been in San Francisco since 1975.
• All of the produce is organic, and—as is typical of the way natural-food purveyors sell food—the fruits and vegetables aren't bagged or wrapped in cellophane, the way you'd find things at, say, a K…
• Rather, Rainbow is closer to a farmer's market than a supermarket; the chicories are dewy, the chanterelles are dusted with decaying leaves, and the beets are messy with earth.