L.L. Bean Everyday Tote

For quite some time now, we had been looking for the “perfect” multi-use travel bag. Something that could easily be packed, washed, transformed into a beach bag, or even used as extra storage during travel. Basically the unicorn of all travel bags.

We had bought a packable duffel a few years ago from Eddie Bauer, and while it did serve its purpose of providing us with extra room for bringing home goodies from our travels, that was about it. And while we have also had some great beach bags, those couldn’t be packed up and used as extra luggage if needed, because they lacked any sort of closure.

So this past Spring we committed ourselves to finding the right bag. Our trip to Italy was coming up, and we knew that there was no way that we were going to be bringing multiple bags with us. Or really even have the space to take multiple bag options. We just wanted one. One unicorn travel bag that could do it all for us. Maybe even our laundry.

And lucky for us, we found it. Nope, it doesn’t do our laundry, but the L.L. Bean Everyday Tote has more than proved itself, and been the answer to our travel bag prayers. Here are the reasons why we fell in love with this tote bag:

• It is made of a very thick and durable nylon material that both provides protection to its contents, but can also be easily wiped clean or washed.
• The straps on the large tote are long enough so that the bag can be carried over your shoulder, but are short enough to also be handheld or set on top of your luggage.
• The straps are a generous width, making them comfortable for shoulder carrying. (Which was a major selling point for Ryan, who is typically our hauler of heavy things.)
• There is a full zipper and a nylon loop that you could lock together, making the tote a great option to be used as an extra piece of checked luggage.
• There is a small interior pocket, perfectly sized for quick access items such as cell phones, wallets or keys.
• Inside of the tote, there is an attached personal identification tag.
• If used at the beach or wet from washing, the nylon material quickly dries out.
• The tote folds up very compactly.
• It comes in four sizes, and a variety of colors and styles.
• The large tote can easily hold a lot of things. But at the same time, it cannot become so stuffed that it is unmanageable.