Ultra light utility tote in Dyneema

[ratdeau]

Do you plan to desing an Ultra light utility tote in Dyneema?
For me, it should be :
- easy to fold, to be put in a pocket or in my Aeronaut.
- big enough to put bottles of water, fruits and vegetables etc.
- Strong enoug to carry heavy loads.
- with good handles, to protect hands or shoulder.
- perhaps with an upper zipper
- In Dyneema

[Skylark]

Oh yeah I really like this idea! I'll even take it without a zipper as long as it has an o-ring to attach an organizer pouch.

[PM4HIRE]

Checkout http://www.reusablebags.com/ for lite utility totes.

[Darcy]

Tom is currently designing a lightweight Utility Tote style shopping bag....stay tuned!!

Be aware that many reusable shopping bags, especially those made out of "recycled materials", are made in China.

We have looked into recycled fabrics and currently the only fabrics we've been able to find are Chinese in origin and (in our minds at least) of dubious quality and recycled content.

Also questionable is the idea of being "green" by having fabric/bags shipped from half-way around the world.

We source all of our fabrics domestically (with the exception of our Dyneema which is from Japan) and know that the dying and finishing are done in the U.S. as well, under the watchful eye of the EPA. Recycled fabrics finished and dyed in China are potentially far worse for the environment than non-recycled fabrics made here.

All that being said, we are hoping to find recycled fabrics made in USA (there used to be one but they don't make it any more) and will utilize them when we can find them.

[ratdeau]

Tom is currently designing a lightweight Utility Tote style shopping bag....stay tuned!!

Good news. When will it be ready?

[pretzelb]

Tom is currently designing a lightweight Utility Tote style shopping bag....stay tuned!!

This would be a product I might purchase. I would suggest the price needs to be pretty low so you can buy several without spending too much. I would also suggest that the straps need to wrap around the bottom of the bag. Too many of these bags just stitch the straps to the side which is a terrible design in my opinion because the straps can eventually separate from the bag due to the weight. When the straps are stitched around the bottom of the bag they provide support and almost guarantee the bag will never break.

All that being said, we are hoping to find recycled fabrics made in USA (there used to be one but they don't make it any more) and will utilize them when we can find them.

I'm shocked there aren't any companies in the USA that you can get the recycled fabrics from. Seems like there is enough interest in recycling these days to support such a business.

[Darcy]

Good news. When will it be ready?

We hope to introduce it sometime in December.

[PM4HIRE]

Here's the market tote I use when shopping @ Trader Joe's, click http://www.redoxx.com/product_catego.../8-market-tote to view.

This tote is bomb proof...but not what I would call lite!

[Darcy]

I use the Utility Tote for shopping. And then, because I zip my wallet, cell phone, and keys in the Dyneema pocket inside of it, I end up using the bag everywhere.

Which raises a question: should this new grocery tote have padded handles?

One of the reasons I love the Utility Tote so much is that it has super-comfortable Poron padded handles. They feel great on my shoulder and in my hands. I can load the Utility Tote full of juice and sparkling water bottles and canned tomatoes and all kinds of heavy stuff and not get that "ouch my hands hurt!" feeling. Most grocery totes you see don't have padded handles.

But in an effort to be minimalist and light and super-packable, maybe it shouldn't have padded handles..

[PM4HIRE]

A minimalist approach is best, I vote for no padded handles.

[MikeL]

...Which raises a question: should this new grocery tote have padded handles?

One of the reasons I love the Utility Tote so much is that it has super-comfortable Poron padded handles. They feel great on my shoulder and in my hands. I can load the Utility Tote full of juice and sparkling water bottles and canned tomatoes and all kinds of heavy stuff and not get that "ouch my hands hurt!" feeling. Most grocery totes you see don't have padded handles.

But in an effort to be minimalist and light and super-packable, maybe it shouldn't have padded handles..

I have a Trader Joe's grocery tote, and it can hold a lot! But my wife hates carrying it when it's full of stuff because the nylon handles aren't padded. They also dig into your shoulder when she carries it that way. As a result she doesn't fill it nearly as much as she could unless she has one of our son's cloth diapers [read: clean diaper] to wrap around the handles.

Padded handles on the TB Grocery Tote would go a long way toward adding comfort while lugging the goods from store to car, and car to home.

[pretzelb]

Which raises a question: should this new grocery tote have padded handles?

I think this is the problem with all designs in that you have to decide if you want to specialize. For a grocery tote it should be simple, but if you add "features" you can reach more buyers with more uses. But the more features you add to meet more needs the less it meets each need as well. In my case, I would assume padded handles adds to cost and that would drive the concept of a grocery bag replacement out the door because I'd need a lot of them.

Not to sound harsh but I really don't see the need for extra comfort in a grocery tote. Anything is more comfortable then a paper or plastic bag right? Plus, how far are you really going to be hauling? You can use the cart at the store and then it's just the car to where you live. Worst situation for me was when I lived on a 3rd floor apartment. Now it's just garage to kitchen - I hardly need padded handles for that.

Something else to consider is buying habits. When we go to the weekly grocery store visit we end up with 8 to 10 bags. That's why I say it needs to be on the cheap side. With that many bags I can't go from the store to my car so I need the cart (which again means I hardly need extra comfort). But if my habits were to get just one bag of groceries per trip, then I wouldn't need the cart, and then maybe straps would help (plus I'd only need one bag and cost wouldn't be an issue).

Bottom line in my opinion is you need to decide how you expect it to be used primarily and then create the design specs.

[pretzelb]

Here's the market tote I use when shopping @ Trader Joe's, click http://www.redoxx.com/product_catego.../8-market-tote to view.

This tote is bomb proof...but not what I would call lite!

I have a few of these. They are great. I didn't think I'd like the long straps but I loaded one up with two six packs and a few other items and I was very pleased to loop it around my shoulder instead of holding it in my hand.

[Skylark]

I use the Utility Tote
Which raises a question: should this new grocery tote have padded handles?

One of the reasons I love the Utility Tote so much is that it has super-comfortable Poron padded handles. They feel great on my shoulder and in my hands. I can load the Utility Tote full of juice and sparkling water bottles and canned tomatoes and all kinds of heavy stuff and not get that "ouch my hands hurt!" feeling. Most grocery totes you see don't have padded handles.

But in an effort to be minimalist and light and super-packable, maybe it shouldn't have padded handles..

Is the padding on the Swift the same as the Utility Bag?
If the choice is padded or simply a strap like what is below the padding on the Swift, then I say bring on the padded handle. We walk about a mile to Trader Joe's and I think the padding would be wonderful. We go often so we don't need 10 bags for one trip.

I want a dyneema utility bag for more than just groceries. I was thinking about folding it into the Aeronaut to be pulled out for a day of walking. So I'd want the padding on my shoulder as we load in camera, guidebook, impulse-shopping, picnic foods, yada, yada.

Too much trouble to make it both ways? with and without padding?

[Just]

Plus, how far are you really going to be hauling? You can use the cart at the store and then it's just the car to where you live.

Something else to consider is buying habits. When we go to the weekly grocery store visit we end up with 8 to 10 bags.

Right, then there are some of us who live right next door to the store, but still have to haul our one or two heavy bags about a half mile, all told, from the door of the store to the door of our high-rise apartments... or my cousin, whose car-to-door haul of six to eight grocery bags at a time have caused some permanent damage to her veins.

Needless to say, I vote for padding. It really doesn't add that much bulk to the bag (if it's the same as on the Utility Tote).