Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote – Reviewed and Tested

Does the world need another tote bag? Saphira took Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote just about everywhere to find out.

 

The Everyday Tote is the love child of a cotton tote and a heavy-duty plastic bag. It’s made by Remote Projects, a family business based in the Northern Rivers. They specialise in waxed canvas bags that show the stories of your adventures, whether it’s a humble tote or a mighty weekender (and all come with a whopping ten-year warranty!)

I was sent the Everyday Tote in the midnight colourway to review and, as the song goes, I’ve been everywhere, man. I took it to the beach, canoeing sessions, my after-work grocery run, and even as plane carry-on.

I was a little sceptical about whether the tote bag could really be substantially reinvented, but Remote Projects has managed it. This is the tote bag for every Weekend Warrior!

Ok it might not be great for chalk while you’re rock climbing, but it’s got pretty much everything else covered

Why am I the best person for this review?

This tote’s main selling point is its durability and ruggedness – and as a sustainability fiend who likes to keep her stuff for years and even decades, I like to think I have a good eye for quality materials and construction.

I have a wide range of interests from canoeing to twitching which helps me understand what this bag is best suited for. Outside of the outdoor realm, I’m on the lookout for a bag that can handle library and grocery hauls when I’m on foot.

Sometimes I combine my hardcore outdoor activities with low key relaxing. I need my gear to be able to handle both

Quick Specifications

Weight: 1kg
Dimensions: 35cm H x 49cm W / Base 20cm x 32cm
Warranty: 10 years
Capacity: 22L+
Max Comfortable load: 10kg
Colours: Midnight (navy blue), Bush (khaki green), Sea (denim blue), Desert (sand/ochre)
RRP: $129

Performance

The Everyday Tote is made for day trips: it’s tough, holds heaps, and holds it well. Whether you’re off fishing, snorkelling, 4WDing, nature journalling, picnicking, birding or heading to the beach, the Everyday Tote will be your dependable companion. Basically, anywhere you need easy, quick access to bulky gear like towels, binos or flippers.

But beware: sand tends to stick!

You’ll need to give it a really firm dusting to get it off | Shot by Chelsea Taylor

Dirty or damp ground isn’t a problem – it’s waterproof and you can easily spot clean with a damp cloth.

At the same time, the Everyday Tote won’t look out of place at work or uni. It’s perfect for a trip to the library or a quick after-work grocery trip*. Gone are the days of trying to cram your ColesWorth haul into an A4-sized tote. The Everyday Tote is designed with a flat base to maximise capacity, as well as comfortable, strong straps in two lengths so you can carry it in your hand or on your shoulder.

The bag really is a great transition bag between work and play. The only real disappointment for me was realising it’s too big and heavy to easily store in my backpack – it’s better suited as your main bag.

*If you’re planning to use it for the regular grocery run, consider lining it with a washable fabric to prevent contamination with nasties.

Durability

The Everyday Tote isn’t like other totes. She’s made from heavy duty waxed canvas with a waterproof lining. Waxed canvas develops character, so the more you use this bag the more the bag will showcase your adventures (this is known as ‘patina’).

This tote is so ruggedly built it might just outlive you. In fact, the Everyday Tote (and all Remote Projects’ products) come with a whopping ten-year warranty. Years from now, when other, boring families are handing down watches and rings, you could be passing down an heirloom tote. 

Jokes aside, the quality of the make was immediately clear to me when I received my bag to review – as a passionate thrifter, my eyes are always drawn to quality fabrics and construction.

The stitching on this bag is impeccable and the canvas feels hefty and substantial (in a good way).

It has been put together so well | Shot by Chelsea Taylor

Design

I received the Midnight colourway of the Everyday Tote, which is a schmick navy that’s great for work. It also has a thoughtful inner pocket which was able to fit my keys, sunnies, GoCard, lip balm, and other incidentals.

Aside from the durable material and construction, the rectangular base is probably its best feature – it means it doesn’t keel over and collapse and can fit a lot more stuff. Truly, it fits everything. I even managed to cram in roller skates!

Just in case you doubted me – here they are with plenty of room left over

It’s fairly heavy as far as totes go, coming in at a solid kilo, but that comes with the territory when you’re choosing heavy duty fabrics! This is the tote to pair with R.M. Williams and even an Akubra if you’re bold. It’s not too pretty to rough up, yet understated and classic enough to take to work.

Remote Projects’ range also includes the Easy Tote, which is longer and slimmer than the Everyday Tote, with two front pockets. Although I haven’t used the Easy Tote myself, based on the dimensions and design I reckon the Easy Tote is better suited to coffee runs and weekends at the bookstore, whereas the Everyday Tote can handle more adventurous stuff.

Comfort

When I checked out the bag on the website, I was worried it’d be too big. But in person it didn’t feel gargantuan and both strap lengths were comfortable even on a petite frame like mine (160cm). I especially like, from both a comfort and durability point of view, that the straps are also made from waxed canvas.

Doesn’t even hit the ground! Perfect | Shot by Chelsea Taylor

Sustainability

It was really hard to write this section because I reckon Remote Projects has had a fair go at making an absolutely bomb-proof tote that’s designed with longevity in mind. They’ve even got Australian-made versions of some bags, while the main range is made with their close partners in India. (The Australian-made version of the Everyday Tote comes in different colourways and dimensions and retails for nearly twice the price.)

But at the same time, the best bag is the one you’ve already got – and I can’t help but feel most readers (and even this writer) already have enough heavy-duty plastic bags and totes to get them through several years. And, functionally, this bag won’t do anything a heavy-duty plastic bag won’t but costs 130x as much.

Plus, cotton is an incredibly water-intensive and energy-demanding resource. They say that the average tote requires 50 to 7,000 re-uses to break even (depending on which environmental metrics you take into account) – and the Everyday Tote is made with heavier cotton and undergoes additional processing compared to a regular tote.

Nothing is truly sustainable if you don’t need it. With that caveat in mind, if you do have a need for a rugged tote that’ll do absolutely everything, and you’re committed to putting the ten-year warranty to the test, I reckon you can’t go wrong with the thoughtful make and design of this bag.

Price

At RRP $129, this Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote is undeniably as expensive as tote bags get. But it’s a quality make and made from waxed canvas, so it’s a fair price, especially once you factor in that hectic ten-year warranty!

Are you paying for the label? Sure, but you’re also getting unmatched durability

Final Thoughts

Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote is undeniably charismatic – the waxed canvas somehow feels both luxurious and rugged. Remote Projects has got the dimensions and design spot on for this one. There’s hardly an adventure the Everyday Tote wouldn’t be suited for!

If you’re the kind of person who loves to trawl r/buyitforlife, this is the tote for you!

It’s expensive, but it does the job and it looks good doing it | Shot by Chelsea Taylor

Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote FAQs

Is the Everyday Tote good for adventures?

Yep! The Everyday Tote is great for day trips, such as fishing, snorkelling, 4WDing, nature journalling, picnicking, birding or heading to the beach.

How much can you fit inside the Remote Projects’ Everyday Tote?

The Everyday Tote is big and rugged giving it an impressive carrying capacity. It should be big enough to contain all your stuff for a day out, whether you’re thrifting, shopping, grabbing groceries, heading to the beach, fishing, snorkelling, 4WDing, twitching, or picnicking!

What is the Everyday Tote made from?

The Everyday Tote is made from waxed canvas, which is a cotton material. It’s extremely thick and wears beautifully.

Is the Everyday Tote sustainable?

The Everyday Tote comes with a ten-year warranty and is made with highly durable waxed canvas materials. However, cotton is an extremely resource intensive material so it’ll never be as sustainable as using what you already have!

How long will the Everyday Tote last?

The Everyday Tote comes with a ten-year warranty and has the quality construction to back it up.