To give a closer look into life at Blank Bags, and also a little more about the CarryAll Convertible Tote, I want to tell you about some of the testing that’s been going on lately.
Over the course of many months of development, the CarryAll has gone through constant, daily testing. This has been done by myself & others, and happens in the shop & out in the real world.
I could talk for days about all of the different situations the CarryAll has been in, trying to push the limits of all different ways it could be used. For now, I want to tell you about a couple of recent tests in which the CarryAll did extremely well. More specifically, both of these situations have to do with an everyday but (hopefully) enjoyable activity: grocery shopping.
We are fortunate to live in close proximity to two grocery stores – close enough that I really don’t like to drive, but far enough away that walking with a standard paper or reusable grocery bag is either very uncomfortable, or just not possible. Especially when shopping for a family of four.
The first trip a few days ago was to Grocery Store A. After a chat with one of my favorite checkers, and loading up all the groceries, I hopped on my bike, with the CarryAll converted to a Messenger Bag, for the ride home. In the bag I had (2) 1-gallon (3.8L) containers of milk, a large bulk container of raisins, some fruits & vegetables, (1) dozen eggs, a 2lb package of chicken, (2) containers of yogurt, and few other small items. Everything totaled out at a little over 25lbs (11.3kg) and I was curious to see how the bag would handle it.
A look inside the CarryAll when I got home
Well, in short, the CarryAll did great. Once the bag was loaded, it easily converted to a messenger bag. On the ride, it stayed in place and comfortably held a heavy, uneven load. And when I got home, all items were safe and sound, having stayed in place due to the shape of the bag.
I was proud of my bag – it did a great job, and made that trip home so much easier.
The next day I was headed to Grocery Store B, this time on foot. It was one of those trips where I thought I didn’t have too much to get, and it should be quick. Turns out, I underestimated the shopping list, and also went above and beyond on a few things (we now have a lot of potatoes). At the end of it all, I had about 2lbs (.9kg) of fruit, 3lbs (1.4kg) of potatoes, 2lbs of squash, a variety of other vegetables, 1lb of almonds, (2) cans of beans, (4) cans of corn, and a few small bulk items such as sugar.
A look inside the CarryAll after the walk home
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Everything totaled out to about 22lbs (10kg), and I was on my way home for a .5 mile (.8km) walk. I started out with the handles in the Tote Bag position, and switched it to a Messenger Bag about half way home. I even made an extra stop on the way since everything was going so well.
The CarryAll rockin 20-plus pounds of groceries
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I wasn’t sure I would ever say this, but the walk home with over 20lbs of groceries was quite pleasant, and will make it that much easier for me to walk next time I’m shopping (and maybe justify throwing some ice cream in the cart).
If you have any questions about other specific testing the CarryAll Convertible Tote has been through, or if you’re curious what it can all hold, feel free to drop me a line at matt@blankbrand.co. And you can also see more about the Tote on the Kickstarter page at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1043081170/the-carryall-convertible-tote-from-blank-bags
Thanks everyone – have a great day!
Blank Brand 