by Cara Gregory

Over the course of several weeks, I have had the opportunity to try out a new product from Timbuk2 Designs, Inc. As an owner of other Timbuk2 products, I was pleased to be selected to do this review.

I have been using the Timbuk2 custom cargo tote to carry my books, notebooks, sweater, and water to and from school. I have used this tote on my scooter and in the car.

I am reviewing this bag in five different areas: looks, design, workmanship, materials, and functionality and/or uses.

Looks: This tote looks cool. It is stylish, has a unisex design (maybe leans a little more towards women users), and has the very recognizable Timbuk2 logo stitched on each side. It comes in a lot more colors than pink, and is also one of the Timbuk2 customizable bags.

Design: The custom cargo tote is a big, roomy bag with a large storage capacity. It has two exterior pockets, one huge interior area for large items (laptop, books, clothing), one large interior pocket with a Velcro® closure, one interior zippered pocket (good for a wallet, keys, or loose items), three pen/pencil holders, two soft-lined interior pockets (ideal for cell phones, MP3 players—items you don’t want to get scratched), and one interior mesh pouch (perfect for a water bottle).

Workmanship: If you are familiar with Timbuk2 quality, you will not be disappointed with this bag. The custom cargo tote is made right here in the USA at the Timbuk2 San Francisco factory. There is quality stitching throughout the bag. The handles have reinforced stitching for added stability and strength. Overall, the workmanship is superior to other, similar products.

Materials: The custom cargo tote is made out of the signature Timbuk2 ballistic nylon. The material is flexible enough that you can roll the bag up or smash it flat when not in use. The handles and shoulder strap are made out of nylon strap material. The removable shoulder strap utilizes metal hardware to secure it to the tote. Another awesome feature of this bag and other Timbuk2 products is that is customizable. You can select different colors to truly make this tote your own. I personally like the pink and black combination (a reflective piping would be great too, but I’m not sure that’s an available option).

Functionality and/or uses: As I mentioned above, I used the cargo tote to transport all of my books and supplies to and from class. Because of the versatile size, this tote could also be used as a briefcase style bag for work, a piece of carry-on luggage while traveling, a gym bag, or an all-purpose bag for errands or shopping.

Pros: The Timbuk2 custom cargo tote has a large storage capacity, many pockets of various sizes, quality workmanship and materials, and is customizable. The custom cargo tote is made in a U.S. factory.

Cons: The Timbuk2 custom cargo tote is heavy–even without anything in it. In my opinion, this is the biggest drawback of this bag. The shoulder strap isn’t padded, but this might be an option when you are building your own tote. The two soft-lined interior pockets are only lined on one side; it would be nice if the lining was on all sides of the pocket to keep your electronics scratch-free. Lastly, I think the two exterior pockets would benefit by having a Velcro® closure to keep items secure.

Check out www.timbuk2.com to view the different products available. Prices for the cargo tote start at $60.

Editor’s note: Cara is one of my scooter buddies on the girlbike/scooterfix team of writers.