Archival Steele Canvas Tote

I'll be honest:  I'm not into guys carrying tote bags.  Girls with totes?  Great.  But at the risk of being unpopular I have to admit that for guys, I think they're kind of....well....soft.  They're a little too much like a purse, maybe?  Don't get me wrong, if you're on a boat, or at the beach, or the flea market, or out shopping for locally grown produce at the neighborhood farmer's market, I get it.  You need a bag.  We have one of those extra large L.L. Bean numbers for family beach/pool trips and it's great.  That's a family bag.  But I don't see why a guy on the street needs a tote.  But I live in Tennessee.

That being said, if I was going to buy a tote bag for a guy who boats/goes to the beach/flea market/farmer's market I would probably get this one.

For one, I really believe in what those crazy kids at Archival Clothing are doing and I want to see them keep on doing it.  They haven't announced a product that I haven't thought was great.  Also, the "U.S." stenciled on this bag suddenly makes it much more than a tote.  It's a utility bag with a military feel.  It's a bag for an American guy who needs to accomplish some American things.  Great for running into Trader Joe's to pick up some gluten-free pasta on the way home from the office, but even better for building a country with your bare hands.  And lastly, this is a Steele bag.  If you've spent much time in an industrial/warehousing environment like I have, you are no doubt familiar with the durability of Steele canvas products.  They're tough.

Steele at work in my life.

Now if you're someone who is already familiar with the Steele family of products, you may be asking yourself, "What's the difference between this special edition Archival Clothing tote for $65 and the standard canvas tote available directly from Steele for prices ranging from about $30 to about $40?" (Pictured below.)

I asked the same question.  Only I asked Archival Clothing via twitter.  And here's the answer I received:

"Tweaked dimensions.  Longer handle.  Internal pocket. Super stout #4 duck.  Not stock #8 duck.  U.S. stencil logo."  

So there you go.  It's different.  Is it $25 different?  I don't know.  I'm sure it's tougher.  And I love that U.S. logo.

So guys, if you had one of these what would you fill it with and when would you carry it?