People had been requesting a zip-top tote from Tom Bihn for years, but it wasn’t until 2017 that Tom designed a bag that he felt was substantially better than other zip totes out there. At first, you could only have a Pop Tote if you were one of the lucky folks who received a gift bag at the 2017 Kennedy Center Mark Twain Awards for Humor honoring David Letterman, but now you can order your own bag directly from Tom Bihn.
The Pop Tote, at 12.8” (w) x 11.8” (h) x 8.7″ (d), is big enough to carry your EDC kit, a small laptop or tablet, or you could even use it as a shopping bag to tote home groceries or books. The bag is made of:
- 525 denier 2×2 ballistic nylon for the exterior
- PORON foam handles
- #8 YKK zippers
- Tough Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components
The top closes with a zipper and/or snaps. With just the snaps closed and the zipper open (as above), you can use the Pop Tote as an open-top tote that works great as a shopping bag. Leave the snaps open and close the zipper, and you’ve got a secure bag that protects your daily gear or your electronics. And if you close both the zipper and the snaps, it will change the shape of the top of the bag into a pleasing rounded shape like in the top photo. You could even carry a sweater or jacket in the curved top of the bag in this mode.
The exterior has a couple of slip-in pockets and a couple of zippered pockets on the exterior sides. The inside is open, but both the interior and the exterior pockets have a variety of O-rings so you can clip your items into the bag.
The Pop Tote is available in deep blue (shown), olive, Mars red, cloud, black, and alphaviolet for $95.00 at Tom Bihn.
