Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

15 sturdy canvas bags that’ll last through the long haul

Christopher Blomquist
By

15 sturdy canvas bags thatll last the long haul totes
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Leather is luxe and nylon can be neat but when it comes to bags made from said materials they are often either exorbitant (the former) or affordable but hardly eye-catchers (the latter). Well-made bags constructed from sturdy cotton canvas, on the other hand, offer a happy medium between the two: they’re usually in the mid range price-wise, are virtually indestructible, easy to clean and have a rugged handsomeness about them that harkens back to when seafaring and prospecting were a guy’s best career options. Waxed canvas and sailcloth are especially durable, which is exactly why military suppliers and sailors have turned to them time and again for centuries now.

Shown here are 15 of my favorite canvas carryalls from a variety of brands in two classic shapes: the duffle, which gets its name from the Belgian town of Duffel which produced the strong cloth to make the first models in the 17th century, and the tote, named for the verb that means “to carry” and a bag style that first achieved mainstream popularity in the 1940s and ’50s after L.L. Bean launched its now iconic Boat Bag pioneer.

Recommended Videos

Take a look and then decide whether you want to pack your gear into an oblong or square-like valise on your next journey, whether that’s an exotic weekend getaway or merely your daily jaunt to the gym. Either way, with a canvas bag you’ll be sure that it will last that trip and many, many more to come – so you can literally keep calm and carry on….

Barking_Irons_Bowery-Bag-natural-white
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Navy-inspired Bowery Duffle by Barking Irons (available June 6, the 72nd anniversary of D-Day), $325

Barking_Irons_Harbor-Tote-Cherry-Red
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Harbor Tote by Barking Irons (available June 6), $135

Belber_Greenwich-Oyster-beige-B.-Brown-front
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Greenwich Tote by Belber, $480

Billy_Kirk_No.233_Duffle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

No. 233 Duffle Bag by Billy Kirk, $275

Bradley_Mountain_Rambler_1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Rambler by Bradley Mountain, $279

CockpitUSA_Gym-Bag-WWII-Navy-canvas-navy-back-Cockpit-USA-Z96P005
Image used with permission by copyright holder

WWII Navy Gym Bag by Cockpit USA, $425

Ernest_Alexander_Aiden_Wax_Utility_Tote
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Aiden Wax Utility Tote by Ernest Alexander, $245

Filson_Medium_Duffel
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Medium Duffle by Filson, $395

Filson_Tote_Bag_with_Zipper
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tote Bag with Zipper by Filson, $170

Fred_Perry_
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ventile Canvas Duffle Bag by Fred Perry, $225

Hudson_Sutler_a--Yorktown_tote
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Yorktown Tote Bag by Hudson Sutler, $70

Hudson_Sutler_Butler_weekender
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Butler Weekender by Hudson Sutler, $120

John_Varvatos_PEACE-ROCKS-TOTE-001-A_0242
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Peace Rocks Tote by John Varvatos, $65

Workers_Supply_journalist
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Journalist Folio Bag by Workers Supply, $205

Workers_Supply_pilot
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pilots Weekend Bag by Workers Supply, $329

Christopher Blomquist
Christopher Blomquist
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Christopher is a native New Yorker who lives and works (mostly) in Manhattan. A longtime fashion journalist, he served as…
Get up to $130 off Tom Ford colognes in this rare sale
Someone spraying a Tom Ford cologne on themselves.

Jomashop has some fantastic cologne deals with up to $310 off select Tom Ford colognes. Whether you’re buying your favorite fragrance, looking for a gift for someone, or want to try something new, there are great options here. As always with such huge sales, it’s a smart move to check it all out for yourself. Do so by tapping the button below. However, if you want some insight into what we recommend, keep reading and we’ll take you through our favorites. In all cases, don’t count on stock staying this price for very long.

What to shop for in the Jomashop Tom Ford cologne sale
With some of the best colognes around, Tom Ford colognes are well worth checking out. One highlight is the which is down to $144 from $295. It has top notes of rosewood, cardamom, and Chinese pepper, while there are heart notes of Oud, sandalwood, and vetiver. For the base notes, expect the delights of Tonka bean, vanilla, and amber. One of Tom Ford’s older colognes, it has a timeless quality to it.

Read more
Burberry sale: Jackets, shirts, belts, and more, from $200
Burberry Kensington

Burberry is one of the most recognizable and popular brands in the world with their tailored apparel, luxurious accessories and of course, their famous checkered print. If you don't already own at least one piece of apparel or an accessory from this coveted brand, now is the perfect opportunity to find something that suits your needs.

Gilt is offering a huge sale on over 150 different Burberry styles including shirts, belts, sunglasses, wallets, footwear, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets and more. You can find apparel for as low as $200 and accessories or cologne for as low as $30. Click the button below to start shopping all of these Burberry products before time runs out.

Read more
Steven Kurutz and American Giant endeavor to create a flannel 100% American made
Follow American Giant to bring flannel back to the USA
man in flannel holding a book

What makes the flannel shirt something that stays with us here in America? Is it the quintessential garment of the American worker? Does it make us feel as though we are driving horses across the plains in the old American West? How about working the day away, clearing logs from the Pacific Northwest to supply the entire country with the lumber needed to build houses, decks, and shop fronts? Or maybe we don't have to reach back as far to imagine the flannel renaissance of the 1990s bringing us the nostalgia of our childhood imitating Kurt Cobain on stage. Either way, the flannel is a staple of Americana, and American fashion brand American Giant has spent years attempting to bring that garment back home.

What started out as an article in the New York Times blossomed into a half-decade journey for author Steven Kurutz to chronicle AG's desire to bring flannel-making back to the shores of the United States and to save factory jobs in his new book, American Flannel. As a native of a small town in Pennsylvania, Kurutz has watched his town wither away as factory jobs were shipped overseas. For him, the book was more than a story of American determination; it was a personal connection to a quest to save his own hometown and others like it.
American Flannel spotlights the brands bringing garments back home

Read more