TRKFLD: Embrace Your Man-Bag
Alright, so I carry a man-bag. So what? You wanna fight about it? Anyway, my old bag was wearing out. The zipper was coming apart at the seam, every pocket had a hole at the bottom, and it was starting to smell like shit from all the spilled OJ, long trips to MGC and E3 (yes, I’ve had it that long), and it looked like it had been run through a garbage disposal. A bag is somewhat of a necessity for my day job as it allows me to carry my lunch, iPhone, paperwork, and whatever else I need for the day. So yes, although it is a heartbeat away from a purse, Daddy needs a man-bag.
I was looking around for a suitable replacement when I remembered some ads for TRKFLD I saw in Giant Robot Magazine. I remembered the bags looking cool, functional, and durable. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the name of the company, but I did remember their slogan: “We Make Bags.” Simple and apparently quite effective as a quick Google search found their website. They list nearly twenty bags on their online store, and yes, a handful of them are purses. (Fuck you). I started at the top and worked my way down until I found the Tara. It looked manly enough and its description indicated that it has a padded interior for carrying laptops. Perfect. Plus, the guy in the picture is flexing his muscles; that’s totally manly, right? So I ordered it and waited for it to show up in the mail, which it did five days later. Here’s a shot:
Upon opening the box, I was immediately impressed by not only the bag, but also the package. It was sealed in a sort of giant zip-lock bag with the TRKFLD logo on the front. The bag itself is made out of incredibly durable Sunbrella material, and everything was just as advertised. The inside pouch fits my laptop perfectly, and there are plenty of other compartments for gadgets and necessities.
Included with the bag were the typical things like the invoice, catalogs, a sticker, etc. But they also included a free copy of two.one.five magazine. Very cool.
Even cooler was the personal touch added to the packing slip. Check it out:
How cool is that?
So there you have it. I’m embracing my man-bag. Who’s with me? I know Hilden is, but I need a little more credibility than that.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Dude, interview these guys, they know you guys exist so…..
Oh, man bags are sweet….
September 18th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Is there a pocket for your lipstick?
September 18th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Hey, if man bags are good enough for Jack Bauer, then they are good enough for anyone.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Yeah, these things look awesome. I found out about them from Giant Robot, as well and I was checking their site today. I wish I needed a new man bag…
September 18th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Wow I’m impressed. Once I have the dough I’ll have to pick one up!
September 18th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I’m ordering one now. I need something new and..well..they seem like a fucking cool ass company.
And I prefer “man sack”. It’s a sack to hold my manly shit..if you know what I mean.
And by that I mean testicles.
In my scrotum.
Ish.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Gross
September 18th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
You’re all a bunch of ladies.
Real men carry their junk in a wheelbarrow. Me and handsome Sam Cassell.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
How did they know who you were? Creepy.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Might have been my email address.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I’m a certified cheap ass, so I have to say… $110 for a bag?!?! Did it come with some blow?
September 18th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I’m sorry, I have changed my mind, Moe’s Barrow is the best idea
September 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Much nicer than my black Eddie Bauer man bag.
September 20th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I gotta say, I’ve preferred the man-bag method for years now. I got a really nice one last year that’s held up like crazy. It’s custom-made for laptops and that stuff, so it’s got a bunch of cool secret compartments and zippers to store all my accessories in. I’ll need to look at the exact brand later.
But I agree with Tyler. Jack Bauer pulls that shit off like nothing else.
September 20th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I don’t know which is worse. The pseudo-purse man-bag, or a backpack.
Personally I find the backpack to be the lesser of the two evils, but to each their own.