The Revelate Designs B.A.T (Big Ass Tote) is not your typical tote bag. It is an oversized, burly tote bag for hauling your sports gear, grocery runs, or whatever you think of. It has a minimalist, yet functional design that includes a beefy zippered top, shoulder straps, a pair of hand carry straps, and a massive compartment with a small organizing pocket at the top. I’ve been using it for 3 and a half years now and thought I’d share my thoughts on it.
Construction and Design
The bag is primarily constructed from Dimension-Polyant X50 which has a 500 denier Cordura nylon exterior face and a slick X-Ply polyester film surface on the inside. The bottom is reinforced with a second layer of 500 denier Cordura. For those not familiar with these fabric details, I’ll summarize by saying this is some solid, extra durable material. The #10 YKK coil zipper is at the top is oversized and has remained smoothly operating. The bag features a pair of smaller handles for carrying by hand as well as larger shoulder straps. The bag is made in the USA by Revelate Designs in Anchorage and the construction and stitching is top notch.
The main fabric of my B.A.T. is a white and grey camo with one side featuring a nice bikepacking inspired artwork from printmaker Alynn Guerra. There’s a small white Revelate Designs logo on the reverse side which remains subdued due to the light background. The availability of the B.A.T. seems to be sporadic and the last run of bags did not feature the artwork.
Haulin’ Stuff
While the B.A.T. is not designed as a bag to be mounted on a bike, it fits perfectly in the large rear basket on my RadRunner utility e-bike. I use a couple of bungee straps to secure it to the basket. I’ve used it for grocery store trips almost every week for the past 3 and a half years and it’s seen its fair share of duty hauling a wide variety of other things (eg bike parts, tools, fishing equipment). The bag doesn’t show any signs of wear and the artwork on the side still looks nice. I’m sure that I will continue to get many years of use out of it.
Do You Really Need an Overbuilt Tote Bag?
If you do, then the B.A.T. could be a good option. Do you just need a cheap bag to occasionally lug some gear around? There’s definitely cheaper options.
If you are looking for a tote bag on a budget, the IKEA Frakta bags may be good solutions. For $0.99 you can get an open top 72 liter bag. For $5.99, the zippered 75 liter bag which can also be carried like a backpack. Yes, the IKEA bags are not as sturdy and won’t last as long, but for the price of the B.A.T. you could purchase more than a lifetime’s supply of IKEA bags and still have a lot of money left over. Even at the significantly discounted price that I purchased it.
Final Thoughts
Is the Revelate Designs B.A.T excessive? Yes, in a delightfully indulgent way. Would I recommend it based on value? Of course not. Do I regret purchasing one? No.
Specifications
- Volume: 55 liters
- Weight: 17 oz
- Materials: X50 Alpine Camo Fabric, #10 YKK Coil Zipper
- Availability: sporadic
- Price (MSRP): $89
- Price Paid: $49.93
