Both spellings are acceptable, it turns out, but duffle is a British corruption of our duffel, so pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and spell it “duffel” like an American. Our duffel is red polyester with black handles and an adjustable and removable black shoulder strap. Measures 18” long x an 11” dia cylinder, and has black canvas strap handles on both ends for your hanging and toting convenience. Everybody needs a good duffel, even the Brits.

You don't have to send money to your local public TV station to get these better-than-your-average tote bags. Just donate the ridiculously low $3.50 to your favorite surplus supplier and you're ready to tote this logo-free lime green and black bag in cotton canvas. Measures 15" x 14" with a 4"-wide gusset on the bottom, and a 9” deep x 8” wide pocket on the side.

Nothing feels better than saying “no” to the checkout person who asks if we need bags. Lately we’ve been toting a couple of these reusable 18” x 14-1/2” x 2” bamboo-themed shopping bags. They come in green with green bamboo stalks on them, and has nice brown, strappy handles.

Keep your cool! PEVA insulated Del Mar Cooler Bag is 12.5" H x 14" W x 6.5" D with quilted side gussets, top handles, and an adjustable shoulder strap for comfort on-the-go. Perfect for keeping drinks, bologna sandwiches, and charcuterie trays ice-cold at the beach, campsite, or party.

Call it the bag of a lesser messenger. This dark olive Extreme Pak™ tote looks like a mini-backpack but has a shoulder strap plus a pair of handles. Measures approx 11-1/2" tall x 8-1/2" wide x 6" deep front to back, it's got a big inside zippered compartment, a smaller zippered pouch on the bottom, a pair of hook-and-loop closed pockets on the top, plus a plethora (that'd be 10) of band loops to hang stuff off. Mfg suggested retail is over $30. Just saying.

In soft poly-foam and a pretty powder blue color, we think this case was made for standard smart phones, although goodness knows you could keep any number of things in it. (Badness probably knows that, too.) Measuring 6” x 3-1/2” x approx 3/8”, it has a slot with black piping 1-1/2” from the top, and a small tab at the top corner with a removable, silver carabiner on it.

From Manhattan Tech, this messenger bag is rugged, handsome, clean and understated, like a 1950s movie star. Measures 13” x 12” x 5” in smart black with a super-classy 1” red off-center vertical line on the front and back. Perfect for a laptop and accessories, or a bunch of books, or countless other things. Has an adjustable, nicely padded shoulder strap—because it’s a messenger bag—and a large flap cover (again, messenger bag) with an interior divider with a hook’n’loop fastener, and (2) outside front molle buckles.

This zippered, padded, 11" x 10" x 3-1/2" dark gray bag from Tuff ’Nuff is so nice, and so unusual, it’s got us a little flummoxed. Not really, we just wanted to write “flummoxed.” But everything else is true—it’s a heck of a nice bag. Shaped vaguely like an oversized canteen or flask, and made out of a coarse material that feels kind of like canvas, it has a black double-pull zipper running all around it, and a small nylon handle on top. The inside is nicely padded with a cream-colored foam that feels tough enough not to easily tear. Made in Montana, USA.

These little pouches were big in the 1970s and now they’re back, in environmental-friendly hemp. Measure 5-1/2” x 3-1/2” with a snap closure on top and an open pocket on the front. Originally made for cigarettes, but we like them better as coin purses or craft-supply pouches. You could also store your back-up supply of fresh batteries in one, or a fistful of writing utensils. Pouch color is a pleasant hempy brown, with a colorful artsy phrase embroidered on it.

These satin-finish zipper bags have a vinyl interior and measure 20” long x 10” tall x 4” wide when you open the gusset on the bottom. Sort of the proportions of a giant pencil holder. Made for some specific purpose that nobody has shared with us, but think giant clutch bags, travel organizers, dressy briefcases or cash deposit bags to impress your bank. We'll pick one in red, black, lime green or royal blue.