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.

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.

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.

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.

Our two-tone, jumbo tote bags are attractively heathered with a 5" gusset. Measure 20” x 15” x 5" in black, blue or gray polyester (for sturdiness) with an open front pocket approx 10” x 11” and an inner zippered pocket approx 7” x 7”. We’ll pick a color for you because we’re good at that. Long polyester web handles measure approx 27" long x 1" wide. These are nice, roomy bags and take up practically no space when not being used. You might be glad you stocked up on a few.

Stuff your duds in these large bags, roll 'em up to expel the air, then slide the sturdy zip-seal zipper to vacuum seal your clothes for storage or travel. No pump required—you be the pump. This Lg/Med/Sm collection includes (10) bags, (4) large at 28” x 20”, (4) medium at 24” X 16”, and (2) small at 20” x 14”.

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.

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.