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Ranchlands – Chico Tote Review

Check for it here (Customizable!):  Chico Tote

Ranchlands Chico Tote, the Full Review!

THE BASICS

I had so much fun carrying this tote! Part of that is it’s just a REALLY well made bag.  The other part of that is it’s part of bigger story about Ranchlands, caretakers of land and animals who make an effort to educate the community and preserve the ecosystems that make up their ranches.  It’s a bag I just feel good about carrying.

The tote itself is one of the heartiest bags I own.   The leather is thick and this bag is gonna be around for a lifetime.  The craftsmanship just shines through – reinforced corners, rounded edges, thick straps, a peek of suede on the exterior pocket.  All finishes that most leather bags don’t bother with.  It’s a good size and can carry all my needs for work or for weekend.  The best part of the bag is even when it’s full, I can see just about everything inside.  It’s got a wide bottom and it’s fairly structured with a wide opening.  This means everything stays exactly where I packed it (vs. everything falling in on itself when the bag is floppy).  With thick leather and a good sized bag packed full, that means some weight.  The weight of the bag is distributed nicely with the wide, thick handles so I don’t notice the weight.  I carried this at length on two (2) separate occasions and no issues!  The handles are also unlined so the handles stay put on your shoulder.

What’s customizable about this bag?  You can add your initials to it!

THE NITTY AND THE GRITTY

Exterior – The exterior is simple and clean.  It’s got one full length pocket that’s fairly snug / tight to the bag.  It’s perfect for something with a slim profile (think your tablet and your phone, both could fit easily). The only hint of branding is their signature diamond imprinted into the bottom right corner of the exterior pocket.

Interior – The best part of this bag is the visibility.  Opening is wide, bag is structured and it really just allows for easy access of your things.  There is a single divided pocket on one side that also runs the full length (but is not full height).  I LOVE that they did not divide this pocket in half; it’s more like 1/3 and 2/3.  The phone is perfect for the 1/3 side and the other side can house a tablet, slim wallet, etc.  There is no key fob in this bag.  This doesn’t bother me at all because I bought a fish hook key chain that perfectly hangs off the interior pocket and takes no room at all.  At first I thought the leather on the pocket was too thick, but it’s not.  You just need to push the leather against the back of the fish hook and then it slides right over.  I actually started keeping my keys like this on other bags, too.  It’s better than the key fob because it doesn’t require any clasping / opening of a dog leash.  Plus, my keys stay within easy reach and I can put them anywhere along the length of the pocket so they aren’t hidden behind something.

The second best part of this bag is the sheer volume of stuff it can hold and still feel very organized because it’s structured.  It’s only 13″ X 13″, but in Alice in Wonderland style, it can (easily) hold my:

  • Laptop
  • Laptop Cord
  • Fat Wallet
  • Skinny Wallet
  • Essential Oils Pouch (I keep lotion, chapstick, etc. in here)
  • Hard Sided Sunglasses Case
  • Hard Sided Glasses Case
  • Band Aid Holder
  • Keys
  • Phone
  • Tablet

VERSION 2.0

This is my favorite go-to tote now!  It just makes me happy to carry it and think about their story.  I have only two (2) small items on my wishlist for the next iteration of this bag:

  1. All three pockets are open.  The two (2) interior pockets are fine because they’re inside the bag so I think that alone provides a decent amount of security. They’re also pretty far down (vs. having the pocket opening close to the top of the bag) so I feel like things in the pocket can’t fall out or sticky fingers can’t get in.  That said, I’d like to have at least one pocket with some security so I’d love to see a magnet (or some other type) closure on the exterior pocket.
  2. The interior divided pocket is a bit shallow for me.   I’d love to see the pockets a little bit deeper so 90% of my phone is covered.  I think it’s fine to have a bit of your phone poking out the top of the pocket as it makes retrieving it easier.  This would also help if you choose to carry your tablet on the interior pocket since those can be pretty tall.

WHAT ELSE?

Ranchlands, please make a purse / handbag with this amazing leather.  I’d love to see one that’s about 8 X 11 with those gorgeous handles so I have something to take with me on nights out when I’m carrying just the essentials.

MEET THE MAKER

TAKE ME ON A WORKING RANCH VACATION

LEARN ABOUT RANCHLANDS STORY

WATCH THE UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

FTC Disclaimer:  This bag was sent to me for my review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

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Ranchlands Chico Tote, an Unboxing

Check for it here (Customizable!):  Chico Tote

Ranchlands Chico Tote, an Unboxing!

 

Hey Guys!

Sorry I’ve been away for  so long…life has been keeping my busy in the best way possible. Work is a challenge, but I’m glad to be a part of a great team.  My kiddo’s getting older (sniff, sniff) and so we’re exploring all sorts of new things together to see what interests her.  As for me, I’ve recently become super excited about NON city stuff. I’ve always had this insanely urban existence – think, it doesn’t even get dark at night because there’s just so many city lights that even night has a permanent soft glow.  For some reason, a few recent trips have really sparked my interest in more rural / country / nature type existences.

Today’s unboxing is an offshoot of my newfound interest in everything NON city.    I think it’s my own personal City Slickers moment (if that dates me, great because I’m loving this age).   Enter….Ranchlands.  They have the most thoughtful website and I’ve literally spent a few hours poring over it and reading about their connections to the land, how they’re caretakers of it and stewards of the animals.  Honestly, I’ve also secretly thought – how can I talk my husband into a working ranch vacation in the country side of Colorado?!  I’ve got to go.  Soon.

So, how do you get from a working ranch to a leather artisan? Aside from the literal access to cows, I thought they had the most thoughtful answer to this question – – they want to bridge the gap between urban settings and their connection to the land.  After my trip to Tennessee and then The Ranch in Laguna Beach, I really just want to spend more time outdoors and experience the land so this is like the mother ship calling me home.    Long story short, they have bridged the gap. In the search for the perfect bag, I’ve inadvertently learned about their ranching, and more importantly, their larger mission for education and conversation.  

I continue to try to be more a conscious consumer by knowing who made my bags and where they were made.  I watched the video on Madi Hester carefully crafting her leather pieces and I was sold on them.   So, here I am unboxing their Chico Tote in two – tone black.  I came home last night and it was waiting for me.  I did the unboxing video the same night and took the bag with me today – – it’s that alluring.  I’ve already gotten a bunch of compliments on it…. it’s just that kind of bag. It’s a thoughtful, unique design with lots of finishing touches that I haven’t come across before.   Can’t wait to do the video with my full review!  Fingers crossed that I’ll find myself in Colorado at Ranchlands starring in my very own City Slickers.  Cheers Ranchlands; thanks for taking care of our land.

MEET THE MAKER

TAKE ME ON A WORKING RANCH VACATION

FTC Disclaimer:  This bag was sent to me for my review.  All opinions are 100% my own.