ALPAKA Elements Tote Review

The ALPAKA Elements Tote is an everyday tote bag with plenty of space, organization, and added functionality, making it perfect for carrying daily essentials, groceries, work gear, beach items, or running errands. It features a dual-tone accent, which not only adds an aesthetic touch but also enhances visibility. The tote is foldable and storable and can stand up on its own, which is always nice to see. 

Thanks to its versatile pockets, the 14.5L capacity accommodates various gear for different uses. It also features a magnetic closure to keep items secure, although this will do little to protect the contents from inclement weather.

External Components

The ALPAKA Elements Tote is constructed with weatherproof fabrics, including 200D ripstop nylon. While the fabric itself may protect from rain, snow, sand, and whatever else you throw at it, it is essential to note that this is not necessarily the case for the bag overall. The bag’s opening is secured by magnets, which help keep it closed but offer little protection to the contents in inclement weather. 

The fabric has a square pattern that enhances its ruggedness and gives it a canvas-like texture, even producing a canvas-like sound when we touch it. And while it won’t keep out water, the magnetic closure makes the bag easy to open and helps it snap closed when not in use. The tote includes external loops suitable for carabiners and additional attachment points, which may require larger carabiners. The tote is foldable to a decent extent and can stand up on its own even when empty, which we appreciate.

The bag features dual-tone strap handles with a vibrant orange interior, which enhances visibility and adds a pop of color, providing an attractive aesthetic. Although the handles are smooth nylon, it’s important to note that they lack padding. You can carry it in a tote style or worn over the shoulder, depending on your preference.

Fit Notes

The ALPAKA Elements Tote is available, at the time of this review, in Black, Green, Blue, and Slate Gray, all featuring a modern aesthetic complemented by an orange interior lining that looks great. Its casual aesthetic suits activities like your daily commute, heading to the beach or gym, and even running errands. However, it’s worth noting that the strap handles are short, making shoulder carry somewhat uncomfortable, especially for larger individuals. Also, the lack of padding on the strap handles makes them somewhat uncomfortable carrying a heavy setup over a long period.

Inside The Pack

The ALPAKA Elements Tote is a relatively straightforward tote bag with some unique features that provide excellent additional functionality. A small, somewhat hidden slip pocket is on either side of the bag. They’re perfect for storing items that you might want quick access to, such as a phone, keys, or wallet. In our experience, these pockets work exceptionally well for storing smaller headphones, like AirPods, allowing you to get them in and out without opening the entire bag.

We like how these pockets blend in with the tote’s exterior. They don’t stand out or draw attention and go largely unnoticed unless you’re specifically looking for them. This makes them perfect for storing items discreetly. While these quick-access pockets are great for smaller items, they are somewhat rigid and lack stretch. In our experience, they work well for smaller wallets, but if you’re trying to store a larger wallet, you might find it a bit tricky to fish it out. While this is not a significant issue, it’s worth noting when considering how you’ll use the tote.

In addition to these convenient slip pockets, the tote also features attachment loops at the base of each strap, for a total of four attachment points. These are perfect for carabiners, allowing you to attach extra gear, like keys, to the outside of the bag, as long as you don’t mind having them on the outside of the tote.

The main compartment of the ALPAKA Elements Tote features a vibrant orange interior, similar to the strap handles, and incorporates some select black accents for better visibility of its pockets. Compared to standard totes that typically offer a large dump space, this tote provides substantial organization. We are fine with using the large open space for bulkier gear or its extra pockets and dividers to organize smaller items. The tote contains two rounded pockets with a black accent around the lip and four additional slip pockets at the sides of the bag. We appreciate that these pockets are lifted and separated from the rest of the items in the main compartment, maintaining visibility and preventing clutter. We find that the rounded pockets are perfect for water bottles or an umbrella, while the slip pockets do an excellent job containing smaller items like a small journal or notebook, a small tech pouch, and other similarly sized gear.

The ALPAKA Elements Tote is a versatile, everyday tote bag offering a nice amount of storage capacity and features a dual-tone aesthetic construction with weatherproof 200D ripstop nylon. The bag’s magnetic closure, cleverly placed slip pockets, external loops for attachments, and the ability to stand up on its own make it a powerhouse compared to the standard tote bag. Its dual-tone strap handles work to carry the bag in a tote style or over the shoulder. It is available in multiple colors, has a casual aesthetic, and has substantial organization, including pockets for quick access and dividers for added segmentation. However, there are a few considerations to remember: the strap handles lack padding and are not very long, and the magnetic closure offers little protection for the contents in inclement weather. Overall, this tote bag provides a lot of customizable functionality to suit your needs.