Bag to Basics

A little more than a year ago, Gabrielle and her husband made the choice to swap their traditional house for something much smaller — an 8 x 20-foot log trailer house that they would build together. Motivated by a desire to simplify, they pared down to the most basic of the basics — much like they would do for a backpacking trip — and they traded down for a smaller home, one that could move to Texas when they needed it to.

When building their new home, she and her husband selected the materials with great intention, avoiding plastics and synthetics by choosing more natural materials like sheep's wool insulation, cork flooring and a stainless steel shower and counter tops. They even settled on a composting toilet that conserved water.

Gabrielle says, "It is this same intentional selection of materials that makes me so delighted with Duluth Trading Company's products." As somewhat of a collector of bags, she searched for the perfect one for many years before finding our 100% cotton canvas Travel Totes. "They are extremely well made and made with natural materials.

It is for this reason that despite my limited space in my new home, that every one of my seven Duluth bags made the cut."

What does she do with all of these bags while living in such a small space? We asked, and these are her answers.

Weekender Travel Tote

"I got this bag before it had zippers, but it makes a great grocery bag! I try to avoid plastic bags at the grocery store as much as possible, so this can take the place of at least 4 of those flimsy sacks."

Jumbo Canvas Tote

"This also comes in handy as a grocery bag — you can load it down with weight and not worry about losing your load from the car to the house. But I also enjoy using this to take things to work when I have a little extra to carry, and it's my go-to bag when I travel or fly — perfect size for a carry on and the zipper gives me extra security."

Canvas Sling

"I have been searching for the perfect day-in-and-day-out bag for years, probably at least 10 and I have finally found it in this sling. I love its perfect everyday size. It has enough pockets to organize without things getting lost. This bag goes with me everywhere, except…"

Canvas Hip Bag

"This is what I like taking out on the trail — when I am going on a day hike, this is the perfect bag to grab and go — a few snacks, the bare necessities and a camera."

Canvas Pouch Set

"I guess maybe these do not quite count as bags, but great all the same! I use one as my wallet and the other for all the small bits and pieces in my Travel Tote Sling Bag. I think I might need a few more of these!"

Zip Top Travel Tote

"A gift for my Mom!"

And now that Gabrielle is settled in to her "tiny house" in grand Texas, with her 7 canvas Travel Totes? She can't help but think of the humor of it all. "Yup, it's a tiny house in Texas."