Jul 26

Jul 26 Go Caddy Tote

By Rickee Richardson
Senior Editor - CruiseReport

While on a recent trip to Europe, I had the chance to try out the Go Caddy, a unique (patented) and compact carryall tote and water bottle carrier. I am always looking for a convenient way to carry my essential "stuff" while exploring a port and the Go Caddy seemed to offer a solution.

The fact that the Go Caddy folds flat makes it easy to pack without taking up much room in the suitcase. When it comes time to use the Go Caddy, you will find that this unisex bag holds up to a 1.5 liter bottle of your favorite beverage in the center section (4"x10") of the bag and even comes with a water bottle cooler sleeve which fits up to a 1 liter bottle. Depending on the size of bottle you carry, you may be able to put some additional things in this center section that won't be affected if the water bottle sweats, such as an umbrella or folded rain poncho.

There is an outside pleated deep front pocket (4.5"x7") with a flapped velcro closure and a smaller hidden pocket within it where I put my ship card, driver's license, credit card and cash. This inner pocket is the perfect size to hold your passport should you need to carry it with you. You could fit a small note pad and pen in this front pocket and I put my cell phone, a package of Kleenex, a lipstick and small mirror there, too.

On the opposite side of the bag, there is a roomy elastic pouch (4.75"x7") where I put my camera, a map, and reading glasses and still had room to spare. There is a metal "D" ring attached to each side of the bag at the top to which you can clip things. An additional oblong metal ring with a spring clip provides yet another way to attach things (such as keys) to the outside of the bag. The comfortable adjustable strap (1"x54") is made of polypropylene webbing and can be worn either over the shoulder or across the body. The Go Caddy itself is made of microfiber with a 100% poly inner lining and the elastic pouch is 420 denier nylon. These materials make the bag super easy to clean by just spot cleaning it with a damp cloth.

I found the Go Caddy to be incredibly lightweight and comfortable to wear, even with all my "stuff" in it. I chose to wear the bag with the strap across my body and hardly even knew it was there. I was able to keep my hands free for activities, but unlike when I wear a backpack, I did not have to remove the Go Caddy when I sat down. This meant I had less chance to walk off and leave it somewhere (which I have been known to do in the past!) My only issue was that the strap damaged the fabric of two of my pima cotton tee-shirts, causing "pilling" of the fabric where the strap went across my body, both on the front and back of my shirt. I should mention that this problem did not occur when I wore the bag with a shirt made from a different fabric.

I highly recommend the Go Caddy for anyone who wants to be able to have water handy while also having a compact and convenient place to put all the essentials that one needs to carry. The Go Caddy comes in three colors and the purchase price is very reasonable at $19.99. For more information, or to purchase the Go Caddy, go to www.gocaddy.com.

Disclosure: We received a Go Caddy tote for testing and review purposes from BVT Products