Dandux Coal Bag
Sometimes you just need to carry a lot of heavy stuff. For me it's usually books, either to/from the library, booksale, or used bookstore. One of the best containers I've found for hauling hefty loads is the classic Dandux Coal Bag. Made by C.R. Daniels -- known for their industrial trucks and carts, conveyor belts, outdoor gear, and even straitjackets -- this canvas tote is rated to hold up to 95 pounds and was originally intended for carrying rock or machine parts. L. L. Bean Boat/Tote bags are equally as classic, and more widely available, but I've found they just don't hold up like the Dandux ones. Some totes have slightly-longer handles, which lets you carry them over the shoulder. For me, being able to really load up the Dandux is worth having to carry it with your hands.
-- James Hom
Dandux Coal Bag
$27
Available from C.R. Daniels
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A cool tool is anything useful that is superior to comparable items. If you think this tool is inferior suggest a better one. You are welcome to insult a tool, but comments containing insults to individual people will be deleted. Corrections of fact are always welcomed, if stated politely. Recommendations of better tools are dearly wanted and may be elevated to the front page.
Jonathan Peterson
I have a dozen or more Ikea bags that are made out of big blue tarp material. I've hauled a bagfull of firewood that was a good 50lbs with no issues multiple times.
they're $.59
Karsten
This is NOT a cool tool. Regardless of durability, it is a tote bag, and $27 for a tote bag is poor value.
Cool tools are tools that are revolutionary, valuable, and, well, cool. A tote bag is not any of these things. It is a grocery bag.
Oryctolagus habilis
To me, material technology makes for a tool, though I can see the point -- Karsten -- on $27 for a tote bag. A bag doesn't seem worth discussing as a Cool Tool until the second or third time a reusable shopping bag from the local grocery store fails under the weight of 2 2-liter pop (soda) bottles.
Personally, I like the heavy duty reusable shopping bag from Mountain Equipment Co-op for hauling all I can lift in library books. It's huge, made of ballistic nylon & webbing and costs $7 Canadian. Much uglier, but only $1.50, are the big orange "parachute"-nylon bags from Home Depot, and they clip closed. Either one is cheaper than I could make for myself.
Casey
Duluth Trading makes a sweet coal bag--they refer to it as a Manly Tote. I have two and they are mega bad ass!
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/gear-shops/travel/totes-packs-slings/35650.aspx?feature=product_14
Moon
Well, I use the grocery store "tote" bags and carry 5 2-liter sodas in them all the time.
/I love my sodas.
99 cents. So I could buy 27 of these bags.
Plus this bag folds up to a very small profile and I can stick it in my briefcase or in a pocket.
I usually have 2 of them, that would be $54! For BAGS! YIKES!
craig
this isn't a "tote bag"...when we used them they were "junk bags"
they will carry more stuff than you can lift
of any type...tools dirt...rocks...parts...probably coal, as well
the canvas duck is so heavy that it almost never is cut by the contents
i got my first one in 1969 and was still using it when i changed jobs in 1986
Zbek
I read Kersten's comment and could not disagree more. I own two coal bags and they are NOT shopping tote bags despite the similarity of shape. My family has a bunch those whimpy things that just barely get the can goods from the store to our home. I put heavy, sharp things into my coal bags (power saws, chisels, hammers, drills, routers, bricks,...in other words, other cool tools. I bought my bags over ten years ago--that comes to about $2.70 per year (and the cost p/year is still dropping). Why are these bags cool? I have had people offer to buy mine for more than I paid--and those offers are non-starters with me.