Review: Gregory Alpaca Gear Tote

Picture the back of a car four days into a road trip: gear strewn across the back seat, snacks scattered everywhere, dirty clothes draped over headrests… it’s hard to stay organized when you’re on the move, whether it's a climbing expedition or just a few days of car camping. But the Gregory Alpaca Gear Tote makes it a heck of a lot easier.

The Alpaca can corral 30 liters and up to 50 pounds of loose items, and it collapses down small enough to slide under a passenger seat while not in use. I’ve used it to organize cooking utensils, as a picnic basket, and as a laundry hamper; and I much prefer the Alpaca to the random assortment of bags and boxes I once used to house items that didn’t fit neatly into a backpack. I’ve even used the bag to carry groceries in a pinch.

Its four aluminum arms fold down and are secured by Velcro tabs, and once erected, the Alpaca is remarkably durable. Gregory also included a zipper pocket on the inside to confine easy-to-lose items. And if you can’t fit all your goodies in the Alpaca, or you’re just a nut for neat packing options, Gregory has a whole mess of other boxes, baskets, and pods for mobile storage.

$60; gregory.com.