Fishpond Horse Thief Tote Review: Drive By

The Fishpond Horse Thief Tote is a rugged and utilitarian tote bag. It’s a simple bag with some great features but how does it hold up at your side? I spent a few months traipsing throughout the city and the woods to get a feel for this bag.

Who It Suits

The Horse Thief Tote is perfect for someone looking for a carry-all bag for outdoor or around town trips.

Who It Doesn’t

The single colorway of the Horse Thief Tote looks great in the outdoors but isn’t quite ‘urban chic’. Someone trying to pair this bag with a suit should look elsewhere.

The Good

While the Horse Thief Tote is a simple bag, the few features it has are on point.

The material of this bag is fantastic. The exterior is a 16 oz waxed canvas. Think the heft of a pair of good jeans and that’s the weave of this bag. The waxed canvas means it’s got some good protection from the elements. I’ve carried this bag around town on a wet Saturday and everything was kept dry.

The water resistance of the Horse Thief Tote is bolstered by a water-resistant main zipper and the awesome molded bottom of the bag. The molded bottom is a thick plastic section that is great for two reasons. First, I have no hesitation setting this bag down anywhere, even in the bottom of a boat. Second, the molded bottom provides enough structure to the bag so that it will always stand up on its own. This is such a useful feature that will make you wonder why all bags don’t do this. It’s particularly useful for pulling groceries out of the tote around a campfire and not having to worry about food spilling out.

The pocketing is again simple but works great. On the exterior there is one Velcro pocket. In the interior there is a hanging pocket inside of the main 36-liter compartment. It’s a ton of space that can easily fit an entire grocery trip, a few racks of beer, or enough random camping gear to make sure you don’t forget anything at home.

The Not So Good

With such a simple bag there’s not a whole lot to dislike about the Horse Thief Tote. After using this bag for a few months, two things stick out.

First, while the molded bottom of the bag is great for keeping the bag dry and freestanding, it means that the bag isn’t packable. Not a deal breaker as I don’t think anyone is trying to do any serious traveling or ultralight outdoor excursions with this bag in tow, but it results in a bag that’s bulkier than your average tote.

It’s a ton of space that can easily fit an entire grocery trip, a few racks of beer, or enough random camping gear to make sure you don’t forget anything at home.

Second is the aesthetic. If brown and orange doesn’t do it for you, best to look elsewhere as the Horse Thief Tote only comes in one color.

The Verdict

At $90 the Horse Thief Tote is anything but highway robbery. After a few months using this bag for all manner of outdoor trips, grocery runs around town, and laid-back weekends at the park, it’s become a go-to bag in my carry arsenal.

It’s a durable and well-built bag that will swallow anything you can throw at it. And while you’re limited with the colorways, the fact that this is a freestanding tote quickly dashes any doubts away.

Up your tote game with Fishpond’s Horse Thief Tote. Recommended.