Love List 6

What does Red Oxx mean to the people behind the brand? What bags would they recommend to friends or family that would make for a legendary lifetime-lasting Christmas gift? Let’s begin with the Red Oxx Mission Statement:

We create unlimited function, mobility, and power by building the best bags on the planet.

The mission statement alone is a pretty good reason to consider Red Oxx gear for your holiday gifts.

Who wouldn’t want a bag that can be used multiple ways, is ready to go any where any time, and is empowering because it puts your focus on your task at hand, whether it’s a leisurely day at the beach, or completing that crucial all-important business deal, and puts your mind at ease?

The “No Bull” Lifetime Warranty means Red Oxx stands behind our bags with the confidence of 33 years of hand-crafting mankind’s true best friend – the ubiquitous bag.

Without further ado, let the herd speak. Here’s Christian and Sam sharing their Christmas Spirit.

Your Red Oxx Gear Gift Guide – straight from the horses, er, BULL’s mouth:

Mezzo Tote – the popular new medium size sustainable shopping tote took the herd by storm this year.
Possibles Pouch – a cute little bag that started life as a duplicate of a little leather pouch that held Jim’s audio recorder has been discontinued.
Sky Train – the world’s first convertible backpack carry-on was born back in 07 and has become the most copied bag in its class.
Micro Manager – Red Oxx recognized the need for a tablet bag, as more and more folks move from laptops to tablets.
K-12 Kat Pack Backpack – a kid’s backpack that every adult need not be wary of, outstanding capacity in its class(room).
Lil Roy Gadget Bag – a multi-use bag if there ever was one, the Lil Roy returns for another round. Let’s let Red Oxxs’ CEO explain:

LIL ROY GADGET BAG – UNLIMITED FUNCTION ONLY LIMITED BY YOUR IMAGINATION

CEO Jim and President Perry have been building bags for ages. As former parachute riggers they understand the importance of strength in stitching. President Perry is the designer of the Lil Roy. This fellow named Roy came into the shop one day and needed a bag to hold his tire chains.

Over the years Jim has taken a keen interest in his Lil Roy, carrying it all over the world from Africa to Costa Rica to Holland. Making a comeback from last year’s Love List 6, here’s his take on the infamous Lil Roy Gadget bag.

“In a world of unlimited possibilities the Lil Roy is the Every Day Carry bag to end all bags. I have been using this multi-purpose ‘man purse’ for many of my adventures. From dog training to a day at the range, the compact, yet spacious main compartment makes for the ideal hobby bag. Some of our original uses were: Tire Chains bag for Mr. Roy, Diaper Bag for Dad, Range Bag, Personal Item Carry-on, Camera bag, Lunch Sack, and the list can go on and on forever,” enthused Jim.

“My Red Oxx fleet has three Lil Roys in three different colors. For the most part I have one set up specifically as my cabin bag for flying. The others are set up for field use and probably have dirt from Montana to Africa embedded deep in their inner crevices.”

“With only minor changes since we introduced this, our 15th design, the Lil Roy is my choice for a must-have Red Oxx Christmas Gift.”

MEZZO TOTE – A MEDIUM GROCERY TOTE FOR THE SINGLE SHOPPER

The Minister of Information for Red Oxx liked his regular Market Tote just fine. While not a big fan of the shoulder carry method, he figured out how to carry the long-handled Market Tote by his side by double folding the handles. Put your hand through the loops, spin your wrist to twist the handle, rescoop it, and voila –a shorter handle side-carry tote.

He also used his Mini Tote as a daily carry lunch bag when he was stationed in the Oxx neighborhood.

“As a bachelor, what I really needed was a medium size tote that was scaled somewhere in between the two offerings,” he said.

Down the stairs from the Ministry of Information Office located upstairs in the factory he trudged, making a bee-line for Lead Bag Designer Lacy’s station. A few quick measurements of his favorite 6-pack and another measurement for a “I want to carry it by my side, not over my shoulder” spec, and a medium size shopping tote was born. Same tough ballistic nylon sides, same strong webbing handles, same lovely color CORDURA® NYLON Fabric, this time, for him, in Mariner.

However, it took a while for the Minister to convince the herd he was onto something great. Three years later, Lacy set the stage and pushed it out of prototype mode into production. It sold out in one day.

Today, his Mezzo Tote lives a comfortable life on top of a pile of other shopping totes in the back of the Minister’s rig. “It’s still my number one choice when I scout the grocery isles,” he beamed.

SKY TRAIN CONVERTIBLE CARRY-ON BACKPACK – SIMPLE UTILITARIAN VERSATILITY – IN A BAG

Christian is our go-to customer care rep. His enthusiasm for Red Oxx bags knows no bounds. Here’s why he wants the Sky Train to be your choice for a really nice Christmas gift idea.

“The Sky Train is my favorite because of its simplicity, versatility and utility. It has multiple carrying styles, a great amount of space to pack in while having a simple, yet unique design. I use it because it is a convertible bag. I can wear it as a backpack, which I do most of the time. Or I can carry it with a shoulder strap. I love that it’s so easy to get out of the overhead bin with the handy euro-handles.”

“I use my Sky Train for car, plane and camping travel. It’s a good gift for someone that does leisure and business travel. It looks very professional while allowing you to be urban cool at the same time,” boasted Christian.

This bag will surprise you with how much space it has and how many days of belongings you can pack in it.

“I’ve packed seven days of clothes plus a ceramic sculpture in it and it still fit in the Allegiant Airlines overhead bin. The Sky Train is an amazing bag and my favorite by far!”

K-12 KAT PACK BACKPACK – A MOTHER SPEAKS HER MIND ABOUT THE BEST BACKPACK AROUND

Jenna flirts our Social Media. She’s also a mother to four rambunctious and talented kids. Keeping the troop in line and on time going to school is a challenge. Perhaps the biggest aid to her organizing them was setting them up with a backpack that not only covers all the usual basic school necessities, but is also built to last a lifetime.

Said Jenna, “The rectangle shape of the K-12 is perfect for holding books, Trapper Keeper, binders, and more for any age student.”

“It doubles as an airline carry-on personal item for air travel or an overnight bag for weekend sleepovers. For this application, I also recommend our Red Oxx Packing Cubes, available in five functional sizes.”

“Best of all, the Kat Pack is not just for kids because of its versatility – it can even fit a CPAP machine with room to spare when used for travel.”

“I found that it is just the right size for school-aged students yet still be able to easily carry when it’s loaded. The smaller front pocket aids in organization and is easy to access any small items your child may want to have at the ready. I like the elastic water bottle pockets on the side so my kids can stay hydrated and keep their drinks separate from their belongings,” nodded Jenna with a mother’s knowing smile.

POSSIBLES POUCH – THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS

Lead Bag Designer Lacy is a bundle of bag designer joy. Not only does she bring many years worth of bag designing excellence to the Red Oxx corral, she’s also fun to work with.

Said Lacy, “Jim came to me with this little leather bag he uses to store his audio recorder and said to make a copy of it in CORDURA® nylon fabric, preferably using some of this leftover digital camo we had laying around. So I grabbed some of the bright neon colors to line the bag with and we tossed it around, eventually putting it out there to sell for Father’s day — you put your Travel Accessories in it. After the Father’s day promotion the little pouch took off and kept selling like crazy. It’s a keeper now, a member of the mainline herd.”

“I use it for purse organization, grooming accessories, electronic accessories, snack pouch, screw bin, sewing kit, junk drawer, anything you can think of to keep items together, or to separate things so they’re not rolling around loose,” chuckled Lacy.

“I think it’s the perfect stocking-stuffer for someone you just don’t know what to get because of all the uses they could come up with. Fill it with a gift card, candy, cool socks, a small spendy gift like a watch or jewelry, or some small travel accessories and by golly someone would be tickled.”

Lacy exclaimed that the little pouch is also great fun for gift exchanges – use it as a white elephant elephant gift, employee presents, something for the boss, your kids, adults, both woman and men. Anyone can use one!

The Red Oxx Possibles Pouch, it’s stash-able, attachable, pack-able, and adorable but most of all – it’s use-able!

MICRO MANAGER – MANAGE YOUR TABLET COMMUNICATIONS

Lacy also took charge of designing a much-needed tablet bag. Red Oxx Laptop Bags took an update this past year and the Micro Manager got a few of these specs as well – like a padded computer sleeve, extra pockets, and more. This tablet “iPad” bag makes a delightful gift for the minimalist who still wants to have their tablet and whatever papers they need, but without the bulk of a full-size laptop bag.

Said Lacy, “I’ve used it for road trips with my kids and all their gadgets. I tested it traveling for business meetings and despite its size it can still fit a lot. Best of all, it came in handy as my personal item on the plane. I had all my fun stuff with me to stay occupied during the flight,” she bragged.

“There are plenty of pockets for all kinds of things like my headphones, power cords, snacks, USB, my business cards, etc. Outside of the flying cigar I’ve used it to hold my rock-hounding books, maps, and pamphlets while I’m out rock-n-rolling.”

The Micro Manager looks professional and stylish, yet like all Red Oxx gear, it’s durable and useful.

Make the Red Oxx Love List 6 your guide to easy Christmas gift giving.