Troubadour Elemental Tote Review: A Waterproof Travel Tote for Life?

I often like to have bags that solve a problem. And with the Troubadour Elemental Tote, it’s solving a few things, from elminiating my use of multiple flimsy small bags, to having a zippered and waterproof bag (that’s not a backpack), wherever I go.

Troubadour’s Elemental Tote is a minimalist and also professionally-savvy tote to consider for your travel bag setup.

This “technical” and engineered travel tote can pack up into a backpack, has waterproof zippers, a wet stuff compartment, AirTag pocket and two sets of straps. After all that, it even still looks good and can be an everyday tote bag if you like a 30-liter one by your side or on your shoulder.

In this review, I’ll nitpick the entire design of this travel tote bag and let you know if the Elemental Tote from Troubadour should earn a spot in your travel bag collection.

Key takeaways in this review

• See the list of features in the Elemental Tote travel bag (see which surprise you?)
• I’ll let you know how I think it can be used, and the best ways it can perform
• I include a comparison to other similarly-sized travel tote bags from other travel brands
• See where this engineered travel tote falls short, if at all
• I’ll let you know in a verdict if this waterproof tote bag for everyday and even professional settings is worth your money.

Troubadour Elemental Tote

The Elemental Tote is part of the Elemental Collection, and I tried it as a replacement for all the random tote bags, beach bags and shopping bags that I have in my life.

Why it’s cool: this technical tote (priced moderately at under $200) is a do-it-all tote bag fitting 30 liters of stuff. I see it as a spacious zippered travel tote, meaning we’ll bring it to the beach for our towels, snacks, sunscreen and beach gear. We’ll also bring it in the car when we go out to a hike, and load it with additional layers (windbreakers, light raincoats, snacks and a picnic blanket). It’s perfect for that.

Elemental Travel Tote: Travel features and design

There are a few nice features to note on this upscale engineered travel tote, and I’ll tell you how I use them.

Handles

Huge rope handles, and shoulder straps: these provide two ways to carry the Elemental Tote. The rope handles let me grab it out of the car trunk or out of the overhead bin, and the shoulder straps are great for the actual carrying.

Waterproof section

A dedicated zippered waterproof compartment is located on the outside of the bag, and it’s thoughtfully hidden. This is where I store wet swimwear, wet raincoats or a shirt that accidentally received a drink spill.

Water bottle pocket

I mean come on, does your current travel tote have a water bottle pocket? It’s made of the same strong mesh material as the water bottle side pockets on the the Elemental Backpack.

It can also be used to carry a travel-sized mini umbrella.

Weatherproofing flap closure (with magnets)

There’s a magnetic flap (3 magnets) that goes over the weatherproof zipper, and that keeps rain (or snow) out of everything packed inside.

This is a smart feature, and one that also surprised me. Having the small awning over the actual zipper gives me total peace of mind if I want to keep my fresh post-hike clothes inside, and 100% dry.

Packability

It’s packable: at 700 g (1.54 pounds), it fits inside other bags so that I can pull it out for daily use.

I compressed it into my Elemental Backpack from the Troubadour Elemental Collection, and it fit, with still some small things inside.

Stashing the entire tote into a carry-on suitcase is no problem, either.

Inner pockets

Inside, there is an open stash pocket (no zipper) and AirTag pocket. The AirTag pocket is great because you can slide in an AirTag, and then track this bag like others in case you find it mis-placed while in transit.

How does it fit?

As we’re talking about a 30-liter tote bag, it’s not really about a fit as it is how it feels and looks. Here’s my take.

How it looks

First, I’ll say that I am 5’2” and petite. I’m not the best or most average traveler to be saying how this will look on an average-sized 5’7” person, whether man or woman.

But nevertheless, here is how the bag looks when I wear it on one shoulder. It doesn’t look like it should be my everyday tote bag, but that’s because it’s not. It’s a special-case bag for me, like when I pack “the stuff I want to see when I’m done with my hike,” or, “the things I’m jamming into this tote bag for some beach fun.”

How does it feel?

That’s the thing: it feels very lightweight. This tote bag is 1.54 pounds, and when we compare it to the competition, it is a whole bunch lighter when empty. That’s a big deal for me, as someone who seeks out the LIGHTEST travel bags on the market, because I simply can’t handle extra weight on my shoulders.

What problem does it solve?

A travel tote that doesn’t actually LOOK like a haul tote (but still fits travel gear and “stuff”), and looks more like a sleek and chic, nearly professional-level tote bag solves a few problems. To name them,

• Solves when I’m traveling and my tote bag won’t close (photo below from a trip to Upstate NY when my jackets didn’t fit in my zippered tote)
• When I want a beach bag that either Dan or I can carry, and it’s even one that zippers on top and has a wet compartment for a wet travel towel or swimsuit
• If we’re out for the day in Mexico City and we want to pop a foldable/packable tote bag out of our daypack, to use it for grocery shopping before dinner time (it has strong straps for that)
• If we want to keep a change of clothes in a bag at our campsite, or even left at a tree on the trail during a hike, because there’s some rain up ahead and we’ll probably get wet (it’s waterproof for that)
• If I want to take this bag on a business trip for fun things I’ll pick up during a conference, and/or extra things I may need for a presentation or meeting, and this extra tote bag is presentable and neat (as well as slim, yet spacious)

Having a multi-purpose 30-liter travel tote that won’t break despite how much of a beating I give it is a great investment.

(Below, photos of overpacking a non-waterproofed tote during travel, and a beach bag that doesn’t have a zippered top closure)

Comparison to other leading travel tote bags

In finding comparisons to the Elemental Tote from Troubadour, I actually am choosing to compare it to other gear hauling travel bags rather than traditional totes. I found that most travel totes are 15-20L, like the Peak Design one and the Bellroy ones.

At 30 liters, we’re talking about a bag that’s really going to haul gear: beach gear, camping gear, hiking gear or tons of grocery/market haul stuff, and that might be heavy. The following bags are built for quality and I’m comparing them to the Elemental’s 30-liter capacity.

Cotopaxi Allpa 30L Gear Hauler Tote - Del Día (Comparison)

At 30 liters as well, the Cotopaxi Allpa 30L Gear Hauler Tote is a pretty 1:1 comparison for the Troubadour Elemental Tote. Both are meant to carry tons of gear, whether ski jackets, snow pants, a couple of pairs of boots or a ton of corn for grilling, from a market day in Mexico.

Where the Allpa 30L stands out: it has more inner organization like mesh slip pockets, one interior zipper pocket and a LOT of multicolor flair.

Where it is very, very different from the Elemental Tote: it does not have a zipper nor flap upper closure, no travel feature like an AirTag pocket for your tracking device, no wet pocket and no outer zipper pockets like the Elemental Tote pocket that has a key clip inside.

The Elemental Tote is, of course, minimalist and monochromatic. It’s a bag I’d use as a sleek, even professional-adjacent, larger tote bag, like if I had to go to the office carrying some products for my colleagues or taking home some office items and commuting. The Cotopaxi Allpa wouldn’t stand a chance to do the same, not with its open top.

Verdict: the Elemental Tote has a more professional/chic side to it, with enhanced modern travel features and of course, zipper and magnetic flap closure for safety and to keep everything inside.

Gregory Alpaca Gear Tote - 30 Liters (Comparison)

The Alpaca Gear Tote is another 30-liter haul bag for travel, coming from travel category duffel master, Gregory brand. This one’s different altogether: it comes with a top “frame,” and in order to fold it down flat, it compresses the frame into a criss-cross design, becoming almost flat.

It’s a very different bag, and still, no top closure, so it functions more like an incredibly strong shopping bag that’ll take camping gear to the trailhead, or market shopping back to the Airbnb. It packs flat, but with a frame. It certainly does not have upper closure via a zipper, but it does have the ability to carry 50 lbs of stuff, and has one pocket inside. It weighs almost 2 pounds, compared to the Elemental Tote at 1.54 lbs.

Overall, the Alpaca Gear Tote (30L) is more like a giant shopping bag or beach bag with no lid or top closure. If you wanted it, you’d have to want something entirely open, and framed, at the top, and something that also compresses with a frame, but really holds its shape.

Verdict: the Elemental Tote is better for keeping things inside like small items, or anything that you don’t want to lose. It’s better for transit days, even for transporting things you bought as souvenirs during a trip, and could be a carry-on item. The Alpaca haul tote may perform best as a giant beach bag or camping hauler.

Shortcomings

Having now compared this travel tote to the ones from two leading brands, there are a few things the Elemental Tote cannot do. I want to tell you about that here.

Cannot stand on its own

The Elemental Tote cannot stand on its own when empty because the bottom design is too narrow and the bag itself is quite tall.

And yet, I don’t really mind, because I usually don’t have it totally empty, needing it to stand up next to me in a cafe or something. If you need to keep it upright, hang it by the shoulder strap handles on a chair back.

No inside zipper pocket

While there are outside zippered pockets, there are none on the inside. I know that this is by design. It’s not a huge deal. If you plan to carry tech or small things in the Elemental Tote, I suggest choosing an organizer like a tech bag. We recommend a few of our favorites at our list of the best tech bags for travel.

Verdict: Elemental Tote from Troubadour for travel

Overall, it’s a pro-level tote bag to have for life—that is, if you were looking for one.

Or, maybe you didn’t know that you needed a zippered travel tote bag, but this travel tote should solve a lot of problems. It’s especially handy for people who’ve been on a trip and have realized that a 30-liter haul bag would’ve solved beach day, grocery shopping, market hopping and hiking gear storage.

Throughout this review, I’ve gone through the features that take this tote bag from an everyday tote bag (which it sure is) to a gear-haul-type of travel product. The list of features is not overly long, but they all pack in promise, function and durability.

Of course, if you’re looking for a multipurpose spacious bag to use both in travel and at home, to take the place of various other grocery bags, smaller totes or just carrying things without a bag at all, the Troubadour Elemental Tote is not only a sleek and minimalist choice, but meant to last through decades to come.

Where to get it

For now, the best place to get the Elemental Tote is at the Troubadour website. If you happen to live near any Troubadour retail store or any other stores where Troubadour is a brand they carry, check it out in person!

If pairing it with the Elemental Backpack sounds good to you, click over to my Elemental Backpack review to see if this engineered travel backpack is your next favorite pack.

About Troubadour Goods

Troubadour is one of my favorite travel brands. I say that because all the products I have tried from the Troubadour brand over the years and since 2021 have been exquisite. I reserve that word specifically for things that work excellently: no breakage, no design flaws and no usage annoyances. Troubadour backpacks, bags and duffels consistently perform for travel and everyday.

I’ve tried their crossbody bags (see my Ki Crossbody review), the mini version of their best-selling backpack in my Apex Mini review, the Rig Case tech bag and their luxury backpack (head to my Generation Leather backpack review for that).

Troubadour is a B Corp company, meaning they meet criteria for the certification of a brand that is environmentally-responsible. It is reasons like this that have landed Troubadour products in a lot of my favorite travel product recommendation guides like the best sustainable gifts for travelers.