Behind The Design: Boat and Tote^®

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[00:00:00.00] A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wears a dark navy button-up shirt and rests a hand on a large white canvas tote with navy handles. Shelves and a grid wall display many canvas bags, with windows and stairs left; a small tote and a mug sit on the table.

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[00:00:00.08] Our Boat and Tote has set the standard for over 80 years now. There's really no comparison.

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[00:00:06.15] People take totes that are lined up in a row. A white canvas tote with navy handles and base stands on rustic wooden boards against a dark backdrop. Text: L.L.Bean Behind the Design: Boat and Tote.

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[00:00:09.12] Hi, I'm Anne. I work in merchandising here at L.L.Bean, and today we're going to talk about our iconic Boat and Tote. I worked at for 19 years, and now I work in footwear, outerwear, home, and travel.

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[00:00:21.87] An olive-green, well-worn canvas tote stands on rustic boards under a dark backdrop with a small paper tag on its handle. Text: The Original Boat and Tote.

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[00:00:22.16] The boat and tote was first introduced in 1944, and it was called Bean's ice carrier, and it was designed for people to be able to carry ice from their car to their ice chests in their houses.

[00:00:34.26] It

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[00:00:34.26] A vintage catalog page places a canvas tote photo beside a long crosscut saw illustration. Text: Bean’s Ice Carrier; Size 10 x 15 on bottom, 13 high; Price 3.00 postpaid; Bean’s Men’s Ski Pants. Three men in winter clothing stand on cut ice blocks with long tools while a horse-drawn sled waits at right; snowy trees sit in the background.

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[00:00:34.36] was made of US made canvas from conveyor belt material and was tested to hold 500 pounds. Super durable, could collect melt water, just awesome product. It was reintroduced in 1965. And it came in nautical red and blue. Today's Boat and Tote is really similar to the original. We haven't changed it very much because the original was so great.

[00:00:56.42] It's

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[00:00:56.42] Text: Still made in Maine, one tote at a time. American-made cotton canvas tested to carry up to 500 pounds. Signature V-point detail. Rugged reinforced bottom.

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[00:00:56.64] made with really similar durable Canvas, still tested to carry up to 500 pounds. It has the original V design on the bottom, still double layered on the bottom, and now has reinforced stitching and comes in a variety of fun colors and different shapes and sizes, and it's made right here in Maine. The people who work on the boat and boats are craftsmen.

[00:01:18.44] They're really great at what they do. They

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[00:01:20.08] A sewing machine needle and presser foot stitch a thick beige strap on a metal table. Rectangular yellow pads sit on nearby metal plates.

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[00:01:20.14] just put so much care and attention into every single bag that we make. It's amazing to see the operators working on the machines, stitching these bags one at a time. So let's meet some of the people who make our boat and totes.

[00:01:32.04] Hi,

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[00:01:32.04] A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wears a dark gray L.L.Bean T-shirt and sits behind a white table. Two canvas totes, a large spool of thread, folded fabric, and color swatches sit on the table; a factory with boxes, machines, and a hanging U.S. flag fills the background. Text: Stitcher Abby, L.L.Bean Fulfillment Manufacturing Logistics.

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[00:01:32.36] I'm Abby. I've been working at Bean's for eight years.

[00:01:34.64] 10

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[00:01:34.64] Stitcher Mel.

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[00:01:34.78] years.

[00:01:35.36] Three

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[00:01:35.36] Stitcher Packer Will

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[00:01:35.50] years.

[00:01:35.96] Two

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[00:01:35.96] Stitcher Francisca

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[00:01:36.10] months.

[00:01:36.70] Oh,

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[00:01:36.70] Stitcher, Bazola.

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[00:01:37.04] one.

[00:01:37.52] 20

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[00:01:37.52] Planning and scheduling, Leslie.

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[00:01:37.86] years.

[00:01:38.48] 30

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[00:01:38.48] Stitcher, Connie.

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[00:01:38.82] years.

[00:01:39.52] We're here in Brunswick manufacturing where we make bean boots, dog beds and boat in tow.

[00:01:44.36] I've

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[00:01:44.36] Ops specialist, Becky.

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[00:01:44.58] done handles. I've done folding.

[00:01:46.10] It's

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[00:01:46.10] Stitcher Val.

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[00:01:46.54] the gusset area.

[00:01:47.68] Specialty

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[00:01:47.68] Stitcher Mel.

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[00:01:48.14] tow area.

[00:01:48.92] A

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[00:01:48.92] Stitcher Packer Will.

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[00:01:49.02] cutter currently.

[00:01:50.28] I

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[00:01:50.28] Packer, Jen.

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[00:01:50.42] inspect these bags.

[00:01:51.76] I've

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[00:01:51.76] Learning Specialist, Nina.

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[00:01:51.90] pretty much done every job.

[00:01:54.04] In

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[00:01:54.04] Stitcher Francisca.

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[00:01:54.10] the closing process, we get the bag as a rectangular, basically, 2D shape.

[00:01:58.34] Has the handles on it, the bottoms on it. I

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[00:02:00.88] Stitcher Packer, Jorgina.

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[00:02:00.98] have to close the size and another size.

[00:02:04.50] Go

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[00:02:04.50] Stitcher Edie.

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[00:02:04.78] by size and feel.

[00:02:06.60] We make between 3,500 and 4,000 boat and tote in one day.

[00:02:10.56] One

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[00:02:10.56] A white canvas tote hangs from a metal clamp on a vertical rod inside a gray chamber with two perforated panels.

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[00:02:10.88] thing that's unique about L.L.Bean is our State of the art in-house testing lab. Because we test our own products right here at our main headquarters, we can be sure they meet our high standards. For

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[00:02:20.36] A tester puts weights into the tote bag.

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[00:02:20.48] the boat and tote, we not only tested the weight load, but we also tested the handle attachment and seam strength, colorfastness, fabric abrasion, and zipper endurance.

[00:02:29.74] Boat and tote comes in a variety of sizes, starting first with our zip top pouch. Moving on to our new mini, which is adorable, and comes in a variety of fun colors this summer for the first time. Going to the small, then we have our medium, which is our top seller. Next up is the large, and then finally, extra large. Many of these sizes come with zip top or open top, short handle or long handle, so a variety of options.

[00:03:01.74] My

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[00:03:01.74] Packer, Jen.

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[00:03:02.00] favorite tote bag is an extra large bag.

[00:03:05.22] Medium

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[00:03:05.22] Stitcher Francisca

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[00:03:05.56] size, long handle, dark blue boat and tote.

[00:03:08.10] The

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[00:03:08.10] Stitcher, Rebecca.

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[00:03:08.24] mini tote is my favorite.

[00:03:10.41] I

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[00:03:10.41] Learning Specialist Nina

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[00:03:10.59] also like to have the pouch.

[00:03:13.13] It

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[00:03:13.13] Stitcher Phoenix.

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[00:03:13.19] has the zip top, so it's really practical.

[00:03:15.19] And

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[00:03:15.19] Stitcher Mel.

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[00:03:15.35] it holds everything I need, my water bottle, my coffee, my tools, and it fits on me when I ride my motorcycle.

[00:03:21.29] I have at least 70 boat and tote bags.

[00:03:24.13] I like all the boat and totes, the different colors, the different sizes, the different usage. They're very, very beautiful bags.

[00:03:32.33] They are great gifts. They're awesome beach bags. They're great work bags. People love to throw all kinds of things in their cars in them. So they really can be used for so many things. And what I love about boat and tote is that it doesn't just carry stuff, it carries memories and emotions for people over time.

[00:03:48.41] One of my favorite boat and totes was given to me when my son was born 20 years ago. And

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[00:03:53.87] Holds a worn white canvas tote with navy handles and an stitched word Alden.

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[00:03:54.27] this is our small size and you can see it's certainly seen some love over the years. But when my son was a little baby, he could actually fit in this tote, but he can't anymore.

[00:04:04.43] My

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[00:04:04.43] A baby sits inside a white canvas tote with navy handles on carpet. Stitcher, Val.

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[00:04:04.75] actual first experience with the boat and tote I was a monogramer, and it was a lot of fun to see all the different options, colors, different occasions, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, sports.

[00:04:17.23] We

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[00:04:17.23] A close-up of a white canvas tote with navy straps shows a stitched letter M between the handles. An arrow graphic points to the monogram. Text: The #1 monogram? MOM.

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[00:04:17.37] love seeing how customers are making the bags their own. It just fills us with so much pride and gratitude every time we see somebody using boat and tote boat

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[00:04:26.57] A small brown and white puppy rests inside a white tote embroidered Finn, held by a person wearing shorts and sandals on a grassy path. A smiling man in sunglasses and a sunhat carries a white tote embroidered spf freak while standing on a dock near boats and mountains. A woman in a white shirt and brown pants carries a white tote labeled NYC while holding drinks, standing on stone steps in front of an arched doorway. A person in a striped shirt holds a white tote embroidered with Smile! and a Canon camera, standing on a beach at sunset. A fluffy cat peeks out of a large white tote with green handles embroidered with cat lady against a green palm-leaf wallpaper.

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[00:04:26.81] and tote has over 14,000 5 star reviews, so we're not alone in loving it. It holds everything I need and then some. I'm extremely pleased with the look, quality, and shear strength of this tote.

[00:04:38.47] It is excellent from top to bottom. I highly recommend this item. Thank you. We couldn't agree more.

[00:04:44.05] It

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[00:04:44.05] Learning Specialist Nina.

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[00:04:44.21] brings a lot of pride knowing that I contributed in some way in making a bag that everybody loves. It's pretty exciting when you see somebody out there, like in the grocery store, and they're carrying a boat and tote. I just want to walk up to them and say, hey, I made that bag.

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[00:05:01.11] Stitcher Connie. Planning and scheduling, Leslie.

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[00:05:02.21] No one makes boat and totes the way we do. We aren't going anywhere.

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[00:05:07.51] A row of canvas totes with differently colored handles and bases, including red, orange, tan, green, and blue, stand upright against a dark background. Text: For more product stories and outdoor inspiration, visit llbean.com/explore. A close-up view looks through a tunnel of tote bag handles in different colors, including blue, red, green, and purple, arranged in a row to form repeating arches.