Description
Our spies have informed us that some of you (we shan’t name names here) were shamelessly using our Truck tote as a yoga and gym bag. Such unauthorized use is highly frowned upon. However, we decided that rather than reporting you to the Bag Police, we’d cover for you and design a tote bag even better suited to the task. Hence, we offer you Truckasana.
The Truckasana is based upon, and roughly the same size as, you guessed it, the original Truck tote. However, a deeper look will reveal some features and functionality you haven’t seen before, design elements that Tom has developed for his as yet-to-be-released Gym Bag (which, SPOILER ALERT, looks almost nothing like the Truckasana.) So there you go: some ideas from the past, some ideas from the future…. wait a second: there’s no past and there is no future, and it’s likely this has already happened before. Spooky!
What makes the Truckasana specifically a yoga bag? The body of the tote is contoured to form a cradle into which your yoga mat (or foam roller) will nicely repose; just drop it between the handles / straps and away you go.
So, how does it accomplish that mesmerizing feat? Via two grippy spots integral to the inside top edge of the Truckasana; these spots are made of Toughtek® fabric and have a small amount of foam padding in them. The padding raises the Toughtek® fabric a bit proud of the surface fabric, enhancing contact with your yoga mat or roller.
When you lift your bag, the Toughtek® pads contact and gently squeeze your yoga mat / foam roller and hold it in place. Will you be able to toss your bag into the back of your car all higgly-piggly, and expect your mat or roller to stay in place? Can you swing your Truckasana around like a crazy person and know that it and your crazy person yoga mat are held firmly together? Um…. no. But, if you’re just walking down the street, or hauling your yoga mat, blocks, water bottle, blanket, strap and other accoutrements from one room to another, or to your back or front yard to practice outdoors, it’ll work splendidly.
Like its kin the original Truck, it’s divided into three big compartments: the allocation into these compartments of clean clothes vs. workout clothes vs. street shoes, etc. — we leave this up to you. After that, the Truckasana has the features and build-quality you’ve come to expect from us: finished seams, YKK zippers, cushy Poron foam handles. We gave zipper closures to the front and back pockets, thinking you might like a bit of added security for your phone, keys and what-not. It’s got 8 O-ring tether points to help you keep track of small stuff in Organizer Pouches and on Key Straps.
What’s with the name, you may ask? The Sanskrit word āsana translates to posture in English; when we’re talking about postural yoga, we’re talking about āsana — and we’re also talking about the Truck, so we figured the name Truckasana made at least some sense for this bag.
Our friend Rose who studies yoga, yoga philosophy, Ayurveda and Sanskrit and practices Iyengar yoga has been sharing her feedback with us about the Truckasana; she noted "It’s perfect to fit in all my props. The design is brilliant! I use a yoga mat but 80% of my Asana are done on blankets since I do Iyengar. I cannot wait to carry this regularly to all my classes, Yoga seminars and events. I am also a “low waster” so I carry steel canteen water bottles, Bombay style tiffin, cutlery and napkin. This bag serves both my purpose. I can carry everything I need everyday."
Rose also translated Truckasana into Devanāgarī script for us — ट्कासना ।
You can, of course, use the Truckasana as a regular ol’ tote bag; those Toughtek® spots will likely do well in nestling a jacket, roll of paper, tripod, or other such items in place.
Speaking of other uses for the Truckasana — you may have noticed the photos and video of our friend Gerri using the Truckasana as a bag for crochet supplies. One of the many cool things about the Truckasana is that it can do double and triple duty: not on your way to yoga class? Use the Truckasana as your knitting or crochet bag. Not knitting or on your way to yoga? Use the Truckasana as a grocery bag.
