Puddle-Proof Field Bag: Product Review

Depending on what I’m doing, I frequently end up hauling a lot of stuff around with me in the garden. Several tools, water bottle, seed packets, garden map, catalogs & books, pens and pencils, bulbs, twine, sometimes even a snack. I’d never found a really good way to carry all this stuff. A small bucket would carry a lot of it, but everything would end in a jumble, muddy trowel on top of the seed packets and candy bar. A tote bag always fell over, got wet and/or dirty – and see above: jumble. So I had high hopes for the Puddle-Proof Field Bag by Gardeners Supply. Those hopes were justified…

About the Puddle-Proof Field Bag

Waterproof

With a heavy, khaki colored, 100% cotton canvas shell, heavy green nylon straps and trim, and a polyester lining with a soft plastic bottom that comes an inch up the sides, what’s inside will stay dry even if you set the bag on a freshly watered lawn. The water just beads up on the tightly woven canvas and rolls off. It’s stiff sided so it doesn’t droop and fall over.

The main body is divided into two sections, which I found helpful. You can put something potentially wet (like lunch or a water bottle) in one side and know that if it does seep moisture, the contents of the other section will remain dry – it doesn’t just protect from outside moisture.

Roomy with Lots of Pockets

The bag is a roomy 12-7/8” long, 7-3/4” wide and 9-1/2” tall. There are six canvas pockets on the sides with elastic tops to keep them from gaping, and there are elastic cords situated over them to hold taller things from falling out. Each end has a nylon mesh pocket, ideal for corralling daffodil bulbs or the like. There are two straps, with a hook and loop wrap to hold them together for more comfortable carrying.

Carry Nearly Anything

I received this product about two months ago and have found myself using it a lot, both in my home garden and on jobs. Whenever I go out to work I invariably find myself making return trips to the tool shed or the car, which wastes time and energy. This bag is cutting down on those trips a lot. It’s the perfect size for carrying catalogs, clipboards and books without them sticking out and getting rained on. There are enough pockets for every hand tool I use. It would even make a dandy bag for carrying a small picnic lunch.

Caring for the Puddle-Proof Field Bag

For minor soiling the bag can be easily cleaned with a damp rag. If the bag has been dirtied beyond that point, it can be machine washed in cold water with no bleach and tumbled dried on low temperature. An iron set to medium heat can be used on it, but I personally can’t see myself ironing a gardening bag! At this point, after two months of use, there aren’t any stains on it.

Suggested Improvements

The only thing I didn’t like about the bag is the grommets in the bottoms of the side pockets. I’m not sure why they are there; they provide an inlet for water only about 2 inches from the bottom. It would also be nice if there was a compartment with a top that closed, so that if it gets caught in the rain there would be a totally water proof area. The design protects contents from moisture from the bottom and sides but not from above.

Recommendation

I would definitely buy this bag for myself or as a gift to a gardening friend. It’s made of high quality materials and should last a long time. At $39.95 it’s a great value. While heavy duty and capable of carrying a goodly amount of weight, the bag itself isn’t heavy. I love that it keeps things segregated. I give it a five shovel recommendation.

Where to Buy

The Puddle-Proof Field Bag (item #8587123) is a Gardener’s Supply Company exclusive and can be ordered from their web site for $39.95. Standard shipping is $11.95; faster options available for a higher price, including overnight shipping. Made in China.

And now over to you – How do you carry your gardening tools? Let us know in the comments below.

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Disclaimer – GPReview would like to thank Gardener’s Supply for giving us a free Puddle-Proof Field Bag to review. There was no expectation that it would be a positive review and we received no compensation for writing it. All opinions expressed here are those of the author based on personal experience using the product.