RHT Road Test, November 2019: Hawaii
Our winter testing environment
The RHT Road Test Series: Our mission at Red Hook Textiles is to impact economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. We can't do that without a great product. To deliver on that promise, we test all of our RHT gear to ensure it holds up to your highest expectations. Mostly that means we do work of pulling seams, washing and rewashing, and scuffing fabric back at the RHT Labs (i.e. the office). But sometimes, that means hitting the road to test RHT out in the real world...
Winter vacation season is here, and so is the next installment of our RHT Road Test series. Because if you go on vacation, and you want the perfect bag for that vacation.
To see how a Red Hook Textiles tote holds up to the rigors of a warm-weather vacation, we brought our RHT Weekender along to Hawaii, testing it every step of the way. When you head south this winter, rest easy knowing that RHT is ready for your perfect vacation.
1: The FOBO Test
That anxiety slowly envelops you when you check into your flight and see that you’re in boarding group 9? That’s FOBO: Fear of Overhead Bin Overstuffing.
We developed this test early on, because no self-respecting bag should ever give you FOBO. Travel is a pain, and your bag shouldn’t add to your worries.
FOBO Test Verdict: Pass. Our RHT Weekender fit everything we needed and had room to spare in the bin. Cross FOBO off your list of travel worries (we’ll let you know when we’ve tackled leg room, terrible food, and security lines).
Test bonus: Whenever we needed to get something out of the bag during the flight, our tote’s open design gave easy, quick access (and no spillage).
2: The Sunrise Test
Nightmare scenario: you’re on your dream vacation, and you don't have the perfect bag to watch a dreamy sunrise. A bag that hauls your gear but also matches the (incredibly gorgeous) moment.
Sunrise Test Verdict: Pass. We took advantage of some serious jet-lag to pretend we were early risers and check out the Kauai sunrise. As day broke over the Pacific, we stripped off our warmer layers and packed them in our RHT Weekender.
Test bonus: our tote looked fantastic basking in the sun’s glow.
3: The Rest Stop Test
Time for the Road Test to get literal, since we needed to grab a few items out of the bag while driving Maui’s absolutely stunning Road to Hana. First things first: locate a decent area to pull off the road. How'd we do?
Rest Stop Test Verdict: Pass. No rooting around or unpacking needed here – we just popped our Weekender onto the hood and grabbed our stuff. A few landscape shots and selfies later (not pictured), and we were back on the road.
Test bonus: Our pull-off spot happened to be located next to Aunty Sandy’s, a banana bread stand that would've made the whole trip worth it on its own. Seriously, check it out.
4: The Beach Bag Test
Scroll back up to Test 1, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re looking at a carry-on. But the ideal vacation needs more than just the ideal carry-on, right?
Beach Bag Test Verdict: Pass. This classic RHT test shows that carry-on was also the perfect beach bag, hiding in plain sight despite the bold print. Vacations are versatile, and our weekender was too, transitioning from overhead workhorse to beach beauty.
Test bonus: Minimalist construction means no nooks and crannies to bring that Hawaiian sand home. When it was time to transition back to luggage mode, all we had to do was turn out our Weekender, and the sand was gone.
5: The Cram-it-all-in Test
Vacations are great. Not so much: leaving. So we took our shot at one last adventure, cramming all the hits into one day. Surely this would be too much for one bag?
Test bonus: There’s really no better way to say, “My day is going to be fun,” than to have your flippers peeking out of your bag.
Road Test Summary
Hawaii was as beautiful and fun as it was an unforgiving test environment. From planes and Jeeps to sand and volcanic rocks, our RHT Weekender handled everything we could throw at it.
Back to the office for now, where we'll be thinking of more diabolical ways to put our RHT totes through their paces. Don't worry – when we do, we'll keep you in the loop.In the meantime, you can carry RHT with confidence for your next winter getaway. Head to the shop to grab your RHT Weekender today.