A tote bag is kind of like a life jacket. Under normal circumstances it is a bit of a nuisance to carry around with you. But if you have it when you need it, you feel like the smartest person alive. I suppose this is why people were so happy that we brought them to the Danskin Expo this year. As many of you already know, before most big races there is an expo. The expo is designed to do two things: 1. give you your race packet, and 2. allow you to plunder the many vendors who are offering you free stuff.

Everyone likes the expo and looks expectantly toward the day when they can stuff handfuls of tiny energy bars, shoelaces and vitamin drinks into their grownup Halloween baskets. The problem is that in their anticipation, almost everyone forgets to bring a bag. Sure two handfuls of free stuff is great, but not as great at a Bear Naked tote bag (a.k.a. reusable shopping bag) full of free stuff!

Of course, plundering is not only reason to want a bright orange Bear Naked shopping bag. They ARE pretty spectacular looking (and one would imagine, hard to forget before you head to the store). And of course, there is the environmental benefit that these bags offer. Perhaps it was for one of these reasons that we met our favorite Bear Naked Environmentalist/Smartly Outfitted Shopper of the of the weekend: Lady who ran to the finish line, not the starting line, at 6:30 a.m., minutes before the race started, to ask, while slightly out of breath, if we had any more tote bags.  Morning tote bag runner, we applaud you!