Provincetown Fire Department Hose Engineer Bags

Not just another tote, made just for Arcadia.

These perfect everyday basics bags are made of heavy duty waxed canvas with thick 1/2" wide leather hand straps and a detachable thick leather shoulder strap, with every detail thought out. The interior canvas includes a pocket, zipper closure at the top to keep your goods secured, copper double grommets holding the straps to the bag and two big exterior pockets.

What's with the yellow or white stripe? That's decommissioned Provincetown Fire Department fire hose. Once a hose fails pressure testing, it typically gets thrown away. That's a real shame both because it's nearly indestructible so it will never degrade and also because it's coated with fire retardant, which is bad for the environment. Janelle and her assistants who make these bags carefully strip down the hose, remove the retardant with a solvent soak, and then repurpose the hose into these amazing, functional and beautiful bags.

Janelle is a volunteer firefighter and EMT, and her assistants are all women who are participating in a shelter program for women in abusive situations or in recovery from addiction.

So each bag helps get women back on their feet, repurposes fire hose to keep it out of the waste stream - AND - I donate $10 for each bag to the Provincetown Food Pantry. Each bag comes with a story card explaining what it's made of and who made it, and also includes an extra cotton bag to encourage the purchaser to fill it with goodies for your local fire house.

Bags measure 9" wide by 11" tall with a 3" wide gusseted bottom. The 1/2" leather handles extend up 4" from the top of the bag, 1/2" leather strap is 46" in length with fasteners. Strap length is not adjustable but can be re-cut and secured to whatever length you like by most shoe repair shops. 

NOTE THAT PICTURES ARE SAMPLES ONLY - NO TWO LENGTHS OF HOSE ARE THE SAME. White hose may be more or less white, yellow hose may be more or less yellow. Very few bags have any printing on hose, availability is not guaranteed. If you have any preferences, please note them in the "Custom Comments" box on this page when ordering and I will do my best to match your request if possible. 

Handmade just for Arcadia in North Carolina