Wewerke Design says its Truckit Bucket will forever change the way you haul gear. Editor Vince Hempsall tests to see if the claim carries weight.

Wewerke Design was launched two years ago in a converted church in downtown Trail, British Columbia. Since then, owners Bernard Mitchell and Krista Humphrey have worked on a variety of projects ranging from stand-up desks to ski racks but when they leave their funky offices, they can usually be found on pedals, powder, or paddleboards. In other words, they own a lot of gear. And carting that gear to the trailhead can be a pain so the duo created the Truckit Bucket tote carrying system they say is “the one piece of gear that adapts to the seasons the way you do.” We got our hands on one to see if that’s the case.

Snapshot: Truckit Bucket

    1. Pros: Deep and bomber. Plus it’s designed, developed, and handmade (yes, made by Bernard and Krista’s own hands) right here.
    2. Cons: There’s an initial sticker shock but because this is handmade in BC, versus Asia, we believe it’s worth the extra loonies.
    3. Price: $149 Cdn
    4. Who Should Buy: Gear lovers.
    5. Who Shouldn’t Buy: Minimalists.
    6. Helpful Hack: If the Truckit Bucket gets really dirty inside, you can literally hose it out and hang it up to drip dry.
    7. Author’s overall rating: 9/10

The Test

I was handed an “All Synth” version of the Truckit Bucket to test so I stuffed it full of climbing gear, backcountry skiing gear, cross-country skiing gear, and mountain biking gear. I also tossed in a bunch of groceries as well as some used baby diapers for good measure. I then threw the tote into the snow, the mud, the dirt, and onto the concrete. Try doing that with a plastic shopping bag.

The Truckit Bucket can handle all my backcountry ski gear except my skis and poles. It even has room for a stuffed bunny as my two-year-old was eager to prove.

The Verdict

We’ve all been there: watching your buddies slap on skins, don helmets, or sort cams and you realize you’ve left something at home. This happens to me every start to the season. One year it was my ski boots. Another time it was my bike helmet. And on one memorable occasion I jeopardized my baby-making abilities after I forgot my climbing harness and resorted to a vice-like substitute made from slings. My problem seems to be the extraneous gear, the stuff that doesn’t fit into a day bag like boots or a helmet. For a short time I was using the Last Bag, which we’ve also reviewed on this site, but because it’s shaped like a bag, meaning it’s somewhat tapered at the bottom, I found it’s carrying capacity wasn’t large enough. The Truckit Bucket has solved that problem. With it’s square bottom, 35-litre main pocket, and expandable sides I can dump everything into it including large-ticket items such as ski boots or a 60-metre-long climbing rope.

The ingenious feature of the Truckit Bucket is the frame: made from one strand of bike brake cable, it securely seats the bucket portion so it stays open, even when empty, and makes it easy to find your stuff. (Try that with a duffle bag.) The frame also comprises the bomber handles that stand upright when the tote’s on the ground but it’s also great they can easily be folded and bent for stashing. The poly fabric of the main body is tough, the inner synthetic is soft, and the outer mesh pockets are stretchy and plentiful. (There are six in total.) This is now my go-to gear hauler from home to trailhead. It’s also perfect for grocery shopping or throwing child items into for a trip to the beach. The only challenge I initially had to get over with the Truckit Bucket was the sticker price: it’s almost double the cost of a large duffle from one of the major outdoor gear manufacturers. But then I remembered this is handmade here in the Kootenays versus south-east Asia. Every dollar we spend on the Truckit Bucket stays in our community and in my opinion, that makes it worth all the loonies.

Truckit Bucket Tote – The Deets

    • MSRP: $149 Cdn
    • Main pocket: 35L
    • 6 Mesh Pockets: Four 15 x 25cm (6×10″) and two 25 x 25cm (10×10″)
    • Weight: 0.55kg or 1.2 lbs
    • Exterior comes in two material lines: a polypropylene synthetic or denim.
    • For more info: truckitbucket.com

Author’s Note: Mountain Culture Group is not paid for these reviews. They are honest expressions of our opinions. In some instances we are given the product to keep but that does not sway our assessment. If we dislike a product and feel it would score a rating of less than 5/10, we simply won’t review it.