Jeanette

Survival itself is not a "fashionable" experience.

Under mild circumstances, survival helps you to avoid serious discomfort.
Under extreme circumstances - survival is a bitc*. It's the last thing you do ... before you die or live.
My suggestion is to save "fashionable" for the good things of your life.

The tote bag is not a bad choice, esp. if you can avoid carrying heavy loads and walking a lot of miles.

A backpack is convenient because: 1) It's strong, 2) It may have a lot of compartments which allows better organization (it's faster to find things), 3) It spreads the weight evenly on both of your shoulders, 4) It allows you to keep the load centered on your body - making long-distance walks less tiring, and 5) It allows you to keep both hands free in a personal emergency.

But the important thing may simply be - that you have some kind of bag set aside with a few essentials in it. Everything else is just gravy.

Pete