Why Are Mitre 10 Bags Being Handed Out to First-Years?

Te Urukeiha Tuhua 

Every year, first-year students are welcomed to campus with a small rite of passage: the VUWSA O-Week tote bag. Designed and printed specially for the occasion, the cotton “O-Bag” has become something of a collectible—practical, recognisable, and often spotted slung over shoulders long after Orientation Week ends. 

This year, however, the familiar tote was nowhere to be seen. 

Instead, first-years attending Tau Mai and Clubs Day events were handed a black-and-orange branded Mitre 10 bag, courtesy of the hardware retailer’s sponsorship. The bags were packed with the usual O-Week paraphernalia—advertisements, discount codes, a branded energy drink, and menstrual products—but for many students, and Salient, the packaging itself was the story. 

“We’ll use the coupons, but the Mitre 10 bags were a choice,” one first-year student interviewed by Salient said. 

Another was more direct: “No one is gonna use a Mitre 10 bag.” 

The reaction appears to be widespread. A member of VUWSA who assisted with distribution  told Salient that pickup numbers were down compared to previous years. She said students were “not very happy” and that many approached volunteers asking about the missing tote bags. 

“I feel bad for the students because one of my favourite things over the last years has been collecting the bags,” she said. “I think the tote bag is the best part of O-Bags and it’s super disappointing.” 

“Honestly I think it’s dumb. I hate Mitre 10,” she said. “Bunnings girl through and through.” 

VUWSA CEO Matthew Tucker said that the decision came down to logistics. According to Tucker, the custom tote bags arrived late. With Mitre 10 having already sponsored VUWSA by supplying branded bags to be placed inside the O-bags, the association opted to use the Mitre 10 bags themselves rather than wait. 

“Mitre 10 bags were a great saviour and timely,” Tucker said. 

He admitted that the arrangement initially struck him as odd. “It seemed weird to me to get bags to put in bags,” he said. But given the delay, he maintains that the alternative was worse. Without the Mitre 10 sponsorship, there would have been no bags to distribute at all. 

When asked about the late arrival and replacement of the traditional totes, VUWSA’s Treasurer/Secretary was candid. “I think it’s wonderful. We’re cutting costs in the right corner,” said Sanjukta Dey. 

Dey continued to double down, and questioned how much students truly valued the old bags, noting that one from 2022 was recently spotted for resale at Recycled Boutique for $11. “I’m thinking, let’s keep this circle of life going. Enjoy your Mitre 10 bags,” she added. 

When pressed on whether cost-cutting was worth “negating students’ experiences,” the Treasurer pushed back slightly. “No. But I do wonder how many students truly do miss the old bags, as in my flat, at least every single one of them made its way to the landfills. And I do care a little bit about money and the environment.” 

In total, VUWSA packed and handed out over 2500 Mitre 10 bags during Tai Mai week and Clubs Day. The delayed tote bags, Tucker confirmed, will be stored and used for O-Week next year instead. 

For now, first-years may have to make do with hardware-branded carryalls. Whether the Mitre 10 bag becomes a cult classic in its own right—or quietly disappears into the back of hall closets—remains to be seen. 

How to Style Your Mitre 10 Bag 

Disillusioned by your Mitre 10 bag? Don’t be. With a touch of creativity—and perhaps a healthy sense of what it means for something to be camp—the black-and-orange tote can be transformed into a fashion statement that is almost as iconic as the O-Bags of years past.