Every now and again, we all get a great bargain or buy an item that just becomes indispensable. In my case I found something that ticks both boxes!
Unfortunately I’m a sucker for army surplus. My belief is that these items still have life and use in them, and if it’s good enough to survive, then I’m sure my civilian life will prove no challenge.
I picked up this bag from a bargain bin in an army surplus store in Aberdare. I’d always wanted one for things like festivals and camping trips but had no idea I’d use it as much as I have.
It’s found use as a camping backpack. Capable of holding a full size, 5 man family tent, sleeping bag and food for 5 days. It was also amazingly useful while moving house, I loaded this bag up with everything from clothing to my barrel BBQ (not at the same time, that would be a hideous mess) I’ve used it for festivals, general transport and sometimes as a storage solution.
Fully packed this bag can be a little unwieldy to say the least, luckily this version came with backpack straps to make it easier to use. Other versions of it came with an extended closure clip strap as a carrying handle. The small pocket on the outside is handy for keeping hold of small items that you need access to: keys, folded documents, or even your passport!
As you can see, my bag came in fairly used condition. It still had its US markings as well as some letters on the bottom of the bag that had been painted over in white. If anyone has information on what these markings could be then I’d be delighted to find out!
Obviously I was lucky finding this bag in good condition for the price, being military surplus makes buying online a constant gamble. This bag only cost me £5, and while I can’t find a reliable link for one as cheap as mine, I did find a new version of the duffel bag, made by Mil-Tec that you can buy from eBay!
Oxfords Over Brogues. 
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