MILITARY BAGS & CASES

When you need to keep your powder dry, you'll wish you had this army-green rubberized bag from the Dutch military. Measures 12" tall x 14" wide x 5" deep, with tri-fold top flaps for extra waterproofing and heavy-duty embedded feet on the bottom corners. No carrying straps, but it has plastic buckles on the back and sides to add them. Easy conversion to a messenger bag or a pair of panniers.

The light-duty, light-green, lightly used canvas combat pack is probably Romanian. It was used so gently we’re confident in calling it “almost new.” Measures approx 11” x 10” x 5” with an inner side compartment, a large shoulder strap, a strap to close the front flap, and (2) bonus straps to wear it as a backpack.

Take a quick look at this cylinder-shaped olive drab heavy canvas duffle bag and you’ll think it’s standard issue GI. But surprise, soldier—it’s from the Chinese military. Measures 36” long x 12” dia, and has the standard (3) eyelets on top, with the hook and loop system that keeps it loosely closed. Circular flap inside the bag keeps contents covered and protected. Thick handle and shoulder strap make it easy to tote, plus there’s a little outside pocket with a window for a badge or ID.

Our buy of the millennium is this rich, dark-brown leatherette (our vendor swears they are leather but we will say leatherette) military map/attache case from the Czech army. Measures approx. 11" x 14" in portrait orientation and will expand to approx 3" with an 11" pocket in the flap, (3) interior sections, (2) of them a full 14" deep, plus card, pen and miscellaneous slots and pockets on the inside, plus-plus it has a slide catch with a lock and a teeny key. Best of all, it could have been made for carrying tablets and i-Devices of all sorts, or even books (which are sort of like thick iPads). Has a leatherette handle on top, plus a detachable and adjustable 48" long strap. Hardware is deco-ish bright chrome.

These are used in good condition. A few even have a grainy texture (See pictures) to them instead of smooth, but surplus rules apply and you get what you get without throwing a fit.

Nah, we don’t know either. It’s an olive drab canvas bag 30” x 29” in a vaguely torso/chubby clover shape, e.g. with approx 8” bump-outs at the the top and on two upper sides. Like a garment bag for a fancy dress uniform with a giant collar and big epaulets. (OK, we made that up, but still.) Has a double zipper over the top, canvas handle grips, and adjustable 40” straps so it can be worn like a backpack. (French vets are encouraged to call us and explain.)

t’s not big enough to fit a snare, or even an 8” concert tom, but this Chinese military drum pouch did carry ammo drums for the SKS rifles used in the Vietnam War. Vaguely triangular, the pouch measures approx 7” tall, 7” wide at the top and 2” wide at the bottom. Has an adjustable shoulder strap, and cool Chinese lettering on the inside of the flap, which has a toggle closure. In classic olive drab, of course.

We think these started life in the Chinese military, but they won’t say. They’re small garment bags in a heavy rubberized fabric. Measure 24" x 15-1/2” x 5-1/2" but have a set of double-snap male closures with (3) alternate sets of female clips so you can keep it full length, fold it once, or roll it up to 1/3-size. Has zippers halfway down for loading ease, and the handle will detach and re-attach in another position when folded smaller. Also has a 2” x 1-1/2” ID-card slot.

You’ll need a map case. From the pre-smartphone world, where military maps still live. These are 11" x 6-1/2" folded, and they open to a clear 16-1/2" x 20" window with a zippered top on one side and a 7" x 4-1/2" x 5/8" flapped pocket with (5) pen holders on it. Close with hook-n-loop fasteners and have a 42” long adjustable and removable shoulder strap. You pick olive digital camo or desert digital camo versions.

This olive drab Austrian military soft pack measures approx 15" x 13" x 7" with an inner pouch measuring approx 13" x 7". There’s a drawstring around the top to pull the bag tight, as well as a flap and staps to wrap it into a cylinder and hold it in place. Also has holes for mounting it to a belt, which officially turns it into a fanny pack. Feels like nylon with canvas webbing.

You don’t have to be a medic to appreciate this rubberized medic’s bag from, we suspect but aren’t posilutely sure, Uncle Sam. In deep olive drab, 8" x 5" x 4-3/4", with a hook-and-loop closure on top, an adjustable 64” shoulder strap and 1-3/8” belt loops on two sides. We like it for toting lunch or anything else you need to keep dry (your powder?) in the woods.