Good news; our friends in China have read our previous blog about the US Army style duffle bag. They have improved the bag on 2 points. The shoulder straps got ladder buckles instead of metal rings. And the zipper with nothing behind it got a piece of fabric behind it so it becomes a real pocket.
The metal D rings were slippery so that the straps easily loosen and the bag sags down while caring it on your back. This is highly impractical. Now they have attached ladder buckles that have a tight grip at the straps so that this cannot longer occur. These ladder buckles are also more in the military style. Th Swedish LK35 backpack also has them. Many US army bags such as the M-1942 Jungle pack, M1928 Haversack and the M1936 Musette Bag also used them in the past.
Picture: D-rings vs ladder-buckle
The flap with pockets has a extra piece of fabric in this new improved version. That makes it a useful pocket.
Another small addition to the pack is the creation of loops at the base of the bottom. Perhaps only intended as extra reinforcement for the shoulder straps but it also gives yo the opting to slide a military belt through. By doing so it becomes a backpack with hip belt.
Even more possible improvements:
– Smaller grommets. In some occasions of a fully loaded bag the hook can slide through the grommets. The difference in size between the hook and the grommets is just a few mm. Under heavy pressure the hook can be forced through the grommet. If this happens it is difficult to move the hook back in the right position. Smaller grommets and thus a bigger size difference between the hook and the opening in the grommet will avoid this. The original US Army duffle bag and many other duffle bags uses smaller grommets.
Maybe our Chinese friends are reading this again and will also implement this improvement.
Available at:
www.aliexpress.com
Thailand Travel Base 