The trusted, gold-standard, military-issue duffle-bag has endured countless wars and conflicts over the last several decades.  Its reliability transcends the consideration soldiers oftentimes give to such a universally accepted product.  Military service begins, and ends, with the issuance (or turning-in) of the duffle bag by a supply sergeant: a wholly accepted event signifying initiation into, and departure from, any various military service branch of one’s association.

While oftentimes confined to unit protocol, or a standard packing list, its contents can be as varied as the many needs that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen may have.  From urgent deployment to New Orleans, Louisiana, immediately following the national disaster better known as Hurricane Katrina, to the combat laden “war on terror” theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan, there is no doubt that United States’ Military personnel have been called upon to sacrifice greatly of themselves on many occasions.

Hefty demands like this require the implementation of the perfect gear: gear that goes beyond the baseline essentials that the military usually provides during its somewhat ceremonial-like indoctrination.  The lasting, and durable, role of the duffle-bag has suddenly been propelled greatly into the forefront of great consideration, by military personnel who take great pride in their own service, and strive to live up to a warrior ethos that is instilled throughout early training long into the great amounts of time spent with one’s unit.

Being a complete soldier requires much more than the basics.  Rest assured, you won’t have to stand in any endless lines while reading this article, like you may have done while receiving your military standard issue gear in the past.  Through the eyes of a soldier, who has served almost 10 years in many varied environments, to include combat and humanitarian aid-type theatres, this knowledge, I truly believe, will be paramount to your success on the home front, as well as, the frontlines.

More times than not, military personnel know exactly what kind of equipment they need, or could use, to help them function optimally in whatever varied environment they are in.  From the brutal winds of Afghanistan, to the rugged, and unforgiving terrain of Fallujah, Iraq, standard military issue provides a durable and resilient baseline of gear, by which we can expand upon in order to provide even greater functionality and comfortableness.  While United States’ Military personnel are trained extensively in enduring the elements, when equipment is available, there is absolutely no reason why they should go without them.  As a soldier, and author of this article, I would be remiss in my obligation to my fellow servicemen, and women, if I were not to share the great knowledge that has been derived from enormous amounts of experience, both at home and abroad.

The high-quality of product that you strive to equip yourself with will only help to better serve you when mother nature provides for you the most rugged of elements.  After reading this, and future articles, rest assured, if your duffle-bag were not some inanimate, speechless object, it would thank you.  No doubt.  Stay tuned.

Howie Romans is a 24 year old, United States’ Army Combat Veteran.  He is also the a working partner in his company “Duffle-bag Depot”.