Duffel bag

History

Historically a duffel bag had a top closure using a drawstring. Later bags had a webbing hand grip, along with a shoulder strap with clip that closed the opening by nesting grommets from around the rim of the bag. An over padlockable eye loop and an independent pair of ruck sack straps were also used.

Generally a duffel bag is used by non-commissioned personnel in the military, and for travel, sports and recreation by civilians, especially schoolchildren, who may use them to carry their physical education or football kits. When used by a sailor or marine a duffel is known as a seabag. A duffel's open structure and lack of rigidity make it adaptable to carrying sports gear and similar bulky objects.

A duffel bag is often confused with a hoop-handled hard-bottomed zippered bag, generically also known as a gym bag.

Some of these misnamed duffle bags are also cylindrical but zip open on the long, horizontal side, and have handles like a tote bag.

File:Troepentransportschip de Seven Seas met militairen terug uit Nieuw-Guinea in Rot, Bestanddeelnr 914-4847.jpg|Single shoulder strap, 1962 File:US Navy 020416-N-4374S-505 Sailor walks with his daughter after returning from deployment.jpg|Sailor walks with his duffel bag, 2002. File:US Navy 110208-N-5538K-073 A Marine ties down sea bags during exercise Cobra Gold 2011.jpg|Padlocked duffel bags, 2011 File:Crew Swap 130729-N-YZ252-312.jpg|Dual shoulder straps, 2013

Name

The origin of the name is disputed. Most sources maintain the name comes from Duffel, a town in Flanders, Belgium, where the thick duffel cloth used to make the bag originated in the 17th century.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word dates back to 1649, used to describe ‘a coarse woollen cloth having a thick nap or frieze’. The earliest reference of the word specifically referring to a duffel bag is 1768.

References

References

1. (2025-01-05). "Definition of DUFFEL BAG".
2. "Definition of 'duffel bag'".
3. "Meaning of duffel bag in English".
4. "Dictionary.com {{!}} Meanings & Definitions of English Words".
5. "Definition of 'duffle bag'".
6. (2025-01-04). "Definition of DUFFLE".
7. "Top 5 Best Ways to Use Duffel Bags". Overstock.com.
8. "Duffel". [[Online Etymology Dictionary]].
9. [https://olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_duffle_bag.php "Soldiers' Duffel Bags"] olive-drab.com
10. (March 2021). "duffel, n. and adj". Oxford University Press.