Is this the best bag – ever?

Is my search for the perfect shoulder bag finally over? This week I’m getting excited about military surplus luggage.

I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with luggage. Well, when I say a bit I mean a lot of an obsession. I’ve left a trail behind me of bags of all sizes I’ve bought over the years in my search for the perfect piece of luggage. This time I think I may have found it.

It all started a few weeks ago when I was looking for a new rucksack to put all my shiny new fishing gear in. I seem to have outgrown my old bag. I tried, and returned, a couple of purpose built fishing bags as they were either too small or not well-built enough to fit all my gear. Then I hit on the idea of looking for a tough-as-old-boots army surplus rucksack. So I went online and ordered two of them. I’d keep the best one and return the other. I really liked the 90 litre Bergen, but then again I liked the 60 litre Engineers Turtle Back rucksack too. So I kept them both: you can never have too many fishing bags. The good thing about army surplus kit is that it’s cheap to pick up and better made than any civilian gear you can buy.

That’s the fishing bags sorted then. I was so pleased with my new buys that I thought I’d take a sneaky look at what else there was. I really ‘need’ a new rucksack for long day walks. So along came a 30 litre patrol pack: never used and the most comfortable rucksack I’ve ever owned.

What’s really been nagging at me for years is not being able to find the ideal shoulder bag for everyday use. I want one that fits my usual stuff like a mobile, wallet and note book. But it also has to be able to carry a bottle of water, my camera, a lightweight waterproof coat and other bits and pieces. I’ve tried loads of bags and none of them have carried everything and been comfortable.

But then the bag pictured in this week’s post caught my eye. It’s technically termed a field pack, but is usually used as a respirator case. I love it. It holds everything I want and is about as rugged as a bag gets. Finally, I might have found the ultimate bag, and it only cost a tenner.

Is my search really over? Have I found baggy heaven? Does anybody else really care?