Army Duffle Bag As Checked Luggage | Important Things To Know

So, you are being ready, packing your stuff. Will be flying to your destination. And suddenly this comes to your mind, is it even okay to use my army duffle bag as checked luggage?

You see, sometimes duffels are just easy then suitcases. Simple, light, and convenient. You can just throw all the stuff you want and carry it as you like.

So, you packed one but a little confused. Is the size okay? Is it too heavy as per the airline’s luggage rules? Or you should just change it altogether?

And most importantly, will you be troubled with those extra baggage charges? Let’s find all the answers to your questions. Shall we?

Army Duffle Bag As Checked Luggage – Top To Bottom

A Little More About Your Duffle

Let’s dig a little dipper about duffle bags so that you can choose one that is perfect for your particular use. The name duffle, also called duffel, of the bags, actually is the name of a town in Belgium.

The thick canvas or fabric from which the bags are usually made of was originally produced in that town. The name duffle for bags usually meant one particular type of bag which was cylindrical in shape, large and usually closed at the top.

Nowadays, these bags are much more than they used to be. They have changed both in different shapes and sizes. And so does their usability and popularity. But they all can be categorized into three main types,

• Barrel shape.
• Square shape.
• Wheeled.

The barrel-shaped ones are the original classic cylindrical duffle bags. Has a top opening and a drawing string is used to close the opening. These all in one bags are generally best suited for larger equipment.

The Square-Shaped

duffle bags comparatively are recent adoption. Rectangular of boxed shape usually opens sideways with zippers. It comes in all different sizes. Suited for carrying personal belongings to professional office staff even to ammunition.

The final major type of duffle is the wheeled duffels. This variety has a zipper that is u-shaped and therefore opens much wider. It comes with a lot of separate chambers also with wheels. Thus best suited if you need to walk a lot then the wheels come in handy.

All three come with a lot of different customizations and are used by both the general and army personnel. Army duffle bags date back to world war one and are being used ever since. They can be small, medium, or big and can be carried by hand or as a backpack.

Duffels are generally light in empty weight and have large carrying capacity. Army duffels are also durable, rigid, and absolutely tough in look and use.

As Checked Luggage: Allowed Or Not?

When it comes to the checked luggage every airliner has guidelines of its own. Depending on the distance and class of your travel, the guidelines are fixed.

But regarding the type and shape of your luggage, in general, there are no such rules that you can or cannot carry. Any standard luggage should be fine. So, you are good to go with your army duffle bag as checked luggage in that regard.

But when it comes to the size and weight of the luggage, there are certain measures you need to follow. It’s always best if you take a clear look at your particular one.

But though there are lots of different airliners operate in many different parts of the world, the aircraft that they use are not very different and diverse. For economic and safety reasons they are mostly the same in category for the same routes.

Therefore, regarding the baggage allowing guideline there has some standardization been developed over the years. In general, airliners allow 158cm or 62 inches in linear at a maximum.

Linear means the total sum of the length, width, and depth. And also you do not want to exceed your luggage weight limit.

Let’s Measure Your Army Duffle Bag

Now, that you know about the type of bag and luggage rules, let’s choose the one you like and measure it. If it is one of the square-shaped army duffels, it’s easy. To do that you want to put the bag as if putting in the airport, on the floor or a table first. Then stand directly above it and measure all three dimensions at their highest.

Add up all the numbers and make sure that does not exceed the limit. Also, be mindful of the weight while you pack. But if it’s a larger barrel-shaped one, how do you measure it?

For example, let’s take the USGI Military duffle bag which is also known as the sea bag. This duffle, used by the U.S. Military, is a heavy-duty one. It’s made of 1000 denier nylon, 34 inches in height and 18 inches in diameter.

To convert it into linear inches we need three dimensions. We already have the height of 34 inches. As the diameter is 18 inches (so, the radius would be 9 inches), we get (3.14 x 9 x 9) about 254 square inches of area.

By taking the square root of the area we get approximately 15.9 inches each in length and width for a square. Therefore, finally, the linear inches would be (34+15.9+15.9) 65.8 inches which are slightly more than the maximum 62 linear inches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ending

As you know by now, at the airport when you are checking in, you might get into two kinds of troubles with your luggage, whether it’s your army duffle bag or something else. It can be over in size or overweight. Or in the worst-case scenario, it can be both.

So, it’s safe to say at the end that, as long as your cool army duffle bag meets the requirement, the weight and dimensions, you are completely fine to go. There will be no extra charges, hassles, or embarrassments. I hope now you know about the army duffle bag as checked luggage.

Therefore, all you need is just to make sure that they do meet the measurements and you can keep exploring through the sky. Happy flying!