Recruits of the spring draft in 2014 were pleasantly surprised when they received an army travel bag in their kit. It contains a set that solves two problems at once:
- sanitary and hygienic;
- disciplinary.
Future soldiers and their families are deprived of the opportunity to complain about the lack or lack of personal care products. And the sergeants and duty officers will have no reason to nitpick.
Now you do not need to measure the authorized distance from the comb to the razor. No need to memorize the order of the items. Everything a soldier needs is in a bag with the French name of a travel bag.
A bit of history
Despite the French origin of the word, this kind of attribute of military uniforms is not new for Russia. Back in the 17th century, soldiers called up for service were given a recruiting reticule.
The contents of the set will amuse the modern conscript. He is alien to such items as powder and curling tongs for a wig, hemp and caps. The great commander Suvorov also thought so. He finally got rid of unnecessary ballast on the campaign.
Laterfor some time the army travel bag reappeared. Now it was a small iron box with a comb, a razor, scissors and a spoon.
The valiant revolutionary commanders threw the bourgeois trifle to the sidelines of history and bravo set off to remake the world. By the beginning of World War II, officers acquired small field suitcases. They were always ready. They contained a change of linen and statutory toilet items.
During the years of developed socialism, travel bags again became popular, and not only among the military. Having a travel bag from the GDR, the Czech Republic or Yugoslavia was not only practical, but also prestigious.
Purpose
The literal translation of the word "necessary bag" is "necessary". And indeed it is. The need for toilet items in the army is not so much a luxury as a necessity. It's definitely best to keep them in one place.
In military service, the main thing is speed, accuracy and compliance with the rules of the charter. The army travel bag meets all the specified requirements. Quickly and compactly assembled, takes up little space. Objects are each in its place. Content complies with military service regulations and is easy to control.
The main purpose of the travel bag is to use it in the field, on the road, on a business trip. Therefore, it is issued to conscripts before arriving at the duty station. The new accessory will be provided to military personnel of all branches of the armed forces, including cadets and students of military schools.
Appearance and equipment of army travel bags
Several varieties of travel bags have been released. All of them are a kind of small bags. They are made of waterproof material, most often in camouflage colors. Fastened with a zipper. They have a stationary handle and a removable one for carrying on the shoulder. Some models have a hook or carabiner for mounting on a wall, branch, etc. For convenience, the inner pockets have tags with the name of the contents. The main advantage that distinguishes the army travel bag is its compactness.
Standard package includes 19 items of hygiene items for face, hand, foot care, clothing repair kit, small towel, mirror and silicone cup assembly.
Army travel bag for officers is supplemented with eau de toilette and a folding knife. Otherwise they are identical.
How to DIY?
Personal hygiene kits are given to enlisted personnel absolutely free of charge. It is not clear, however, how much content will suffice. Everyone's needs and habits are different. It is interesting to know how the used will be replenished? At personal expense or from the budget?
What is provided in case of loss or damage to the bag and attachments? There are many questions, as always. And while the generals are solving them, in case of emergency, you can try to make an army travel bag with your own hands.
To do this, you will need a small piece of suitable fabric, an elastic band or a piece of dense braid, thread with a needle or a sewing machine and a little patience.
The width of the fabric should be three times the length. The total size of the future product is determined depending on the quantity, volume and size of the items included.
The fabric is folded from the edges to the center, pockets are sewn. After that, you can fix the seams with an additional line along the contour. The filled toilet bag is rolled up and pulled together with an elastic band or fixed with braid rings. A primitive case for storing small items is ready.
The Russian soldier has always been smart. He could cook porridge from an ax, and use his fist instead of a pillow, and slurp cabbage soup with bast shoes, and wash himself in a puddle, and wipe himself with his sleeve.
In the modern army, you don't need to be so smart to survive. The Ministry of Defense is making every effort to improve the life of servicemen so that nothing distracts them from the main tasks of protecting the Motherland.
