In the classic view, a trunk is a large bag-bag that is used for a wide variety of purposes. But more often, this word means precisely the army trunk, which is supplied with the VKPO set (all-season field uniforms kit), designed for use in different climatic conditions.
Bag History
All sorts of bags and bags, humanity has used many centuries. People have repeatedly had the need to transfer prey or household items, while leaving hands free. So in the story appeared a bag that was worn on the shoulder.
Such a positive experience was later adopted by the first armies. Problems with the supply, long transitions from place to place forced the soldiers to keep their belongings with them. Therefore, they enjoyed the use of shoulder bags.
Further the history of a volume shoulder bag develops in two directions. On the one hand, officers and commanders did not fail to take advantage of it, using it to carry maps and necessary documents. However, in this case, the size of the bag has sharply decreased. Its other variation was adopted by field medics, storing a supply of medicines in a shoulder bag. Well, the most voluminous version of the shoulder bag was gradually introduced among the land forces to facilitate the transport of personal belongings.
Civic trunk
As often happens with handy items, the army shoulder bag began to be actively used in civilian life. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a huge number of trunks were supplied to the market, which became a truly major cultural phenomenon. They were cheap, durable and roomy, and therefore they were willingly bought by shuttles, the occupation of which was the transportation and sale of a huge amount of small consumer goods.
The economic trunk today has changed (now it is usually solid and is no longer sewn from shiny oilcloth material), but is still sold in hardware stores. But the bag with a pattern in a large cell went straight into the world of high fashion. For example, the French fashion house Loius Vuitton sells such bags for 3 thousand US dollars, and the Spanish luxury brand Balenciaga in its latest collections has repeatedly presented a variation of the famous “IKEA” blue shopping bags. The price for this is 2.5 thousand dollars.
Russian trunk and its foreign analogues
The army trunk is a polyester waterproof bag with a polyurethane dusting of a protective color, with a place for a personal card of the serviceman, short handles and a long belt for carrying on the shoulder. This bag is issued together with the set of VKPO, which currently (2018) includes:
- summer suit;
- warmed vest;
- demi-season suit;
- wind and waterproof suit;
- winter jacket and pants;
- two sets of short underwear;
- two sets of elongated underwear;
- field cap;
- winter hat;
- balaclava;
- scarf;
- insulated mittens;
- army belt;
- bag trunk
The cost of this field kit is from 24 to 27 thousand rubles. Separately, the trunk, which provides the Russian armed forces, can be purchased for 500-1500 rubles.
Baules, adopted for use in foreign armies, are not much different from their Russian counterpart, except that they have additional carbines for more secure attachment and can be worn on the back. The American army trunk is most often made in khaki from cordura fabric or rubberized tarpaulin. It can be purchased for 1500-2500 rubles, if you do not take into account the heaped bags that are sewn specifically for tourists and travelers. They are more comfortable and functional, but the price for them ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles.
The Baule of the German Army (Bundeswehr) is sewn from a gray-brown waterproof canvas and has an additional valve with a zipper. You can buy it for 1500 rubles.
Perfect bag
Bulk waterproof bag at the time was a truly revolutionary solution in the field of military supplies. It is convenient, allows you to transport significant amounts of load and does not hold hands. The material ensures its durability and simplicity in use.
The remarkable properties of an ordinary army trunk have led to the fact that this bag has become popular among travelers, tourists, fishermen and hunters, who constantly need to carry a supply of necessary things and objects. And it is worth noting that the military trunk is doing an excellent job with this task.
