I have one of these bags also, supply let me retain it.
WRT the seams on the inside, the sides of the bag are sewn in pretty much the same fashion that the legs on your jeans are sewn. The top and bottom of the bag, however, are not finished well at all. There is two rows of stitching, but the seams are not bound with binding tape (or serged). The unprotected seam MAY be prone to failure after a quite a LOT of heavy use.
The main issue I have with this duffle bag is that, because of its size and closure method, it tends to get overpacked way too often. The shoulder straps take a real toll because we tend to handle the US DB the same as the much tougher and more resilient CDN DB.
My US DB shoulder straps are on the verge of popping off. (not a big deal for me, I have my own sewing machine
)
cplcaldwell said:
(Hint: make up a 'maple leaf' stencil, they come with a great big (6 ins high ) US painted on the side. Guaranteed not to impress the RSM if left on the bag)
WRT to the "evil"
"US" which is stenciled on the Duffle Bag, I would say that it is not a big deal.... no need to freak out. God, if we defaced all Canadian kit which had US written on it somewhere....
Plus, its not like its painted in bright orange or anything. You can barely see it. If your RSM is inspecting your dufflebag for imperfections, you've got bigger concerns.
Oooo... a toolbag with US printed on it....Nooooooooooooooooo!
Cheers,
Eric