Duffel bag

A duffel bag, duffle bag, or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas), historically with a top closure using a drawstring. Generally a duffel bag is used by non-commissioned personnel in the military, and for travel, sports and recreation by civilians, especially schoolchildren, who may use them to carry their physical education or football kits. When used by a sailor or marine a duffel is known as a seabag. A duffel's open structure and lack of rigidity makes it adaptable to carrying sports gear and similar bulky objects.

A duffel bag is often confused with a hoop-handled hard-bottomed zippered bag, generically also known as a gym bag.

History
The origin of the name is disputed. Most sources maintain the name comes from Duffel, a town in Flanders, Belgium, where the thick duffel cloth used to make the bag originated in the 17th century.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word dates back to 1649, used to describe ‘a coarse woollen cloth having a thick nap or frieze’. The earliest reference of the word specifically referring to a duffel bag is 1768.