When I was in South America a few decades ago, I noticed how the men there had no problem using a satchel and it made me a little jealous. I think I grew up with too much echoing around in my head. These days, I’m glad to see that satchels and messenger bags have found their way to American streets because, let’s be honest, it’s nice to have a book or a tablet along sometimes, not to mention all of our other EDC items.
When I sat down to decide what kind of satchel I’d like to carry, my mind shot straight to the bag that defined a rugged man’s satchel, that iconic canvas military bag with a sturdy leather strap, the bag that caught everyone’s eye when it showed up on the big screen back in 1981: the Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark bag:
You wanted one too the minute you saw it. And the whip. But let’s stick to the bag for now. In this article, I show how I made my leather-strapped satchel from a vintage military gas mask bag. I also include instructions for making a cotton-strapped bag for those who want to keep the bag as authentic as possible.
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