
In American English, a gym bag or carryall and in British English a sports bag is a large
bag
A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...
made of
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...
or
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
typically with a rectangular base and a
zipper
A zipper (N. America), zip, zip fastener (UK), formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of textile, fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and oth ...
ed opening at the top. Two
handles
A handle is a part of, or an attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following t ...
enable the bag to be carried, and a
(usually removable) strap lets the user support the bag on the
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons.
The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...
s.
In British English, a holdall (or occasionally hold-all) may be a similar bag but may often have wheels and possibly a telescopic handle. The term covers a wide variety of types of bag.
A ''gym bag'' is often misnamed a duffel bag. These misnamed ''"duffle bags"'' are cylindrical like a
duffle bag
A duffel bag, duffle bag, or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas or nylon).
History
Historically a duffel bag had a top closure using a drawstring. Later bags had a webbing hand grip, along with a ...
, but zip open on the long, horizontal side, and have handles like a
tote bag
A tote bag is a large, typically unfastened bag with parallel handles that emerge from the sides of its pouch.
Totes are often used as reusable shopping bags. The archetypal tote bag is made of sturdy cloth, perhaps with thick leather at its h ...
.
Uses
A holdall is often used in place of a
suitcase
A suitcase is a form of baggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle and is typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popular ...
or for carrying
sports equipment
Sports equipment, also called sporting goods, are the tools, materials, apparel, and gear, which varies in shapes, size, and usage in a particular sport. It includes balls, nets, rackets, protective gears like helmets, goggles, etc. Since th ...
, and has the advantage over most suitcases of being
compressible
In thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, the compressibility (also known as the coefficient of compressibility or, if the temperature is held constant, the isothermal compressibility) is a measure of the instantaneous relative volume change of a f ...
when empty.
A holdall is also used to carry
bedding
Bedding, also called bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment ...
and
blanket
A blanket is a swath of soft textile, cloth large enough either to cover or to enfold most of the user's body and thick enough to keep the body warm by trapping radiant body heat that otherwise would be lost through Thermal conduction, condu ...
s etc. Students, enrolled in military boarding schools in India, are issued a 'hold-all' to carry their blankets, quilts and clothes.
[Item No. 47 under 'Kit]
Military school Dolpur
/ref> It is a flat, rectangular, canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...
bag, when unravelled. Once filled, it is rolled like a sleeping bag
A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping o ...
and held together with straps.
See also
* Duffel bag
A duffel bag, duffle bag, or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas or nylon).
History
Historically a duffel bag had a top closure using a drawstring. Later bags had a webbing hand grip, along with ...
References
Bags
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