Yes indeed it is an army surplus bag. It was actually used as a toolbag as well and now it looks worn, which was the looks I was going for. I'm not sure about wether or not it can handle the fading from the sun but I can always dye it with some olive green cotton dye(note that it is already faded like that in the picture before I used it as a battery bag). Structurally, it can handle the weight of a 30 lb battery pack(plus a 2 lb U-lock).