Thread: Military Surplus Gear

a good own bag is priceless on a cold night.....a cheap liner from the warehouse $10-15 will boost your bags warmth and keep bag clean....will double as meat bag in a pinch,keeps flies off during day....not so good to sleep in afterwards though...washing is definately recomended.
waterproof coat that is noisy,wear it under a thin polarfleece when bush stalking...Ive got a grey nylon bumfreezer top with front zip..it was a giveaway 30 years ago...kept my core warm and dry on more occasions than I can count....fits in a coffee cup...weighs nothing.
gott a DPM coat ex NZ army..had it for years...a good sports wash and waterproofing helped no end...but its bulky....got a cabelas soft shelled camo coat,lightweight but waterproof after a treatment,quiet in bush but cold.....
my bivybag is about 50years old...milserp...ok in drizzle and semi ok in anything more...it does boost warmth by huge amount and keeps bag clean.
boots...ashley laceups are the bizo for bush stalking....see SARVO if you want something with more ankle support etc for pack carrying or tops hunting.
mess kit...3 piece aluminium used it for 30 years....
hexi cooker frame
MOST of us will have used a milserp rifle at some stage.

It depends on the type of gear. I wouldn't touch mil surp for clothing (I bought a millitary surplus raincoat a while back, and it felt like I was dressed in cardboard. Very restrictive). For a similar price, you can buy outdoor clothing from the likes of Macpac, Outdoor Research, Helly Hansen etc, that'll be much lighter and more comfortable.

But other milsurp gear: drink bottles, spades, compasses, cooking utensils and the like can often be top quality and hard wearing.

These are hands down the best waterproof jacket for the money.
Have a look around eBay to make sure they have your size.I wear mine at work for over 200 rainy days per year and I get 3 years from one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-B...0AAOSwBLlVDV6a

Originally Posted by norsk

These are hands down the best waterproof jacket for the money.
Have a look around eBay to make sure they have your size.I wear mine at work for over 200 rainy days per year and I get 3 years from one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-B...0AAOSwBLlVDV6a

In light of the desert camo is it may good in the Bush?

Originally Posted by norsk

These are hands down the best waterproof jacket for the money.
Have a look around eBay to make sure they have your size.I wear mine at work for over 200 rainy days per year and I get 3 years from one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-B...0AAOSwBLlVDV6a

If this is the same one it is a hundy and the surplus store here. wouldn't be too far off on the exchange rate and shipping?
https://www.armyandoutdoors.co.nz/co...ert-mvp-jacket

Originally Posted by norsk

These are hands down the best waterproof jacket for the money.
Have a look around eBay to make sure they have your size.I wear mine at work for over 200 rainy days per year and I get 3 years from one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-B...0AAOSwBLlVDV6a

Does it rain 200 days per year?

Originally Posted by Jmac

Does it rain 200 days per year?

West coast it probably does

Originally Posted by Jmac

Does it rain 200 days per year?

Sometimes yes
You actually get "rain rash" its fungus growing on your wet skin because there is practically no sunlight for months here.

Originally Posted by norsk

Sometimes yes
You actually get "rain rash" its fungus growing on your wet skin because there is practically no sunlight for months here.

Nasty! Never heard of that before but yeah just saw your location so it makes sense now!

I have bought a bit of Snugpak kit over the last few years, on recommendation of a mate who works a lot in a somewhat hostile mountainous country. His job supplies kit, but he and his mates generally buy their own. In comparison to big brand names, I've find it quite cheap. I haven't myself given it a seriously hard work out, but have used the tarp and one of their bags in winter in the Wicklow Mountains.
I always bought from https://www.outdoorgb.com and they drop the vat, which usually covers the shipping. With NZ slapping on the Amazon tax now I don't know how it prices, I've not browsed for a while.
Their jacket sizing is shit, I'm usually an XL, but need m or l in theirs, probably m.

Ive had a mil surp tain jacket for about 8 years now. Cost me $100. Ive got several other fancy brand name jackets too but for some reason i always take the old mil surp out. It just works.

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Counter idea. You can get good quality hiking brand wet weather gear on sale from macpac and the likes for similar money - between $100 and $200 usually.

I have a marmot precip I have had for years great jacket. Its not camo but the deer dont seem to care. They are a noisier than any brushed fleece style jacket but work much better at keeping you dry also. The surplus jackets are pretty loud too.

The stoney creek stowits actaully work sweet in term of keeping you dry. Not super breathable though.

For a sleeping bag, keep an eye out for a decent second hand number. I picked up a -12c Jacks'r'better quilt of trademe for $150 bucks. Way better bag than anything surplus.

I didn't want to shell out big$ on a brand name so went the mil surp way.
Bought a new brittish one.
Works well and water proof is good. Quite cold so need to wear warmth under it.
Size was to big so sleeves are a pain. Has a few Velcro fasteners which I find a pain due to noise.
The hood is huge and even the adjuster pull strings done up tight its big. I wear a peak cap under it to stop the front falling to low on my head.
As someone else mentioned they don't come down below ur bum.
The main zip isn't that sturdy and needs to be looked after.
Folds up small and is lite as.
Big chest pockets but Velcro closures .
Cheap, where else do you buy a new goretex rain coat for a hundy.

What's with the modern day rat pack not having toilet paper like in days gone by where everyone shared the paper around as sure as hell there was not enough to wipe an arse in a single pack...i guess the modern army don't shit...and then I guess the modern army would have a tampon in the rat pack as well.

One piece of military surplus gear I can recommend without hesitation are the Austrian Soft Shell Sympatex jackets. Honestly, it's the best general purpose jacket I've ever bought. The bonus is they don't have a "military" look to them much either if that matters to you, but it means you can wear them out and about to a Cafe or whatever without looking like a clown. I pretty much live in mine in winter.

The Czech M85 parkas are also excellent in cold weather. They are no good for hunting (way to heavy, won't pack down, not waterproof) but again are excellent just for general wear out and about, very warm.

I just got a 95 Pattern British Windproof Smock to try out. Took it out in the rain for half an hour today, the water repellant treatment works really well, pretty impressive for a cotton smock that isn't seam sealed or anything.

I'm of the opinion that most military surplus stuff is crap and ironically not the well suited to out door activity. But there are some gems out there. Also the modern gear is light years ahead of crap from the cold war.