As of late, I've been doing a little thinking. Stig's thread about his Marz pouch gave me an idea.
A lot of what we do is focused on outdoor survival skills. Many of us are avid outdoorsmen, some of us are more suburbanite.
I have a strong belief that even if you are not into the zombie/ run and gun/ rambo/ and general defensive mindset, you can still benefit from current production and surplus military gear.
With the recent surge in earthtone military designed gear (vs. camo patterns), even the most tame among us can have good quality gear in more of a low-key fashion.
Take for instance, a battle belt:
While the primary use and design of a dedicated fighting belt is obvious, it can be easily repurposed into a civilian activity friendly setup.
Lose the mag pouches, add a nalgene pouch, and some general purpose pouches, and viola! Now you have a durable hiking rig.
Take backpacks for example.
Civilian Packs are very expensive. New current manufacture military packs from Kifaru or Mystery Ranch can be too. That said, there is normally a reason civilian packs dont resale. The original owner has usually used the piece until it breaks.
Surplus gear on the other hand, has a very long use period. I can buy these items with confidence knowing that it will serve me well into the foreseeable future.
When I was in high school, I was very heavily active in Civil Air Patrol. I did a LOT of Search and Rescue. Many guys on the SAR team used commercially available civilian equipment. I didn't. My gear didn't have the failure rate that their Kelty packs did. Instead of using a hiking waits pack, I carried all my SAR gear in a Blackhawk assault vest. It was easy, convenient and durable. Instead of fishing in a pack for the item I wanted, I just opened up the pouch and grabbed it.
The first premise of military gear is to be durable and functional under extreme, long-term conditions and exposure to the elements. After all, the equipment is intended to be used outdoors and in war. It has to perform.
The military provides a significant amount of equipment that covers basic survival and protection for outdoor use. This includes footgear, clothing, bags, and food and rehydration containers. Because military gear is produced in such mass quantity, many times the items can be cheaper than their private-side counterpart. Just look at the cost difference between a good military rucksack and a similar backpack from top outdoor equipment manufacturers.
Civilian outdoor products are created and made with personal comfort and performance in mind. The goal is to make people feel good while engaged in outdoor activities. As a result, the performance ability of many civilian outdoor products easily exceeds the same part produced for the military. But it may not be as long-lasting. For example, military boots may last for years, while civilian hiking boots may last only two seasons.
Another downside is civilian outdoor equipment can be very expensive. High-end outdoor snow jackets can easily cost more than $350, while a military winter jacket found at a surplus store costs $50.
Military surplus is one source to find quality military outdoor gear at low prices. Items can be half the price of the same item sold new from military suppliers, if you're allowed to buy from these vendors.
Used civilian outdoor gear doesn't hold up so well, and is usually sold off because something failed the original owner. It can be found in some consignment stores, but used civilian gear usually gets given away to charities and can be hard to find in good condition.
You need to try various types of equipment and find the mix that works for you. You may be in love with your high-end snow jacket, but you can also have the same passion for your military-issued backpack and boots. There's no law against using both. Find the mix that works best for you.
If you civy types decide to try out some of the .mil offerings, here's a short list of how to select some of the gear.
There are really a few categories of "Military" gear.
1- Real "Issue" gear. Stuff from SDS and the like, which can be excellent or shitty, depending on what it is, but is generally bomb-proof. Not high tech or loaded with features, but will get the job done, and is very cheap on the surplus market.
2- "Mil-Spec" gear from companies like Rothco, who also make stuff for the DOD, but make a lot of military-style gear for the civilian market. Usually more expensive than genuine surplus and CERTAINLY more shitty. Will probably stand up to light/medium use, depending on the item.
3- Medium-end gear from companies like Condor, Voodoo tactical, and Maxpedition (yes just I went there) that is decently priced, and will hold up to moderate-heavy use depending mainly on the item (some things are great, some are awful) Blackhawk sometimes falls into this category but is usually a little more rugged. Condor has gotten better recently. FWIW, I am very pleased with anything I have ever gotten from Maxpedition
4- High-end tactical gear. Tactical Tailor, Eagle, ATS, and others. Medium-priced gear that won't let you down and is routinely used by high-speed shit-kickers in the sandbox. Excellent quality and still affordable for those of us who don't have a SOCOM budget.
5- Gucci gear- Crye Precision, OSOE, HSGI, KIfaru and other companies. Their gear is extremely expensive but will last a lifetime of daily hard use. Price is justifiable if you want the best gear for your use or those who have a serious thing for expensive nylon.
6- Chinese Crap. Made by no-name airsoft manufacturers for 10 year olds who just HAVE to have their parents buy them a CIRAS vest in multicam. Will probably fall apart just taking it out of the package. Even serious airsofters don't use that crap.
To the soccer moms, stay at home dads, and anyone else out there that don't consider yourself High SPeed LOw Drag, give some of this stuff a look. I think you will be surprised at how useful it really is.
Izzy sends.
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Originally Posted by rentprop1
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