army surplus...the bits I use

[PEDRO]

does anyone else use military surplus gortex...ive bought some for my outer kit and just bought a dutch army gortex(?) bivi bag for the cold wet winter nights...Im on a small budget and still biulding a new selection of kit for traveling light....
any one got any advice or misgivins about ex mil gear :biggthump

 

[johnboy]

Hi,

Army Surplus Kit can be excellent you have to be discerning in what you pick. The Dutch army Bivy bag for example is better than anything issued to the UK forces.

British army issue Goretex clothing is OK it depends which version you have. The US issue Goretex Jacket Is superb if you can find one here in the UK at a decent price.

Militray Kit is usually built for strength and length of service life rather than weight and pack size.

cheers

John

 

[Great Pebble]

Depends on what the kit is, some of it's a bit brutal, some of it's plain crap, some of it's alright. very, very little, if any of it is brilliant. Although some of it is extremely good for what you'll pay for it.

The British Army Gore-Tex suit is very basic waterproof gear, quantum leap for squaddies, stone age in comparison to what's on the high street. Keeps you dry though and doesn't require a mortgage to buy.

I'm rather dubious about running round clad head to toe in DPM though.

Nick in Belfast

 

[EdS]

wher did you get the Dutch bivi bag?

 

[larry the spark]

I recently acquired a pair of grade1 pro boots on ebay for a very reasonable price (sub £40 inc pp). You have to keep your eye on them though as they go for alot more...I got pipped at the post a couple of times before I won a bid at a reasonable price. I think I'm right in saying these are the British Army cold/wet weather issue boots. They are Goretex and thinsulate lined and very cosy.... no leaks yet and they appear to be a very hard wearing boot. I'm very happy with them :biggthump

 

[PC2K]

i got a dutch army bivy, it's HEAVY and BIG, has a velcro closure in the middle going half way and sleeves on the botom for a sleeping pad. For the other owners, how does this thing compair to MUCH lighter civi bivy's, i have seen 500 Gram bivy's, which cost about the same and are MUCH lighter...

 

[PEDRO]

wher did you get the Dutch bivi bag?

stringtown suplies....

 

[Chopper]

If you want good quality American surplus then give Rick a call on
01760-337897.
All his kit is genuine and mostly new, and cheap wow.

 

[Adi007]

To be honest i'm not that impressed by the lightweight bivvy bags aimed at civvys. They just seem too delicate for my liking. I have tried a few but always felt like i was ready to do a "hulk" out of the bottom or the sides . The military bags are not only cheaper but tougher. :-D . I never feel worried about thorns or stone damage.

i got a dutch army bivy, it's HEAVY and BIG, has a velcro closure in the middle going half way and sleeves on the botom for a sleeping pad. For the other owners, how does this thing compair to MUCH lighter civi bivy's, i have seen 500 Gram bivy's, which cost about the same and are MUCH lighter...

 

[Adi007]

Bottom of the bag that is! :shock:

...always felt like i was ready to do a "hulk" out of the bottom or the sides

 

[Great Pebble]

:shock: Stringtown's prices..... These folks are not cheap!

Couldn't find the Dutch Bivi on their website, was it expensive??

Nick in Belfast

 

[Adi007]

Try http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/ ... Jasper has some good prices there.

 

[ditchfield]

How does the Brit army bivi compare to the Dutch one, or any other for that matter? Is it Goretex? I've been wanting to get one of these for ages but keep putting it off. And its only £50 compared to about £200+ for civvi ones and £90 for the dutch one in my local surplus shop.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i have used both british and uS goretex gear and have been very pleased with both especially the US gear.

Uk gear tends to be more robust and more basic.

US gear tends to be designed a little more with comfort in mind, i had a standard US goretex parka with snow skirt and arm pit zips!
stuff usually only found on expensive civilian stuff.

whilst i worked in an outdoor shop we had visits from company reps(representatives), i asked the Berghuas rep about army versus civilian gear, he said that army gear is more breathable!! :shock: :shock:

he said that UK army issue goretex is on par with goretex XCR!

so if you don't mind the colour they are a bargain!

do always wash and proof before use!

difficult to check but one disadvantage of surplus gear is that it may be damaged, a popular ones being:

1: the actual goretex membrane is worn through.
2: there may be tiny holes in the elbow and front area due to crawling.
3: check for sewing repairs, if so discard!!!!!
4: the tape (on the seams) has come away.
5: paint, oil, glue, carpet tape, is still atatched (yes i have seen it!)
6: has been ironed/burned!
7: the worst of all, the soldier as a quick fix has reproofed the jacket with a silicon or wax spray, you will only find this out when you start sweating like mad!

as a side note, after buying my US jacket, with out my knowledge i had a annoyed person watching me, the shop i bought it from had taken it from a guy that had been lent the jacket, the owner saw me walking in town with it! and wanted it back! he didn't get it back! :twisted:

friendly advice:

really inspect the stuff before you buy!

and don't forget it's the same as any other shop you can return it if you are not happy!

 

[Great Pebble]

With reference to British issue bivi bags, the old issue green one is gore-tex, the newer DPM varieties are another brand MVP material. Don't think there's much to choose between them though.


Nick in Belfast

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

MVP meaning "moisture vapour permiable = breathable!

i would go as far as saying not as good as "goretex" but nowerdays theres not too much difference!

funny really alot of people on my outdoor instructor course, have started mentioning that thier "gucci" £300+ jackets get wet inside!

it's condensation, basically goretex is very breathable XCR even better but it comes nowhere near human skin!

fact is wheather you spend £20 or £500 the breathable material still will not shift all the water!

fair enough the more expensive will work better but not perfectly!

if you buy army surplus gear, (possible problems accepted) if you get a good one, they will work just the same as a civilian jacket worth many times the price.

it all depends on the state of the material!

but to answer the question simply:

MVP is close but not the cigar!

 

[Mikey P]

One more thing to note about UK mil goretex: no pockets!!!

If you want pockets, get the US stuff (nearly managed to get some in Baghdad but the guy wanted more than I could afford to swap for it. Got a desert field jacket and S&W tanto tac knife instead though....both impressive).

In case you're wondering, the reason that there are no pockets is - and I hope I'm not teaching anyone to suck eggs here - because you are supposed to wear them under your field jacket. This saves having to move everything from your field jacket pockets and also - fundamentally - is much quiter as the goretex is on the inside. Yes, your field jacket does get wet but, hey-ho ......

So, if you are worried about looking 'a bit too army' in DPM goretex, wear a lighter cotton smock or something over the top.

 

[bushwacker bob]

you got to have pockets! My jacket is like a constant mini rucksac attatched to my back! pockets always have knife,string, firestick, tinder spare lighter and tobacco and papers and loose change and bits of hay the odd bar of chocolate....................... :!:

 

[gurushaun]

Arktis also sell a basic MVP fabric liner for smocks, I'm thinking of getting one for under my windproof smock. Using it as a liner also means that you can put it on if your smock is wet and you want to stay warm as it dries in the wind, wearing MVPas a liner also cuts down on the problems with sparks. SASS Also sell an adapted Dutch Army Liner too.

Cheers

Shaun

Shaun

 

[Great Pebble]

No pockets in a British Goretex 'cos it's supposed to be worn under your smock...no, really :-?

I managed to pick up an Irish Army breathable suit just before Christmas. It's a quite pleasing plain green. The jacket has pockets, the trousers have slits to reach your ordinary trouser pockets.

It's badged as being made of "Cyclone" and seems to work fine. It has the added bonus of being extremely attractive to people who collect uniforms and such....

Nick in Belfast