British army to sell surplus online
- Thread starter anthonyyy
- Start date
anthonyyy said:
Interesting. A big fuss was made about the MOD selling their entire fleet of Series III Land Rovers direct to the public a few years ago. Unfortunately, there were no bargains as the MOD appointed an agent who knew exactly what the trucks were worth and charged full retail for everything, ie the same as a normal dealer.
I hope they employ a less shrewd agent this time.
They would have to be shrewd to the level of estate agents to sell some of the tat we get issued! I could probably come up with a maximum of 15 items of kit that would be desirable to the extent that they would charge a premium for whilst the rest of the 'pre-enjoyed' kit would probably be sourced off e-bay cheaper.
There are a few surplus shops on line that already do competitive pricing and i recon HM gov would either,
a) look into it and decide it's already a competitive market and not bother,
b) put a 'stealth tax' on DPM clothing and surplus and the trading thereof to get rid of the competition,
c) buy decent clothing and equipment so as to retain price and saleability after it's issue life, or
d) do as the Colonials (sorry America) and change their camoflage pattern every couple of years! (a bit Man Utd dont you think?)
There are a few surplus shops on line that already do competitive pricing and i recon HM gov would either,
a) look into it and decide it's already a competitive market and not bother,
b) put a 'stealth tax' on DPM clothing and surplus and the trading thereof to get rid of the competition,
c) buy decent clothing and equipment so as to retain price and saleability after it's issue life, or
d) do as the Colonials (sorry America) and change their camoflage pattern every couple of years! (a bit Man Utd dont you think?)
Jedadiah said:
Hi Jed,
Just out of interest, what would those 15 or so, items be?
Best regards,
Paul.
PS: this isn't a trick question resulting in my 'arguing the toss' for an indefinite period of time, I'm genuinely curious for an informed opinion
Hey Greenman,
obviously a list is objective, however i think the following items would be worth buying if HM Gov were to sell surplus but most of these items probably would'nt be for sale or would be available from other sources.
1. Bivvy sheet
2. Gortex Bivvy Bag
3. SAS/Arctic windproof smock
4. trousers to match the above
5. Cold weather boots (the Lowa copies ar'nt bad)
6. Laplander folding saw (NSN 5110-25-147-4344) Yes, it's the one you can buy, Bahco i think.
7. Camelbak 3L
8. Silva Compass
9. Gaiters
10. Headover (tube type)
11. Gortex gloves
12. Dewliner
13. charcoal stick handwarmers
14. Aircrew rollneck t-shirts and aircrew socks
15. welders coveralls/boiler suit
You may be surprised by a couple of these choices and yes, admittedly, there may be a few more items if i really, really think about it, but i think these are probably of most use to bushcrafters.
With regards to the boiler suit at the end, i have a pair that have been washed a million times and they are as soft as fleecy pyjamas. They are just the thing to wear if your kit is wet/dirty/both and you've been walking all day, just slip into your boiler suit, warm up next to the fire and then crawl into your sleeping bag (i favour Snugpak as the issue ones are too bulky).
I hope that list is ok and would like to know if anyone can think of any additions!
obviously a list is objective, however i think the following items would be worth buying if HM Gov were to sell surplus but most of these items probably would'nt be for sale or would be available from other sources.
1. Bivvy sheet
2. Gortex Bivvy Bag
3. SAS/Arctic windproof smock
4. trousers to match the above
5. Cold weather boots (the Lowa copies ar'nt bad)
6. Laplander folding saw (NSN 5110-25-147-4344) Yes, it's the one you can buy, Bahco i think.
7. Camelbak 3L
8. Silva Compass
9. Gaiters
10. Headover (tube type)
11. Gortex gloves
12. Dewliner
13. charcoal stick handwarmers
14. Aircrew rollneck t-shirts and aircrew socks
15. welders coveralls/boiler suit
You may be surprised by a couple of these choices and yes, admittedly, there may be a few more items if i really, really think about it, but i think these are probably of most use to bushcrafters.
With regards to the boiler suit at the end, i have a pair that have been washed a million times and they are as soft as fleecy pyjamas. They are just the thing to wear if your kit is wet/dirty/both and you've been walking all day, just slip into your boiler suit, warm up next to the fire and then crawl into your sleeping bag (i favour Snugpak as the issue ones are too bulky).
I hope that list is ok and would like to know if anyone can think of any additions!
Wouldn't suprise me if they don't sell it off in bulk loads, I know they've done that in the past with the vehicles (30 LR's at a time).
There was the cooks trailer that seemed pretty good, and the BV, but both are a little too bulky for bushcrafters really! I liked the old petrol No 1 and No 2 stoves, can't remember which but one of them was basically a petrol fired rocket motor!TobyH said:
The only stuff we used that was portable was the hexi cooker and mess tins, I never even saw the metal mugs issued, only bought by the lads
I have read elsewhere that the Surplus will be sold here:
http://www.edisposals.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/Disposals-Public-Site/-/-/-/Default-Start
source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/19/mod_flogs_surplus/
hope it helps
http://www.edisposals.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/Disposals-Public-Site/-/-/-/Default-Start
source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/19/mod_flogs_surplus/
hope it helps
anthonyyy said:
I am pretty sure that they are etrol only...The No1 was a smallish single burner unit while the No2 had 2 burners...Neither were exactly "lightweight"..
Always wanted a BV for my vehicle and there was also some sort of petrol driven water heater the cooks used which heated up water by the dustbin full...I think it was about the only servicable items we salvaged from the Blue Streak programe!
The yankee boiler, how could I forget about those?! We had a discussion about them a while ago, it goes a little off topicPete E said:I am pretty sure that they are etrol only...The No1 was a smallish single burner unit while the No2 had 2 burners...Neither were exactly "lightweight"..
Always wanted a BV for my vehicle and there was also some sort of petrol driven water heater the cooks used which heated up water by the dustbin full...I think it was about the only servicable items we salvaged from the Blue Streak programe!
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=255867
The petrol burners I was thinking of, "a petrol fired rocket", were used by the chefs only. You dug a trench and put a metal hotplate on top then buried this(what can only be described as a petrol rocket engine, or maybe flamethrower!) cooker at the end you pumped it up and lit it and a flame roared along the trench, low simmer at one end and melt your pots at the other. I thought that was a No1 burner and the briefcase petrol stove, there were two sizes single and double, were called No2(and possibly No3 or 4?)burners?
The trailer they got later was a little safer to use, but that worked mainly on propane with a conversion for petrol and/or parafin.
Jedadiah said:
I quite like the 'Too Cute To Shoot' digicam! If they did a proper smock, it would be a good clothing set up as it's actually quite well thought through (good ergonomic pockets, reinforcement where it's needed, elbow/knee pad sleeves, etc). My US army mate's getting me some of the trousers which I think are excellent. The Canadian foces green pattern is probably more suitable for UK than the blue-brown US Army kit.
I know what you mean about the Man U thing: the USAF don't want to get left behind and so have started issuing a new digicam BDU set to their people. Unfortunately, it's a different pattern than the army one so it's going to cost more! Why don't they just have a common uniform like the UK as it would save them a fortune?
Sadly, I think I'm turning into a cam spotter...
Jedadiah said:
I'd add the infantry bergen + side pouches and yolk. It looks very 'military' (funnily enough) but is big and robust. Pouches useful for day sacks.
Depends on how you want to be perceived but, if you're buying all the rest of your kit military surplus, it probably won't bother you.
Yeah, the bergan is alright with the side pouch's, i like them in green rather than DPM (a little less NATO potatoe!) We were issued Berghaus Roc's and Crusaders in Gulf War One and they were squaddie proof but the Olive green issue ones can be bought for next to nothing on the 'Bay of Evil' now-a-days.
BV206 is a mighty piece of kit, bullet proof if maintained properly, but that is from an age when we bought things that were made up to a standard rather than down to a price! Mercedes engine, ZF gearbox etc, just be careful with the track changes!
As for cooking equipment, you can get numbers for the Trangia stove and some of the SFSG are being issued MSR, Peak and Primus stoves, but they've got to buy the gas themselves! That'll be them using Hexi burners then! I've got nothing against mess tins either, just try not to be tempted by the non-stick ones. Metal mugs are a god send
What i am saying is, it's a shame but i can see the surplus dept selling things that some units need but cannot get hold of as well as second hand CS95 jackets.
Talking of which, the new clothing contract has been given to a company in Ireland, who, i have been led to believe, have sub-contracted out to a company in China. The CS95 combat jacket is a good case in point as well as the new fiels jacket. The CS95 jacket is no longer ripstop and seems to be made of the same material as the old '80's' jacket (soaks up more water than a pair of knitted trunks) and the new field jacket design is based on the windproof (attached hood etc) but the attention to detail is shocking. For instance, all the chest pockets are no longer slanted inward (to facilitate entry from the opposing hand) and you would be lucky to get an Ikea pencil in the pen pocket!
A lot of surplus can be adapted or are suitable for bushcraft uses; my previous list omitted the Golok Machete so i'll take that on the chin (not literally) but rather than take things on face value, i've modified my equipment (operational and bushcraft) through learning from people with experience. I've learnt so much in the short time i've been reading the posts on Bushcraft UK, i'm considering an extention on my brain (planning permission pending).
The Colonial 'Digicam' is available in woodland as well as desert. 'Marpat' is short for 'Marine Pattern' (designed for US Marine Corps) and has miniture 'Globe and Anchor' shapes discreetly added to the pattern. 'Ze Chermanss' have also come up with a modified type of their 'Flecktarn' camoflage pattern, which is nice. Typical German high quality, thats probably why some of us use Pinz Gauer vehicles (or are they Austrian?) and the fact that we had to get Heckler Unt Kock to put our beloved assault weapon right for us (why didnt we just buy the G36?).
Answers on a postcard please.................
BV206 is a mighty piece of kit, bullet proof if maintained properly, but that is from an age when we bought things that were made up to a standard rather than down to a price! Mercedes engine, ZF gearbox etc, just be careful with the track changes!
As for cooking equipment, you can get numbers for the Trangia stove and some of the SFSG are being issued MSR, Peak and Primus stoves, but they've got to buy the gas themselves! That'll be them using Hexi burners then! I've got nothing against mess tins either, just try not to be tempted by the non-stick ones. Metal mugs are a god send
What i am saying is, it's a shame but i can see the surplus dept selling things that some units need but cannot get hold of as well as second hand CS95 jackets.
Talking of which, the new clothing contract has been given to a company in Ireland, who, i have been led to believe, have sub-contracted out to a company in China. The CS95 combat jacket is a good case in point as well as the new fiels jacket. The CS95 jacket is no longer ripstop and seems to be made of the same material as the old '80's' jacket (soaks up more water than a pair of knitted trunks) and the new field jacket design is based on the windproof (attached hood etc) but the attention to detail is shocking. For instance, all the chest pockets are no longer slanted inward (to facilitate entry from the opposing hand) and you would be lucky to get an Ikea pencil in the pen pocket!
A lot of surplus can be adapted or are suitable for bushcraft uses; my previous list omitted the Golok Machete so i'll take that on the chin (not literally) but rather than take things on face value, i've modified my equipment (operational and bushcraft) through learning from people with experience. I've learnt so much in the short time i've been reading the posts on Bushcraft UK, i'm considering an extention on my brain (planning permission pending).
The Colonial 'Digicam' is available in woodland as well as desert. 'Marpat' is short for 'Marine Pattern' (designed for US Marine Corps) and has miniture 'Globe and Anchor' shapes discreetly added to the pattern. 'Ze Chermanss' have also come up with a modified type of their 'Flecktarn' camoflage pattern, which is nice. Typical German high quality, thats probably why some of us use Pinz Gauer vehicles (or are they Austrian?) and the fact that we had to get Heckler Unt Kock to put our beloved assault weapon right for us (why didnt we just buy the G36?).
Answers on a postcard please.................
Wonderful posts, Jed.
I'd give you some Rep (Reputation points), but the system has recently been taken down due to some sort of scandal.
Maximum Rep to you (this will have to substitute)!
Best regards,
Paul.
PS: this place is a lot friendlier than arrse, isn't it?
PPS: I have read arrse from time to time, never posted (I'm a civilian) I'd hate to be thought of as some sort of 'fifth columnist' or God forbid, a Walt (even worse?)
I'd give you some Rep (Reputation points), but the system has recently been taken down due to some sort of scandal.
Maximum Rep to you (this will have to substitute)!
Best regards,
Paul.
PS: this place is a lot friendlier than arrse, isn't it?
PPS: I have read arrse from time to time, never posted (I'm a civilian) I'd hate to be thought of as some sort of 'fifth columnist' or God forbid, a Walt (even worse?)
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