Factory New NATO Equipment?

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Due to the Corona virus crises I digged out during the last couple of month my old stuff, looked through it and cleaned it. And I found so incredibly much just by aging degraded civil equipment, that I currently tend to buy as good as nothing new anymore that isn't made according to NATO specifications.

Without any doubt one can make very good deals on the market for used military surplus equipment. But I am interested here especially in the question where we can buy as civil clients factory new equipment that is currently made according to the specifications of the NATO armies.

Who are the makers whith public accessible internet shop, and who are the in this kind of equipment specialising sellers?

If you can, please set in this thread here links directly to the internet shops of the makers. If not, please set the links to the specialised sellers.

Like this we enable the members of this forum to invest in an equipment that surely will last a life time.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
Well not sure about the spec but snugpak from UK has a military section on its website. No idea whether to any NATO spec or not though. Best described as tactical I suppose with patches and various attachment points on their jackets.

Snugpak military
 
  • Like
Reactions: Erbswurst

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,389
640
50
Wales

Big directory of a lot of UK military kit and who manufactures/provides it.
Not sure how complete or up to date it is, but can be useful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Erbswurst

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
I am unsure if it's issued, but the British made Snugpak Special Forces sleep system has a NATO stock number.
I use it a couple of years now regularly and I am very convinced about it.


My bivvy bag is Asian made, but has a NATO stock number too.

 
Last edited:

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
The Multimat NATO mat 10 XXL is the issued British army roll mat. For sure, I recently called them.


After Molan/Trecolan in Bremen went bankrupt and destroyed the machine that produced all original German Army foldable mats, Multimat seems to make a copy of it according to military specifications, that is for sure currently issued to the British Army parachute regiment.
I need to check out if it's really 100 % identic with the old German one, but it looks like it.

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MrEd

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Bundeswehr cuttlery kit by Relags,
In Germany sold in most outdoor shops



Not NATO, but surely good:
Swiss army cuttlery kit by Sola in Luzern
Ordonnanzbesteck
Interesting for the experienced bushcrafter is, that they attach just spoon and fork.


 
Last edited:
Apr 8, 2009
1,165
144
Ashdown Forest
After Molan/Trecolan in Bremen went bankrupt and destroyed the machine that produced all original German Army foldable mats, Multimat seems to make a copy of it according to military specifications, that is for sure currently issued to the British Army parachute regiment.
I need to check out if it's really 100 % identic with the old German one, but it looks like it.


I'd be very surprised if the folding mat is issued anywhere in the british forces to be honest - the general consensus after i used it for a week, and a few mates who were tempted to buy one as well (that temptation being largely driven by the possibility of hiding it inside a bergen) was that they were not really fit for purpose - simply too thin to be sufficiently insulating, and provided even less padding that a standard roll mat on hard standing. Perhaps good for a warm climate, but certainly not a temperate one in my book at least...
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Yes, the German mat is thin, usefull mainly in 3 seasons conditions. The freezing point in this case is the freezing A... point even with an issued German army sleeping bag like the Defence 4.

I talked to a very informed person at multimat. This mat is issued to British parachutists, they tend to shorten it to a torso mat instead of folding it in half, what would be an option to double the R-value.

But I admit that I don't think that they use it for winter camping in Scotland.
 
Last edited:

MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,148
1,053
Surrey/Sussex
www.thetimechamber.co.uk
I'd be very surprised if the folding mat is issued anywhere in the british forces to be honest - the general consensus after i used it for a week, and a few mates who were tempted to buy one as well (that temptation being largely driven by the possibility of hiding it inside a bergen) was that they were not really fit for purpose - simply too thin to be sufficiently insulating, and provided even less padding that a standard roll mat on hard standing. Perhaps good for a warm climate, but certainly not a temperate one in my book at least...

i use one under my bivi bag, I got the knockoff webtex one, and it’s waaay thin. I only use it as a sacrificial surface under my bivi, I use a decent mat inside the bivi (thinner thermorest in summer and a thick one in winter). I would not want to sleep on just the folding mat alone tbh
 
  • Like
Reactions: Erbswurst

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
I use it in Autumn until 0*C under Snugpak SF1 and its bivvy bag, wearing the clothing of the day (without the waterproofs) and it works for me.

But I don't recommend this set up to people who work in an office and live in a usual heated apartment for less than 5*C.

For civil recreational use without additional twigs under it or without an additional airmat over it the German army folding mat is a summer mat.
One can of course use two of them though or fold it in half to double it as a torso mat. This mat is compact to stow into the rucksack. It enables the stealth camper to carry a very small day pack that can't be detected so easily by others as a rucksack that contains a stealth camping equipment, while on the way to the woods.

And this mat is the back pillow for this currently in Germany by HEIM produced original German army / BW Jägerrucksack, 1000 Denier Cordura Nylon, that doesnt degrade by aging during minimum 40 years of use.
The here offered one is factory new.

 
Last edited:

Mowmow

Forager
Jul 6, 2016
237
130
Nottinghamshire
I have a bw folding sleeping mat.
Pretty sound for year round use here in the UK. Ive had cold nights in warm weather and ive had hot nights in cold weather...
It's pretty much down to your setup tbh.

Never understood folding it in half, it's better in my opinion to have all of your body insulated rather than just focus on your torso. Cold feet cold body n all that.
Your legs and extremities are just as important as your core, they get cold youll just pump cold blood back into your core.

Got the savotta FdF mat now though as i generally prefer bivvying on the ground these days. Over double the thickness and acts as a groundsheet.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: Erbswurst

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Folding sleeping mats aren't worth bothering with.

Get yourself a 3/4 inflating mat. Sleep with your feet in your rucksack.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
In my opinion air mats and campfires don't go well together.
Feet in a plastic rucksack cause condensation water isn't it?
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE