Army/Navy military surplus.

[gizamo]

I love shopping around in these supply stores. Great bargains in both US and foreign items. Picked up a Artic US canteen never issued for $14. All metal design, vacuum sealed stainless liner, nylon stopper with a retainer. It sits in a cup inside of the Alice cover.

Bet they had dozens of them. Wonder how much Uncle Sam paid?

Picked up a German shoulder gearbag, a new web belt, German utensils set, tent stake set....all for $35 bucks with the canteen

Man I love these shops....

 

[woodsltc]

When you can find a "good" Army/Navy surplus store they have lots of great things to find.....we have one in my area that has quality stuff...several others are mostly junk.

Best I've seen is in Denver, CO....we stop there every year on the way to our annual elk hunt. This place is a "hole in the wall" type store, but he has lots of useful and neat "stuff".

Don

 

[Gutpile Charlie]

When I was a kid, post WWII, my father took my to a real, mom and pop Army surplus store in Norman, Oklahoma called "Moonie"s". Now that was about 1947-1949 and I was seven to nine years old.

I got some really neat stuff....for next to nothing....and I wish I still had it all today.

First, I got one of the most desirable WWII vintage learther aviator helmets with the large, rubber ear phone pads. It was brand new. I wore it everywhere.....and finally wore it out.

Also got new B-3 aviator goggles, the old wool, OD aviator helmets with the gosport tubes going to the ears and the ear pads made out of genuine, women's powder puffs!

Also got all kinds of cartridge belts, pistol belts, canteens cup and covers, mess kits, etc.

One prize item was the container for an emergency, chest pack parachute, complete with the rip cord.

Anyone remember the old HS-33 earphones.....these were dynamic earphones and were used on a number of field radios. Also got the old T-17, gray, carbon microphone with the big, thumb button push to talk.

All of this stuff is gone now, just played with and used up.

One of the most rare things that I "used up" was a black plastic "parade" bayonet, a replica of the long bayonet used on the 1903 and the early M1s. I remember I gave 25 cents for it....brand new....and they had a barrel of them.

A few years back I saw one offer for sale on the internet for $250.00.

Wish I could have those things now!

 

[bummer]

I love shopping around in these supply stores. Great bargains in both US and foreign items. Picked up a Artic US canteen never issued for $14. All metal design, vacuum sealed stainless liner, nylon stopper with a retainer. It sits in a cup inside of the Alice cover.

Bet they had dozens of them. Wonder how much Uncle Sam paid?

Picked up a German shoulder gearbag, a new web belt, German utensils set, tent stake set....all for $35 bucks with the canteen

Man I love these shops....

As a former Artic trooper the canteen left a lot to be desired.The stopper would get pulled out and slop water down your leg,ok in the summer but it sucked in the winter

 

[anothermiller]

Got a nice surplus store not far from my home.They had vietnam issue tiger pattern us military used clothes. They made some fine turkey and squirrel hunting clothes to go trampling around in the woods.

Got a surplus boonie hat for varmiting.


Those sleeping bags and the arctic jackets, very comfy indeed.

 

[Engineer1911]

September 1967, the local K-Mart had a wood barrel full of 303 Enfield Jungle Carbines. Take your pick for $19.97. I was 18, had $55 in my pocket, and didn't get one -- stupid again.

In 1968 I bought a new GI web belt and bayonet scabbard for a $1.50 at the A/N surplus store. Still have it today as a tool belt. I have seen similar belts at gunshows for $75 in poorer condition.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Try Ebay. Tons of ALICE type gear, whatever wasn't given away as military aid, can be found at low prices. The Germans and Swiss over the last decade have also gotten rid of a pile of old gear.

Just remember to wash anything on hot, preferably at the laundrymat before use. American gear of older vintage was treated with copious amounts of DDT before storage as was the gear of other nations. Yeah, more or less harmless to humans in theory, but still... Later gear will often come treated with pyrethrin (sp?). When treating the stuff someone trained in pesticides has to supervise and there's lot of protective gear worn. Suggestive that maybe it's a wee bit toxic...

Eastern European stuff from the Cold War and Chinese gear... well you can speculate on what sorts of pesticides would be on their gear. Shrug.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I like the older military surplus, to me canvas and leather feels better than this new stuff made out of recycled pop bottles or whatever.

 

[mg357]

theres a nice military surplus store that i go to twice a month they also have one heck of a selection of s&w firearms.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I used to like the German and Austrian pants to x-country ski in, winter motorcycling, etc. All my old stuff has, uh, shrunk, however, just like a lot of my old riding gear, and current surplus sizes don't seem to run up to my range.

My favorite surplus accessory, however is a poncho liner. I prefer them in gold/tan or OD, but sometimes can only find them in camo. You can line your sleeping bag with one and stay warm many degrees cooler. More often, I find any sleeping bag too warm, and just sleep under the poncho liner, leaving the bag rolled up for a pillow. I'll often even sleep under one at home, if I find the wife's bed covers too hot and confining. I can even recall an occasion (in the distant past) when I offered my liner to a young lady around a chilly camp fire, and was well-rewarded by her gratitude.