Whats with the military gear?

[Florida-Mike]

iam the 1000th poster haha

i love surplus gear. my favorite thing i have is the usmc combat tent,or my goretex gear

[Madcow]

Originally Posted by Florida-Mike

iam the 1000 poster

Your the shizzle.

[Xxpatrickxx]

Originally Posted by Florida-Mike

iam the 1000th poster haha

i love surplus gear. my favorite thing i have is the usmc combat tent,or my goretex gear

Post #1001 actually but hey who cares right ?

[TDFbound]

I enjoy the civilian-produced military-type gear- your choice of natural colors /camo, generally more durable than "camping" gear but heavier, and I find it to suit my needs quite well. The gear is top quality regardless of who you compare it to (with a few notable exceptions).

[Jagaang]

Originally Posted by angeryamerican

If you like that other gear great, buy it use it, just dont knock other folks that do, no matter their reason. Be it for the Tacticoolness, or because they simply cannot afford to lay out $250 for a pack. I personally am a gear snob. I buy the absolute best I can afford, and seldom settle. But I dont look down my nose at anyone wearing good old woodland BDU's and wearing an old 80's LBE if that is what they want to.

I couldn't agree more. To each his own.

That said, IMHO, in the hours and days following a zero hour situation, a lone guy in military gear will stand out if seen, as much or more than someone on civilian color schemes. He looks prepared...he must have food and water on him...and weapons...and now he's a target.

I believe in security through obscurity. My movement gear is as nondescript as possible. No camo. Rust, brown, some green, and some black (all the best I can afford). No visible weapons. Just a dude with bag and some gear, moving out. Not worth a second look.

[Jarocal]

Originally Posted by Jagaang

I believe in security through obscurity. My movement gear is as nondescript as possible. No camo. Rust, brown, some green, and some black (all the best I can afford). No visible weapons. Just a dude with bag and some gear, moving out. Not worth a second look.

If it truly is TEOTWAWKI, some is gonna wanna know what you have in the. At regardless of it's color. There will be people feeling that ambushing you is worth it to take whatever may be in your pockets without you carrying a pack. Especially if your "just a dude". It's not the guy you see that you have to worry about, it's his buddy making his way to your six, or the other one in a ghillie suit with a deer rifle 100 meters away. I agree an overstuffed ALICE will scream "supplies" but not much more loudly than any other container.

[Marineguy]

Just came across this thread, it's old but probably needs to be resurrected. Dollar for dollar surplus can't be beat in today's bad times. It offers a newbie an option to start without spending a lot of money and having to research what is good. It's tough durable and used in horrible conditions as a test. I'd like to see the "middle of the road" civilian counter-parts to the surplus take 13 weeks of Parris Island. In the 70's, Parris Island was issuing WWII gear for recruits. 30 year old field gear, probably gone through WWII and Korean war and STILL being useful. Well if that wasn't a good enough test, nothing is. Honest opinion from all.

Take any civilian $150 pack from 1983, put it through 10 years of Marine Corps Boot Camp (almost 1000 different recruits), let it go to the Gulf war in the 90's and then through Iraq and then Afghanistan and come back here to be used for camping and survival. Would it make it?

[thecyclops]

LOL!!! Crap? Absolutely not... Heavy? 100%.
I love military gear(some of it) but I have both.When Im going camping,hiking I take my lightweight stuff but I do have a few military things that are "bomb proof"so to speak that blends in well,will take a beating but...Its heavy.In a bugout situation,I take the military stuff hands down,plus if you have full military(militant)gear people tend to avoid you vs wearing a bright yellow wind breaker from REI o.O

[SirThrivalist]

Here's a great example.

I have a USMC ILBE pack.

I thought about trying recreational/expedition grade packs.None'll cut it for me because I plan to carry tools with me.
So, I've come across Eberlestock, Kifaru and Mystery Ranch. Eberlestock floats my boat the most so that's going to
be my next pack for sure

Now, their Destroyer V69 pack is damn near identical to my ILBE (which I plan to use as a winter pack)
except that it comes in a lighter grade of Cordura (420D VS 725D for the ILBE) and it's a good 2lbs lighter.
Features-wise, it has front panel access and separate access to the sleeping bag section in the bottom. Cost?
ONLY $370. For some, that might be a lot, but IMO, with my research it's actually a great value. Sure, I have
an ILBE that is 3/4's of what the Destroyer V69 is, but the features alone make the Eberlestock worth it.

Would I pay $400. for a new ILBE today? No. It's a 10 year old design. I'd consider paying $400. for a new
USMC Mountain Pack (made by Mystery Ranch) for sure, but it's a modern pack. 10 years ago, the ILBE was
at the cutting edge of military pack technology. For $100. or so, you will not find a better pack for what it was
designed for (heavy duty use). It's ludicrous for anyone to compare an ILBE to a modern civilian pack for features.
But the value of the ILBE cannot be deined. Even at 8lbs 10oz, even though it doesn't have full access through a front
panel or access to the sleeping bag section, it is still undeniably a great pack with a ton of features in it's own right.
If I had to bug out with my ILBE and I was stuck with it as my last pack, I'd be totally content & satisfied with it.

Replacing it for my winter pack doesn't make sense to me. If I ever did, it'd be for 2 simple things...the access options.
Really. That's it. It's not that much more better than the ILBE for what I need. Again, in size and in most features, they
are dang near identical. BUT, I still want the Destroyer ANYWAY!






I'll be going with Eberlestock's Terminator Pack for a 3-Season Pack.

[Keyser Söze]

I've used both, mostly military. I've switched to outdoor store for a few reason; first military stuff encourages me to overpack; second it is heavy; third it is not obscure in the least. When I see someone on the trail in camo a lot of assumptions pop into my mind. I remember the person, where I saw them, what they looked like etc. I don't want people remembering me at all.

[arizonafusilier]

(sigh)........One more time...with feeling.

People will not be instantly starving in the opening hours, or days, of a SHTF scenario. They will be looting Walmart and Best Buy.

If, when the time comes that people will be desperate enough to waylay travellers for whatever they might be carrying, you are not going to get a "pass" because you have a Kelly Green Jansport pack instead of a mean ol' camo pack.

Please gang, give that a little thought, will ya?

[Keyser Söze]

I hope your comment wasn't directed at me;I said no such thing. Military stuff does draw attention though.

[SirThrivalist]

Originally Posted by Keyser Söze

I hope your comment wasn't directed at me;I said no such thing. Military stuff does draw attention though.

So does non-military stuff. The wolves will bypass healthy looking prey (i.e. someone who looks like they could be strapped)
and prefer weaker looking prey (i.e. recreational campers). It all depends on who the wolf is and who the prey is. The Rec
looking camper might be a billy bad-arse while the Mil looking camper might be a wimp. But it's all about odds. What are the
odds that this scenario is likely? In my experience? Not likely at all. Usually, guys who carry mil gear are a bit rougher around
the edges than those who carry rec looking gear. Mil gear might attract the kind of attention one would want like
"Don't Tread On Me" while Rec gear might attract the attention one wouldn't want like "I'm Easy."



When I'm out and about in the woods, there are two things I want to be.
Either invisible or found. I want it to be my choice which is which. I prefer invisible.

[jronwood]

MAN, that is a nice looking pack,....I have been out of the "loop" for 10-12 years, kids, house, etc..... My monster is an old Osprey around 100 cubes. I LIKE that Eberlestock pack..... Thanks Jronwood

[Madcow]

Originally Posted by SirThrivalist

So does non-military stuff. The wolves will bypass healthy looking prey (i.e. someone who looks like they could be strapped)
and prefer weaker looking prey (i.e. recreational campers). It all depends on who the wolf is and who the prey is. The Rec
looking camper might be a billy bad-arse while the Mil looking camper might be a wimp. But it's all about odds. What are the
odds that this scenario is likely? In my experience? Not likely at all. Usually, guys who carry mil gear are a bit rougher around
the edges than those who carry rec looking gear. Mil gear might attract the kind of attention one would want like
"Don't Tread On Me" while Rec gear might attract the attention one wouldn't want like "I'm Easy."

If you look like a guy carrying a bunch of stuff, you are a target, as you have stuff, and bad guys want stuff. My stuff doubles as my recreational gear so this needs to not stick WAYYYY off my back, the shoulder and waist straps need to be thick and wide, and I like the weight on my hips. In short, I want comfort over gorilla proof. I also dont want subdued colors. The likely hood of me being in a SHTF long hike where I need to hide is low. If I bust my leg of what ever while out I want my stuff to stand out like a turd in a punch bowl so I get found fast. If I want to hush the color, I need ol=nly wrap my pack in my poncho liner. Then its woodland cammo.

[Keyser Söze]

My point wasn't being attacked, though I think the odds are higher when in military gear and seen as a threat. I also prefer invisible, hence my comments. Anything out of the ordinary sticks out. When I do my regular hiking anyone in military gear I remember for days. Time, look, gear, speed, face, camo pattern.....all the regular joes blend together. In a shtf scenario it's antibodies guess, but that want what I was commenting on

[SirThrivalist]

Originally Posted by Keyser Söze

My point wasn't being attacked, though I think the odds are higher when in military gear and seen as a threat. I also prefer invisible, hence my comments. Anything out of the ordinary sticks out. When I do my regular hiking anyone in military gear I remember for days. Time, look, gear, speed, face, camo pattern.....all the regular joes blend together. In a shtf scenario it's antibodies guess, but that want what I was commenting on

Sorry. I pretty much always respond with the survival mindset when I post.

[SirThrivalist]

Originally Posted by Madcow

If you look like a guy carrying a bunch of stuff, you are a target, as you have stuff, and bad guys want stuff. My stuff doubles as my recreational gear so this needs to not stick WAYYYY off my back, the shoulder and waist straps need to be thick and wide, and I like the weight on my hips. In short, I want comfort over gorilla proof. I also dont want subdued colors. The likely hood of me being in a SHTF long hike where I need to hide is low. If I bust my leg of what ever while out I want my stuff to stand out like a turd in a punch bowl so I get found fast. If I want to hush the color, I need ol=nly wrap my pack in my poncho liner. Then its woodland cammo.

"Stuff" could be a nice artificially fueled camping stove and digital camera.
Or "stuff" could be a Glock 19. No one really knows, but which one of the
two do you think would be carrying the easy-bake oven and which would
be packin' 15 rounds?



Eberlestock has an awesome pack rain cover.
Camouflage on one side, Blaze Orange on the other.
I'd rather swing both ways at will, than one way all the time.

[Madcow]

Originally Posted by SirThrivalist

"Stuff" could be a nice artificially fueled camping stove and digital camera.
Or "stuff" could be a Glock 19. No one really knows, but which one of the
two do you think would be carrying the easy-bake oven and which would
be packin' 15 rounds?



Eberlestock has an awesome pack rain cover.
Camouflage on one side, Blaze Orange on the other.
I'd rather swing both ways at will, than one way all the time.

You dont pack an easy bake ? I thought everyone carried the easy bake.

I like that cover. I do see your point though. I did my time with the ALICE, and decided I was ready for softer stuff. But, I like all the different pouches and bags that were made to hold grenades, magazines, tools, what ever. Some of it is just to dang handy not to use, or at least think about using.

[the gambler]

Put yourself in this scenario.

Your in the "woods" and your hungry and unprepared.

Now you see 2 people walking.

Person 1: Carrying a nice kelty pack thats stuffed and nice and big, BUT they are carrying (pick one) an ar or ak or m1 or whatever. Would you attack said person to get them supplies???

Person 2: Carrying mostly if not all mil spec and it's stuffed also. All you see is maybe a sidearm. Would you attack said person to get them supplies???

I don't think it really matters what gear they're carrying but what WEAPONS they're carrying.

Remember, your the BAD guy ( whether you are or not) and you need supplies and whatever.