I have been a Marine for almost 8 years and I have seen my fair share of Military gear come and go. We have changed everything from our uniforms (good idea) to our personal equipment (bad idea). I see so many people post on this site and others about how they want “milspec this” or “milspec that” and I wonder, why? I have not been impressed with much military gear until very recently. Very recently the Marines have purchased cold weather gear that is worth its weight, which by the way is light. But I am still not too impressed with most Mil Spec gear when I compare it to off the shelf civilian gear with regards to durability, comfort, etc. Now I know, some of you are saying, well it’s made by the lowest bidder, and I know that. Why then, is there such an interest in military surplus when it is so over priced on the civilian market? For a few dollars more, you can get something made by a company that specializes in outdoor equipment.

There are a few pieces of military gear that I like, namely 550 cord, signal mirrors, 100 mph tape, our sleeping bag, GORTEX rain gear, and my howitzers (which I cannot take home.) But for the most part, most of it, if it is not a weapon or some sort of NBC gear, it is not worth it.

I know lots of Marines that augment or replace their issue gear with civilian stuff, and I am one of them. I just don’t know why there are so many people who want it.

I am not trying to be a dissenter from the ranks, but I think that some of my fellow service members would agree. There have been light speed improvements as of late, but those won’t hit the civilian market for a few years. I would be very interested to hear what my fellow service members have to say about this.

Garrett

This sailor whole heartedly agrees with you.Most personal Mil-Spec gear is junk <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />.I had a post on another thread on the survival fishing kit that said the same thing.Canteen cups and rain ponchos are the most versatile equipment we carry.
Most every thing else is either too heavy and over built(E-tools) or just plane cheap(flashlights,heavy and cheap). I too augment my gear with civilian essentials.I believe this causes
change for the better.Albeit slow but necessary. I just wish the active duty service men didn't have to pay so much for good reliable gear they need.

I agree whole heartedly. What a piece of crap the standard ALICE pack is for instance. Up on hackworth's site they have a very good AAR of how equipment fared during Iraq. The AAR also points out how much equipment servicemembers buy out of pocket.

When I was in, we all purchased our own boots, though I have heard that the Matterhorn boots the Corp issues are fairly good.

A total of 27 years active duty US Army over the entire spectrum of threat - I retired in August '98. I'm not sure if I agree or disagree with you... in any event, the first thing is that we try to carry entirely too much gear. I used to jump with gear that nearly equaled my body weight - not including the 'chutes. This overburden has been widely documented, particularly during and immediately after WWII... I can elaborate at length, but for the armchair generals, look at the images of Soldiers and Marines deployed to active theaters - not riding around in Bradleys and Amtracs, but patroling on foot (espec. Afganistan).

The answer is not to make the gear somehow lighter (a good idea if done well), but to reduce the amount of gear. I learned to get by with a lot less gear in very cold weather than the system believes is needed - gee, the Germans learned to do that in Russia in WWII (the hard way) - it's not new. I learned to get by in extraordinarily hot conditions without shelter and "creature comforts". Is it as comfortable as having all the stuff? Heck no! But one adapts - hardship is relative.

There is some great gear in service. There is some worthless gear. But mostly there is too darned much gear.

Nyco uniforms are unappreciated until one spends some serious extended time out with lesser clothing. The present issue canteen cup is a very good and useful gadget, despite its weight. And so on... when it comes to individual equipment, I don't place much stock in the idea that somehow military gear should be a whole lot different than civvie stuff.

And probably any 10 soldiers/marines will come up with 15 different ideas of what is "best" - just as we all have preferences...

Guess I agree in principle with you.

Regards,

Tom

Most of our gear is junk, I agree, the only gear that I like is the canteen cup, and poncho, and the etool, 550 cord. You mentioned you liked the sleeping bag, it is much, much, too heavy for the warmth. It is supposed to be good to something like -30, I froze my rear off in the high desert at about +15, with the bag fully assembled. I am willing to carry the exta weight of the etool it is handy and indestructable. The main problem with military gear is the military has to get the cheapest, and most durable, and functional gear that can be found and that is a tall order. The new Marine boots are great, I have been told, I am in the Army. I have been deployed for 10 months and have destroyed three pairs of army desert boots.
Gear that I bought with my own money that I carry in my ruck, an msr pot with lid, homemade soda can stove, listerine bottle of fuel, fleece sleeping bag liner, I like it better than the issue poncho liner. Black hawk holster, the issue one is junk, along with the berreta in it, first aid kit, and surefire z2 with spare lamp and battery carrier, I get batteries through supply, last but not least benchmade AFCK.

Things that I hate that I haven't mentioned, the alice pack, army desert boots, military plugger/GPS, canteens, I like camelbacks. And biggest hate of all no decent issue knife. I am sure I will think of other things, but thats all for now. Chris

With me, it depends on the "Mil-Spec". For instance, I really like if my radios meet Mil-810 (C-D-E). Nothing in there about how well the radio works, but depending on what sections of the spec are covered, I know exactly how waterproof/shockproof/vibrationproof it is (Believe it or not, LESS so for Revs D and E, because I don't know how they decided the vibration spectrum and SRS). But then again, I know how that testing is done. As for the rest of "Mil Spec" - I do like field jackets, and always have - for comfort, NOT performance.

AKA, I can draw the distiction between something the military BUYS and something that meets a particular "Mil Spec". Somethimes the spec is a good STARTING point

I loved all my Army gear because it was free and I was young... But when I started growing up I realized that military issued is not really the hottest thing out there (acctually it is hot temperature wise). I slowly began replacing things I could with US Calvary and QB gear. Once I was all about not being seen, blend in, don't stand out type of person (infantry). Everythign had to be OD, Black or Camo.Now I don't longer care I shop and borrow freely gear from all over the place. I prefer my electronics to be made to military specs (radios, gps, watch) but without military weight and battery life.

I think biggest difference between mil and civ. gear is that issued gear will get you by. It's a neccesary minimum of comfort and protection that you need to have. Civilian gear depending on how much you are willing to pay will offer you maximum protection and comfort.

People love military gear because it looks official and should be the best. Just like I dreamed of M9 bayonet (before service) just to realize my SOG Gov't is a better knife for fraction of the price.

Matt

Well I am just happy to see that I am not alone. I have purchased quite a bit of civilian/milspec gear to replace my issue stuff, but if I had my choice I would dump most of what they gave me. Anyway, I am just glad to se that I am not alone.

Garrett