Milsurp

>>808041
>Is military surplus generally the best value/quality ratio available?

Only if you're poor. You can cut with a sharp rock you'll find for free but we all buy knives.
Some mil surp is acceptable when on budget. Some isn't even that bad...
Most of it is sub par.

>>808041
Depends a lot on where you are. In the US there is lots of US gear, in sweden there is lots of sweet sweet swiss gear. Both cost more the farther you get from the point of origin.In the US you can get an Alice Pack used for $50-ish, new $90-ish.

>>808046
That's for activities where you actually carry the gear.
If you're just going camping or with limited weight, like day hikes, milsurp becomes a lot more acceptable.

>>808046

>we all buy knives

No you are just a knife collecting double faggot so you can roleplay going out

>>808049
I hike with a kitchen knife, anon.
I would buy a real knife, but gear is so expensive and so many things I still have on my wish list that actually limit my ability to do /out/ stuff. I was never hindered by my kitchen knife so far, so it stays.

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It is often cheaper, field proven, and replacement parts/ compatible accessories are easy to find for cheap. With US military surplus, there are gear "systems" they often include belts, chest rigs, and backpacks. The biggest downside of surps for me is weight/ bulk; they tend to be made out of heavier and bulkier materials than civilian gear. Pic is a USMC ILBE pack, which is a modified arcteryex for a fraction of the price, I use the attached daypack ALL the time and it has outperformed anything else I've tried.

Some is good but you have to remember it's made by the lowest bidder for pretty much cannon fodder.

>http://www.armyandoutdoors.co.nz/collections/hiking-packs/products/german-combat-rucksack

Opinions? This seems to be the best site for surplus here in NZ.

>>808047
>sweden there is lots of sweet sweet swiss gear
Topkek

>>808051
You would be hindered even less without it

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Molle is modular and made for a more hostile environment than civilian gear. Down side is the weight. Rucks made of cordura make for a nice long lasting pack, but heavy. Cut corners by removing what is not needed, that needs to be done by the end user. Bottom line, physical fitness will negate the stress that the weight on your back may cause. Your miles may every.

>>808051
Have you got a picture? Im genuinely curious as I thought about just using a filleting knife as my general out knife.

>>808069
Looks alright, couldnt vouch for comfort though, I know the packs the NZ army use were less thab comfortable when I had to carry them.

>>808069
That seems pretty overpriced, I got mine for $50 off of eBay but I live in the US so I'm not sure how much it'll cost you.

It's a pretty well made pack with lots of bells and whistles but it's a little on the big side unless you're doing trips longer than 3 days

It also has a folding sleeping mat that fits inside a pouch in the backpack that adds rigidity here.
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/bw-folding-sleeping-mat-surplus/1062?qref=folding

>>808047
>Alice Pack used for $50-ish, new $90-ish.

eh, you can get the PACK for that. most places sell the pack and frame separate, with the frame being a good $30.

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>>808165
You take that tacticool shit off my backpack

>>808041
maybe for backpacks and mess kits, but literally anything else is better civilian.

seriously, consider even a shitty Walmart tier tent compared to say, shelter halves.

>>808258
Sweet, I plan to use it for hiking camping gear into the middle of nowhere so sounds good

>>808236
Do you like having a dull/broken fillet knife?

>>808058
Depends on era and country. Quality must still meet certain standards and the material is usually made within the country, so European and US gear is pretty good.

If you don't need lightweight gear and technical material for long hikes, there's lot of great gear to be found.

>>808041
.mil gear is meant to fit thousands of .mils decently. It's not made to fit you well. Find something that fits you well.

I've got a lot of milsurp/issue gear that I really like. I've bought a lot of shit that doesn't function well or fit me properly too. Buyer beware.

must have this tool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6FkxiInae8

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There's a fair amount of sorta rational hate for military gear on this forum (or any outdoor forum really). It's an inevitable thread that keeps happening because it's cheap and seems robust, so people looking to start out for cheap gravitate towards it. Honestly it might be the better way to go than dumping a ton of $$$ upfront for an activity you might not like.

That said, as a few have mentioned already there are some bits of mil gear that are better than others. My thing is the current USGI sleep system. I don't have the lower temp (black) bag or the compression sack, so I can't speak for them, but the bivy and the patrol (green) sleeping bag are pretty legit in terms of price/weight/durability. Yes, the zippers are ridiculously bulky and the bivy doesn't have a bug net, but all in all it's way cheaper than the civilian counterparts for arguably the same thing. I got them on sale for cheap (not sure why, I already have some decent sleeping bags and tarps/tent/bivy) but they're kinda nice inna woods. I like to use them on occasion, and wouldn't think twice about lending them to a friend.

That said, this is one of the few instances where it's worked out like this, where there's 20 opposite examples where mil surp is heavy trash that costs too much because people who like to play army drive up the cost.

>>808895
the prices of these seems to vary widely. like... $60 vs. $450. wat do

>>808899
the lower prices are for individual pieces, but the higher prices are for all four in one package. As stated, I only have the green bag and the bivy. Pretty ubiquitous, I got mine off amazon for what its worth

>>808899

Buy the cheap one.

Speaking more generally, i buy milsurp because it's neat, and i also go hiking and camping, but for what its worth i don't really use milsurp when i am hiking or camping. That's not really intentional, it's just things that are milsurp don't make the final cut. Collecting is collecting, and hiking is hiking. Figure out what you need for a hike, buy something cheap, and if it's no good buy something better. Most of the time the cheap stuff is pretty adequate. You should already be comfortable and familiar with your gear before you do anything serious.