In case you’re wherever close to my age, while you hear the phrases “army surplus,” you probably image some dusty previous retailer stocked from prime to backside in OD inexperienced net gear and M81 woodland camo. Again within the day, the phrases army surplus meant historic gear. It wasn’t trendy or horny; it was simply previous stuff that was usable however removed from present.
Surplus Gear Has Gotten Fashionable and Higher
It seems that it has modified. The army surplus market has been hit by the World Warfare on Terror (GWOT), and you realize what? It doesn’t suck. Fashionable army surplus is an effective way to get some pretty good gear with out spending an entire lot of cash. Certain, it’s not the present high-speed stuff from Crye or Spiritus, nevertheless it’s purposeful, well-made, and definitely workable.
I do know this as a result of I dropped means an excessive amount of cash on surplus gear lately and acquired an entire lot of legit gear for beneath $100. What did these 100 bucks get me?
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One Thief Surplus and Shotgun Issues
All of us prefer to suppose we’re proof against promoting, then One Thief Surplus comes alongside displaying off a batch of newly arrived FSBE Weapon Catches in your social media feed, and you must have one. Because the proprietor of a Mossberg Compact Cruiser, I needed to have one. Oh, they usually’re $10?
I’d want two. The FSBE weapon catch was a MOLLE-mounted system designed to permit a breacher to safe their breaching gun when not in use. A hook-and-loop clasp wraps across the gun and, when mixed with a sling, lets you put the gun behind your arm and out of the way in which.
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Am I a breacher? No. Have I ever breached a door with a shotgun? Additionally no. But, I had the shotgun, so why not spend $10 on the FSBE Weapon Catch? I have already got the Fiocchi breaching rounds, so why not full the LARP?
Nicely, One Thief Surplus gave a mouse a cookie.
Fashionable Surplus in 2026
I had the FSBE Weapon Catch in my cart, however realized I didn’t have something to mount it to. You want a fairly large belt, ideally a padded one with loads of assist. Nicely, that led me to the belts, particularly the USMC subload belt with suspenders.
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This belt made me really feel previous as a result of it’s surplus, and it hit the Marine Corps properly after I departed. I first noticed them utilized by Marines through the Afghan pull-out. These belts have three rows of MOLLE webbing, an enormous buckle, and include suspenders.
The suspenders are small and flat sufficient to suit beneath a plate provider. The padded belt, paired with the suspenders, made it straightforward to mount my FSBE weapon catch and assist the load of the Compact Cruiser.
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Now I’ve a belt with one attachment, and I’m not that removed from free delivery. I ended up ordering three double journal pouches, an IFAK pouch, and two tourniquet pouches. This allowed me to decorate up the belt to hold six spare magazines, a whole IFAK, and a quick-access tourniquet.
This Previous Gear
The USMC Subload Belt, Eagle two-magazine pouches, and IFAK pouch aren’t high-speed or light-weight, however they’re rattling certain robust. These things survives within the palms of 18-year-old Marines. Needless to say should you locked a Marine in a padded room with three bowling balls, one could be damaged, one could be misplaced, and one could be pregnant.
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This isn’t “operator” gear; it’s infantryman gear. I’m no operator, and it’s been greater than a decade since “infantryman” was in my title, however I can nonetheless use and respect well-made, inexpensive gear. My complete value was $100. Add a TAPS rig, and I’m in for less than $150 with a belt and chest rig.
This gear does focus extra on retention and sturdiness than pace. Getting a one-second reload from an Eagle double-magazine pouch isn’t straightforward, or perhaps even doable. Nonetheless, if you must storm a seashore, scale a mountain, or do something that entails climbing, climbing, or crawling, the retention is sensible.
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It’s not the most effective stuff, however loads of close-quarters fights had been gained carrying this type of gear. Whereas it has limitations, it’s nonetheless a sound selection for carrying ammo, particularly should you’re LARPing within the yard.
Surplus Gear As we speak
In case you’re purchasing for gear and value isn’t a difficulty, there are definitely higher choices on the market. There are smaller, lighter, extra intuitive, and quicker choices. If value is a priority, then you definitely’ll be higher off with trendy surplus than one thing made for airsoft. It’s priced across the identical as low-tier gear, particularly should you aren’t choosy in regards to the camouflage sample. ACU stuff is remarkably low-cost.
The excess market has modified, and it’s an entire lot higher than what it was once.
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