Author Topic: The Milsurp Thread (Read 2207 times)

Rocket T. Coyote · « **on:** July 25, 2021, 08:19:59 am »

"Military surplus is your best buy"--or something like that--was a slogan once heard with regard to excess military goods released for purchase on the civilian market. A great source for camping supplies and collectibles. Military surplus could be found at "Army/Navy" Stores in many a town across the land, especially near a military base. Do you have any experiences with surplus military goods?

cause the rat · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2021, 07:02:56 pm »

Great places to find things for camping. We have one about forty miles to the east of me. Wife and I were avid campers. OK, almost campers. As long as there was a toilet and a shower I was happy. Been so long I don't remember what we bought there. But do remember it was really good quality at a good price.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2021, 11:59:09 pm »

I bought a few ammo cans because they were water tight metal boxes. But they were expensive because they were connected to firearms.

Mostly I do not shop at military surplus stores.
What I want is a good true 100% wool blanket. Assuming they still make those.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2021, 08:41:58 pm »

Growing up we had a "Mill End" store downtown which had a lot of milsurp. Bought a couple anti-exposure suits and a C-ration brownie that was pretty good actually. They also had plenty of ammo cans. A few years before they closed forever, there was a ton of stuff from Europe--Germany especially--East and West. Gas masks, web gear, medals, badges, helmets and wool blankets. You could find the store's six-toed cat easily, she would camp out on a stack of blankets.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2021, 10:23:58 am »

Do they still have radium-dialed or at least glow-in-the-dark lensatic compasses at military surplus?
(I live near a military base, but don't know what we have around here.)
I used to use one of those compasses as a little kid and had a lot of fun with my brother wandering through fields and woods, until they became a city.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2021, 09:55:29 pm »

I have a small collection of military compasses. These include Cold War era East German, Polish, Czech, Russian, and IDF examples. I think the IDF has Tritium ampules which glow in the dark to facilitate night time navigation.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2021, 02:41:51 pm »

Just bought a case of instant cold packs for $16-$17 with free shipping ($49 total purchase). Also bought a gore-tex parka shell that goes with the current CAP uniform.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2021, 11:14:04 pm »

Quote from: Rocket T. Coyote on August 12, 2021, 09:55:29 pm

...I think the IDF has Tritium ampules which glow in the dark to facilitate night time navigation.

Ahh, I guess mine was just glow in the dark then. I never really knew.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #8 on:** August 28, 2021, 10:22:11 pm »

Picked up a hexagonal M1950 army tent many years ago but getting very little use out to it in recent years as no one wants to ''rough it" anymore as everyone seems to have campers. Has a stove jack and sleeps four with or without cots. Wish I'd bought the arctic liner that goes with it. I keep it in a nylon parachute bag designed for B-52 braking 'chutes.

Also bought a potbelly stove set that came coated in cosmoline preservative. Used WD40 to clean it off. Never used it camping though. Added a Yukon stove to the collection. It's experienced condition but complete. Even have a fuel oil conversion burner unit that works in either stove. No winter camping anymore--<sigh>

Firelight · « **Reply #9 on:** September 05, 2021, 06:34:14 pm »

Nope. There are none where I live.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2021, 04:43:04 pm »

There are a few sources for milsurp online. Some carry domestic militaria, some have overseas militaria, a few may have both. Sometimes the larger size clothing items are pro-rated as those are in greater demand.

Kobuk · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2021, 07:06:03 pm »

There's a military surplus store about 15-20 or so miles from me. I don't go to it that often unless hitching a ride with a friend. The majority of stuff is World War II vintage. But there is occasionally some Korean, Vietnam, or other modern stuff. Most of the time, I just go there to browse, but not buy. I tend to look from time to time to see if they have any new books that might interest me.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2021, 08:58:42 pm »

I didn't think of books being at military surplus.

Do they ever have radio direction finding apparatuses?

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2021, 06:04:46 pm »

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on September 21, 2021, 08:58:42 pm

I didn't think of books being at military surplus.

Do they ever have radio direction finding apparatuses?

Plenty of field manuals out there. The Survival manual is quite popular. Radio gear is offered on occasion, but rarely. Field phones are fun to collect too.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #14 on:** October 30, 2021, 08:32:03 pm »

Donated my M1950 tent to my CAP squadron a few weeks ago, along with a Yukon stove. They're sure to get some use out of it. Also dropped off a couple Army cots so the adults don't have to sleep on the ground. May have few more stashed out back.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #15 on:** December 04, 2021, 11:48:17 am »

Puttees or leg wraps are a rare find. These are similar to what Luke Skywalker wore in the first Star Wars movie btw. I located a set of Austrian and a set of Swiss puttees. Online tutorials demonstrate how they are worn.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #16 on:** December 04, 2021, 01:28:14 pm »

Are they for keeping legs warm? Or prevent abrasions? Both?
Never heard of puttees.
If they have the same for wrists, I'll buy them. Wanda loves to chew my wrists!

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2021, 08:24:40 am »

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on December 04, 2021, 01:28:14 pm

Are they for keeping legs warm? Or prevent abrasions? Both?
Never heard of puttees.
If they have the same for wrists, I'll buy them. Wanda loves to chew my wrists!

Among other things, puttees keep mud and stones out of one's shoes and protect trouser cuffs from damage.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2022, 08:54:32 pm »

There was some interest in military field rations and cook sets over on one of the furry sites, sparked by the stalled snowbound traffic event out East. I picked up several Trancia cook sets of Swedish military issue. Comes with a brass burner and cap, stove, stainless steel pot with lid/bowl/fry pan, and a plastic fuel flask.

I demo'd the cooker once during a CAP unit bivouac. Set up on a nearby picnic table and got a pot of water boiling in a few minutes to heat up an MRE entree--some kind of breaded chicken plank in BBQ sauce IIRC. Everyone else was trying to cook their dinners on a bonfire, flames three feet high, like in the movies I guess.

Jade Sinapu · « **Reply #19 on:** January 18, 2022, 07:18:30 pm »

What type of liquid fuel do they use? Naphtha, unleaded, alcohol?

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #20 on:** January 23, 2022, 09:42:36 am »

Quote from: Jade Sinapu on January 18, 2022, 07:18:30 pm

What type of liquid fuel do they use? Naphtha, unleaded, alcohol?

The Swedish Trancia stove burns alcohol--either ethanol or methanol. Sources are shellac thinner (sometimes labelled as stove fuel) or "dry gas" from the automotive department of your favorite supermarket. Any spills clean up easy: just let it evaporate.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2022, 11:15:29 am »

A few things to be aware of when buying milsurp are phrases like "military style" and "reproduction" as these denote items which are not original government issue. You may encounter the phrase GI Issue, which is a nonsense phrase. GI means government issue. There are a lot of knock-offs out there.

Rocket T. Coyote · « **Reply #22 on:** January 13, 2023, 05:59:40 pm »

Had to get my Mom a small snow shovel for her car as she became stuck on a snow drift on Christmas Day. Got her a Swiss military one of WW2 vintage which breaks down for easy storage. I have one for my vehicle.