Finding military-style clothing and boots

CheBourgeoisNoir

Hey PA,

I've recently been getting into paintball with some friends of mine, along with getting more into hiking and camping. I'd like to find a source of info related to army apparel this kind of thing, along with some decent online retailers for the same. I went into my local PX / surplus today and was really surprised to find most of the items I looked at (surplus never-worn BDUs and ACUs and boots) to be a hell of a lot more expensive than I've imagined / seen before online. Another issue is my general lack of knowledge regarding manufacturers for this kind of apparel - terms like "mil-spec" or "army surplus" get thrown around a lot, but what do they even mean? I'm assuming there's one than just one manufacturer for the US army, which kinds are reputable and/or cost-effective? Suggestions? Am I lame if I invest in old-style BDU's and black boots instead of the new digital ACU's and desert boots?

CheBourgeoisNoir

Also note: I'm totally cool with non-US surplus, if that's cheaper / better quality for equivalent items

Spam

Used/Surplus BDU's shouldn't be that expensive - comparatively speaking (since I'm in the UK, british DPM gear is very cheap and common amongst airsofters/paintballers here), you should expect to pay about $10-$20 for used trousers/shirt/etc, $20-$30 for new.

Check out http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Taylors-Army-Surplus_Military-Clothing_W0QQ_fsubZ26757QQ_scZ1QQ_sidZ59343073QQ_sopZ1QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322 for some half decent US clothing, and also check out http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=144758 for a list of military gear retailers.

Whatever you do, don't skimp on your boots - buy the best you can afford, your feet will thank you for it.

MrIamMe

Very true.

From personal experience don't go with Australian/American boots cos they suck.

Rhino

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ has some nice shooting gear.

For boots, I would look at commercial hiking boots, also don't forget REAL socks. The combination of those two are win and will be better for your feet then most used military surpluses.

RepoMan1023

http://www.uscav.com/ A great online store that has a ton of stuff.

Real used BDU's i.e. ones that have been worn before, are pretty cheap, but the new stuff is still around $30-40 for a shirt. As far as the terms "mil-spec" and the like, they are used so often now a days that it's meaningless. It's more an advertising thing now than truly something that meets the military's specifications. And to tell you the truth, the military always goes to the lowest bidder, so there are always better stuff than what they use. As for brands, best thing to do is go to a real store and try them out. The cheaper brands are generally cheaper quality, but you might find a certain style or fit/feel that you like from one brand versus another.

Zombiemambo

My local Army Surplus store was selling a jacket and fatigues for about $2 each.

1ddqd

Depending on the environment (read: type) of paintball you're into, the equipment could vary wildly - you mentioned army surplus, though, so my suggestion, if you want boots, would be Matterhorns. Not only are the military boots fantastic, but every single boot they make passes very extreme tests.

For things such as the actual gear (clothing) your local store might work, but honestly, I'd look for "tactical gear" or "mil-spec" gear in your google searching - there are a lot of places carrying extremely high quality stuff, but a lot of places circulating "bad," or at least, worse quality equipment, so check the stores themsleves before buying.

Waffles or whatever

Ranger Joes is probably the best website to search for anything military, law enforcement, etc. type of clothing. Last I checked they sell sell the BDUs and boots. Though if you buy boots I recommend you buy a pair of Black Hawks. They're expensive, but your feet will thank you later because the boots feel like a tennis shoe as well as move like one