The type of clothing has also changed so that season-specific items are far less common. Most forces would issue items like a cold-weatherparka or perhaps a cold-weatherjacket or trouser. These are now obsolete and so favourites like the german army olive parka, us army fishtail parka, us army olive M65 jacket are becoming scarce. There has been a change to a ‘layer’ system of wear like the us army ECWCS or Extended cold weather Clothing System. A soldier would begin with a thermal base layer (in cold weather), in the case of the us army, a polypropyl shirt and pants, then add other layers depending on the operating temperature. This would be completed with a waterproofbreathablegortexjacket and waterproofbreathablegortextrousers, or gortexpants as the American army would say. Layers are used or not used depending on the season. The weight of material now used is often lighter, like in the soldier 95 and soldier 2000 clothing. ripstop cotton is often used, particularly by the us army, as in their ripstoptricolour and ripstopwoodland uniform.
Wet-weather kit has also changed. The poncho used to be the main waterproof option for many forces followed by pvc rainsuits of some kind. These have now been replaced with waterproofbreathablegortex jackets and trousers. Very few armies still issue the poncho and these tend to be used as much for a field shelter or basha. Footwear has advanced so that gortexboots by Danner, Mattehorn and Lowa are issued instead of standard assault boots for many field conditions. This also makes unnecessary items like the boot liner or waterproof sock.
This crosses over into the expanding demand from the security market which Premier surplus can now meet. We supply kevlar gloves, leather gloves like the Northern Ireland glove, tacticalgloves, fingerless tacticalgloves or clip-on ties. We also supply security clothing with the logo ‘Security’ printed on it, like security t-shirts and security polo shirts, security jumpers with security epaulettes, securityshirts with security epaulettes. We not only have security jackets with logos as well as MA-1 flight jackets, black M65 jackets, but also pouches and pouch belt systems like the security belt system or the patrol belt system, torch holders for maglite torches, notebook pouches and radio pouches.
Army Surplus clothing and field equipment is used by many outdoor activity, survival and bushcraft groups who would typically buy items like sleeping bags, mess tins, bivvy bag, compass, firesteel, army blankets and tents. Bushcraft groups in particular like the Hennessy hammock and the firesteel as well as in the field rations like the MRE as well as mosquito nets and a basha. Cadets and Duke of Edinburgh award people are often required to carry an emergency blanket or emergency whistle as well as waterproof matches in their kitbag.
We supply many cadets with their soldier 95 or soldier 2000kit as well as their army boots or military style boots, not to mention rucksacks and camping equipment like water bottles or lightstick. We also have rank slides and berets as well as jungle hats, bush hats desert hats for those week-end camps.
Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, many governments took the opportunity to downsize and this has meant a reduction in the quantities of available Army Surplus. Many companies now produce mil-spec clothing to cater for the demand of ite,s which have disappeared. Items like the german army moleskintrousers or the us army olive M65combat pants are being replicated. Many camouflage patterns like urbancamo or midnight bluecamo and tigerstripe are all repro items. The ever popular MA-1flight jacket is now usually repro or mil-spec, not original. The demise of many of the more popular items like the us army olive M65 jacket is due to the pressure from the fashion market which regularly ‘hits’ Army Surplus. Items like the shemagh or arab scarf are suddenly in. camouflage patterns like urbancamo or midnight blue or tigerstripe are often fashion driven whilst militarybelts and bags like side packs, large packs and haversacks become must-have. Combat pants and combat jackets are now never uncool and each year seems to hit a new pattern , be it desertcamo or woodlandcamo.
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