If you’re anywhere near my age, when you hear the words “military surplus,” you likely picture some dusty old store stocked from top to bottom in OD green web gear and M81 woodland camo. Back in the day, the words military surplus meant ancient gear. It wasn’t modern or sexy; it was just old stuff that was usable but far from current.
Surplus Gear Has Gotten Modern and Better
It turns out that it has changed. The military surplus market has been hit by the Global War on Terror (GWOT), and you know what? It doesn’t suck. Modern military surplus is a great way to get some fairly good gear without spending a whole lot of money. Sure, it’s not the current high-speed stuff from Crye or Spiritus, but it’s functional, well-made, and certainly workable.
I know this because I dropped way too much money on surplus gear recently and got a whole lot of legit gear for under $100. What did those 100 bucks get me?
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One Thief Surplus and Shotgun Things
We all like to think we’re immune to advertising, then One Thief Surplus comes along showing off a batch of newly arrived FSBE Weapon Catches in your social media feed, and you have to have one. As the owner of a Mossberg Compact Cruiser, I had to have one. Oh, and they’re $10?
I might need two. The FSBE weapon catch was a MOLLE-mounted device designed to allow a breacher to secure their breaching gun when not in use. A hook-and-loop clasp wraps around the gun and, when combined with a sling, allows you to put the gun behind your arm and out of the way.
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Am I a breacher? No. Have I ever breached a door with a shotgun? Also no. Yet, I had the shotgun, so why not spend $10 on the FSBE Weapon Catch? I already have the Fiocchi breaching rounds, so why not complete the LARP?
Well, One Thief Surplus gave a mouse a cookie.
Modern Surplus in 2026
I had the FSBE Weapon Catch in my cart, but realized I didn’t have anything to mount it to. You need a fairly big belt, preferably a padded one with plenty of support. Well, that led me to the belts, specifically the USMC subload belt with suspenders.
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This belt made me feel old because it’s surplus, and it hit the Marine Corps well after I departed. I first saw them used by Marines during the Afghan pull-out. These belts have three rows of MOLLE webbing, a massive buckle, and come with suspenders.
The suspenders are small and flat enough to fit under a plate carrier. The padded belt, paired with the suspenders, made it easy to mount my FSBE weapon catch and support the weight of the Compact Cruiser.
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Now I have a belt with one attachment, and I’m not that far from free shipping. I ended up ordering three double magazine pouches, an IFAK pouch, and two tourniquet pouches. This allowed me to dress up the belt to carry six spare magazines, a complete IFAK, and a quick-access tourniquet.
This Old Gear
The USMC Subload Belt, Eagle two-magazine pouches, and IFAK pouch aren’t high-speed or lightweight, but they’re damn sure tough. This stuff survives in the hands of 18-year-old Marines. Keep in mind that if you locked a Marine in a padded room with three bowling balls, one would be broken, one would be lost, and one would be pregnant.
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This isn’t “operator” gear; it’s infantryman gear. I’m no operator, and it’s been more than a decade since “infantryman” was in my title, but I can still use and appreciate well-made, affordable gear. My total cost was $100. Add a TAPS rig, and I’m in for only $150 with a belt and chest rig.
This gear does focus more on retention and durability than speed. Getting a one-second reload from an Eagle double-magazine pouch isn’t easy, or maybe even possible. However, if you have to storm a beach, scale a mountain, or do anything that involves climbing, hiking, or crawling, the retention makes sense.
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It’s not the best stuff, but plenty of close-quarters fights were won wearing this kind of gear. While it has limitations, it’s still a valid choice for carrying ammo, especially if you’re LARPing in the backyard.
Surplus Gear Today
If you’re shopping for gear and price isn’t an issue, there are certainly better options out there. There are smaller, lighter, more intuitive, and faster options. If price is a concern, then you’ll be better off with modern surplus than something made for airsoft. It’s priced around the same as low-tier gear, especially if you aren’t picky about the camouflage pattern. ACU stuff is remarkably cheap.
The surplus market has changed, and it’s a whole lot better than what it used to be.
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