I just looked at a few surplus stores in my area. Most are just tacti-geek Chinese made stuff from what I can tell. There is one that might be ok. I’ll have to look more into it. I would love to find an actual, old school surplus store.
I think most of the “tactical” stuff you find online or in stores nowadays is really cheap. None of it isn’t actual “surplus” anything. Most of it is made in China and looks like it is designed for military use. I’ve had a few military style backpacks recently that had horrible quality. I’m sure there is some good, newer USA made stuff but it costs an arm and a leg. Years ago you could go to the surplus store with 100 bucks and come home with tons of awesome stuff that would last. I’ll look more online and see if there are any places still selling the real deal. There has to be someone keeping it alive. I’ll see what I can dig up.
Oh, hell yeahhhhhhh. Good times
I’ll check them out.
Yeah, but nothing like old school. I still had my sleeping bag from the 80s that was the best ever made, all of this time. A few weeks ago when it was in the single digits, I gave it to a homeless guy. It was a bitter sweet moment.
A while back one of our members (sorry I don't remember who) posted this quote (paraphrasing here) "In a world where you can choose to be anything you want..choose to be kind". Nice job with the sleeping bag!!!!!!!!!
More than a touch. All that crappy, heavy TA50 is why it took me so long to take up hiking. I thought to enjoy backpacking, I would need to carry 60 or 70 pounds of heavy-assed equipment. Eff Alice. I hated that bitch.
TYFYS! Hell I'm 76, leaving Friday for Colorado to ride my snowboard...while you Do have to grow OLD you DON"T have to grow UP! "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Dylan Thomas
ALICE is heavy and bulky. It is also more durable than most lightweight equipment. You can hike/camp with under 30 lbs using ALICE packs. You don't need all the military gear weighing you down now.
Nah man, I'll take my two pound, comfortable, external frame pack any day over Alice. I love my Seek Outside Unaweep. I hike in running shoes, sleep under a quilt, on an air mattress, under a two pound tarp with inner net tent. That's how you walk in the woods.
