The Essential Military Surplus Gear You Need For Extreme Outdoor Camping

Military surplus gear is popular with campers, bushcrafters, and anyone else who’s looking to spend many hours outside in unfavorable weather conditions. This type of gear was made for military usage, but it never got to the front lines for one reason or another. You end up with a surplus of supplies that can then be sold to the general public - and this genuinely gives you some of the best gear for camping because military surplus supplies are designed for constant outdoor use. 

More to the point, it’s usually more affordable than spending money on overpriced camping gear in traditional camping shops, and it also ends up being of a much higher quality. So, taking that into account, here’s some of the most essential military surplus gear to bring with you on your next outdoor adventure. 

MOLLE Rucksacks

Anyone who’s served in the military will know that MOLLE rucksacks are one of the greatest and most useful creations of all time. MOLLE stands for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, and it refers to how these rucksacks are designed. They include heavy-duty webbing stitched into the bags that allow you to clip on and attach all kinds of gear. You can add things like: 

• Flashlights

• Hunting/tactical knives

• Bottles

• And so much more

MOLLE rucksacks also provide extreme durability as they’re designed to be worn by people on the frontlines as they trek through some truly extreme conditions. In other words, they’re 100% waterproof and made out of tough fabrics, so they won’t rip or tear if you brush against sharp twigs or thorns during your camping trip. They’re also made to carry quite heavy loads without being too uncomfortable for the wearer - you may be able to pack your entire camping kit into this rucksack, no joke. 

TAP Chest Rigs

A tactical assault panel chest rig is another piece of essential kit for people in the military. This panel clips around your chest and provides easy access to all sorts of extra equipment. In military settings, people will store ammunition, radios, and other crucial things here. It’s easy for the wearer to quickly grab what they need from their chest, rather than reaching behind to a rucksack. 

Much like the MOLLE rucksacks, you get the heavy-duty webbing here that lets you store or clip so many things on. Many campers and hikers love this equipment to attach water bottles, energy bars, and other key supplies when trekking for hours on end. It’s also preferable for some to carry things around their chest rather than on their back - some people find this more comfortable. 

Of course, if you’re heading out hunting or doing any sort of outdoor activity that involves moving around and needing access to key equipment/tools in an instant, then a chest rig is the perfect solution. Bushcrafters love this stuff because you can safely store knives to help chop away branches while also having enough room to keep firelighting equipment, and so on. 

Military Ponchos

Normal ponchos aren’t good for much other than to keep the odd shower off you when it's wet. You typically don’t rely on them in seriously bad weather conditions because they’re made to be quite simple and convenient, not weatherproof or windproof. However, military ponchos are built different. These ponchos are designed for extreme weather conditions, meaning they offer excellent rain protection while doubling up as windbreakers. 

But here’s the best thing: military ponchos are also designed to be used as emergency shelters when you’re out and about. 

You know how you’re walking around in a forest or hiking up a mountain, and then it suddenly pours with rain. You can’t keep going, so you have to find shelter - which usually involves hiding under a tree somewhere and getting wet. Military ponchos can unzip and turn into heavy-duty tarps that you can attach to trees or large sticks to build a temporary shelter. It’s like a small tent, giving you protection from the rain until it passes. 

They’re so versatile - in fact, you could even lay a poncho down as ground tarp before setting up your tent for the night. 

Military Sleeping Bags

One of the toughest parts of camping or spending time outdoors is finding a sleeping bag that actually keeps you comfortable at night. Most of the time, you end up spending a lot of money on sleeping gear that’s difficult to carry around with you. Again, military surplus gear comes in clutch by providing a host of sleeping bags for you to choose from. 

The key differences between military sleeping bags and standard camping sleeping bags are this: 

• Military sleeping bags are heavy-duty, so they’re less likely to rip

• Military sleeping bags are designed for extreme cold, offering comfort well below freezing

• Military sleeping bags are designed to be modular and easy to carry

You end up with something that folds up into a small package that you can attach to your rucksack or tuck inside one of the compartments. When you need to use it, the sleeping bag is designed to let you control how much air you let in, which means you can create the ideal sleeping conditions regardless of the temperature outside. 

Cooking Kits

In the military, you often spend weeks or months traveling around, sleeping outdoors. This happens across all sorts of campaigns where you don’t have the luxury of spending time in the barracks, so you have to fend for and cook for yourself. As a result, there are loads of great military cooking kits that transfer over to the camping world perfectly. 

A typical military cooking kit packs all sorts of things into a convenient bag, including: 

• A portable stove

• Cooking pots

• A big water jug

• Fire starters or gas 

• And more

Essentially, you have everything you need for outdoor cooking without it taking up too much space. It’s the easiest way to cook meals while you’re adventuring without being forced to just have pot noodles the entire time. 

Military surplus gear is far more convenient and useful than most people think, and it’s all high-quality stuff, too. In many ways, if you want to kit yourself out with the most high-end gear possible, then this is the way to go - and these are the most essential pieces to buy.