Gear
Our military gear section gathers the equipment that rides on a belt, in a ruck or around the campsite rather than on your back as clothing. It is organized into four areas so you can go straight to what you need.
- Tactical gear: MOLLE pouches and modular vests, plate carrier vests, MICH-style replica helmets and covers, batons, handcuffs, whistles and locks.
- Outdoor & survival: G.I.-style canteens and covers, mess kits, poncho liners, lensatic compasses, Ka-Bar and boot knives, headlamps, 550 paracord and folding shovels.
- Camouflaging: military-type camo nets, ghillie suits and jackets, sniper veils and multi-color face paint compacts.
- Shooting supplies: rifle cleaning kits, G.I. earplugs, bandoliers, rifle cases, drop-leg and shoulder holsters and slings.
Most of it is Rothco-made, built in the pattern of issue equipment: nylon and canvas covers sized for the 1-quart canteen, PALS webbing that mounts to MOLLE vests and packs, and olive drab, coyote, black and camo color options. That makes it easy to build a field kit that works together, from a range bag to a full airsoft loadout to a bug-out pack.
A note for service members: these are commercial products, not issue items. Gear you carry in uniform still has to meet your service's rules (for the Army, DA PAM 670-1 limits bags carried with the ACU to black or a color from an authorized camouflage pattern) and your unit's packing list. Check the item against both before you buy for duty use. The guide below covers how to choose across the categories.
How to Choose Military Gear for Your Kit
Start with the job. A range day, a weekend in the woods, an airsoft game and a field exercise each call for a different short list, and buying by mission keeps you from carrying weight you never use. Write the list first, then shop the category that covers each line.
Tactical Gear: Carry and Protection
The tactical gear section is about carrying things on your body. MOLLE gear includes magazine pouches, utility and dump pouches and canteen pouches that weave into PALS webbing. Plate carrier vests and utility vests give that webbing a home on your chest. Military and tactical helmets covers replica MICH helmets, chin straps, covers and cat's eye bands. Public safety and tactical accessories round it out with batons, cuffs, whistles, badges and locks.
Outdoor and Survival Gear: Sustain Yourself
Outdoor and survival gear keeps you fed, watered, warm and able to find your way. It breaks down into food and water, campsite gear, first aid and safety, knives, lighting, paracord and rappelling gear, and tools and equipment.
Camouflaging Gear: Concealment
If you need to blend in, look at camo netting for vehicles, blinds and hide sites, ghillie suits for the individual shooter or hunter, and face paint compacts to break up skin shine and outline. Match colors to the ground you will be on, not to your uniform pattern alone.
Shooting Supplies: Range and Transport
Shooting safety and accessories covers cleaning kits, hearing protection and ammo carriers, and holsters and slings covers drop-leg, hip and shoulder holsters, rifle cases and covers.
Military Gear and Uniform Rules
Rules for gear in uniform are narrower than most people expect, and they focus on what is visible.
Bags and Packs Carried in Uniform
DA PAM 670-1, paragraph 20-2.b, lets Soldiers carry authorized bags by hand, on one shoulder, or over both shoulders using both straps, but not with the strap draped diagonally across the body. With the ACU, the bag must be black or match one of the colors of the authorized camouflage patterns. A coyote or black pack usually fits that description; a woodland or digital camo pack usually does not. Other services publish their own rules in DAFI 36-2903, MCO 1020.34H and NAVPERS 15665J, so check the one that applies to you.
Field Gear and Packing Lists
For field training, your unit or school packing list decides what you carry and often what color it must be. Commercial pouches, canteens and tools are common substitutes for lost or extra issue items, but only the list and your leadership can say whether a commercial version is acceptable. Command policy can be stricter than the regulation.
Military Gear Beyond the Service
Airsoft players use this gear to build realistic loadouts, preppers stock it for emergency kits, and hunters, campers and reenactors rely on the same durable designs. Because so much of it follows issue patterns, pieces bought years apart still fit together on the same belt or vest. Start with a few core pieces and add to them as your needs grow.