Surplus tactical emergency survival gear can form an important and inexpensive part of any short term or long term survival kit. There are a ton of options available for finding and acquiring surplus tactical gear. I remember when I was a kid, that the “army surplus” places were pretty seedy and dirty – not anymore! In fact, most of the “surplus” gear I seem to find seems to be very new.
Surplus Tactical Emergency Survival Gear Choices
There seem to be basically three choices for finding and acquiring surplus tactical emergency survival gear.
- Local army surplus stores
- Online stores
- Flea markets and gun shows
I’m sure there are other places, including your Dad’s attic if you look hard enough but those three seem to be the most basic choices for finding surplus tactical emergency survival gear.
Local Army Surplus Stores
Local army surplus stores used to be “the cool place” to go when I was a kid. They had this vast assortment of old, dirty, used equipment and you could just imagine the amazing stories that each piece of equipment could tell. There were also items that seemed to defy explanation – straps and brackets and containers, obviously of very specific use and importance – just completely unrecognizable outside of their intended place and use. Then, there was the cranky old guy running the place. He always seemed to sit in the corner by his little cash register chain smoking cigarettes and scowling at the kids in there with their Dads – I don’t ever remember going to the army surplus store with my Mom. The proprietor was frightening that it was just easier to imagine what a strange piece of equipment could do rather than risk his ire by asking him a question. Nowadays, I’m not sure those stores even exist anymore. I looked and did find one but it seemed to be limited to mostly very large items that would require a trailer to transport.
Online Stores for Surplus Tactical Emergency Survival Gear
The internet and e-commerce has changed so many little corners of our universe – literally not only flattened the world, but even flattened out notions of shopping and purchasing. The challenge with online stores for surplus tactical emergency survival gear is the huge array of choices. I’m sure this serves the stores quite well as most visitors to an online store are pretty susceptible to impulse purchases – I know I am! The other challenge is correlating your common name for the item you’re seeking with the official name that the store may be using for that item. Sure, things like MRE and pistol holster are pretty common but when you get into the realm of ammo canisters and backpacks, it’s easy to get lost very quickly. Lastly, the other challenge with online shopping for surplus tactical emergency survival gear is the ability to put your hands on the actual item before making the purchase. Stores like Amazon have made it very easy with free shipping and easy returns – not so much with online stores for surplus tactical emergency survival gear. You’ve spent time hand crafting your survival kit list and have a good idea of what you need – still, figuring out and finding the exact right item is not only important, it’s fun.
Gun Shows to Find Surplus Tactical Emergency Survival Gear
My preference is to shop for surplus tactical emergency survival gear at my local gun shows. You can find a gun show in almost every mid-sized city simply by searching the internet. The admission is usually $5 and well worth it. I’ve been going to gun shows since I was a little kid and they still smell and feel the same. Don’t be fooled by the name – gun show. The variety of items available for sale at a gun show is almost mind boggling. They will have everything from guns (of course) to jewelry (for the ladies that come to the show). In between the guns and the jewelry, you’ll find a couple of table where vendors are selling new and used surplus tactical emergency survival gear. It will be on the table and you can pick it up to see if it’s exactly what you’re looking for. If it isn’t, then you can talk to the reasonably friendly person behind the table and they are usually very very helpful. They will probably have a trailer in the parking lot that is still partially filled with items that they just didn’t have room for on the table – just ask. If they don’t have it – they will either have it back home and can ship it to you or will know some place where you can find it. Prices for surplus tactical emergency survival gear at a gun show are reasonable. They won’t be as cheap as online or the army surplus store, but the will almost always be cleaner and definitely more convenient.
Surplus Tactical Emergency Survival Gear Summary
Acquiring surplus tactical emergency survival gear for your survival kit is important. There are just going to be some items that you’ll need that aren’t readily available anywhere else. After all, most surplus tactical emergency survival gear is built with survival in mind, right? Your basic choices for finding this survival gear are army surplus stores, online stores and gun shows. Each option has pluses and minuses but I think you can find the best quality, selection and convenience for surplus tactical emergency survival gear at a gun show.
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