Proper army surplus stores - recommendations

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classic33

Leg End Member
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
Have been to silvermans dayvo - a very good shop I think - and I gather that genuine army and security (as opposed to cycling wimps like me) use it. Though I do find it frustrating for most of the stuff is behind the counter - you can't just browse round it.

The Tib Street shop is very chilled and over two floors - I've been there when the staff were eating their fry up breakfasts off plates on the counter so no pressure at all on customers.

Will check up the exeter one when down that way.

There is amazingly still one in central London - on The Cut - though I'm not the greatest fan of it.
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
Oh can recommend this one in Kidderminster.

Good old fashioned one for browsing - nice staff - have a big mail order business I think and when I was in the staff were busy packing stuff up between customers.

I think I bought a poncho (not for use on the bike I stress) there.

https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/

Popped in on a strange detour on a ride Birmingham to London.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Seems there are still quite a few left after a quick Google.
There was great one in Higjh Road North Finchley (Thatchers' constituency), sadly no more. I can remember going in there as a teenager.
I always away remember wanting one of those sheepskin flying jackets which I could never afford.
 

Hugh Manatee

Veteran
Oh can recommend this one in Kidderminster.

Good old fashioned one for browsing - nice staff - have a big mail order business I think and when I was in the staff were busy packing stuff up between customers.

I think I bought a poncho (not for use on the bike I stress) there.

https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/

Popped in on a strange detour on a ride Birmingham to London.

Strange, that was the one I was going to link to. Got my daughter a surplus day pack as her new college bag. She likes it and it doesn't look like a computer bag. I have also got another patrol bag for me, some mess tins for the hedgehog and a Kelly Kettle.
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
Strange, that was the one I was going to link to. Got my daughter a surplus day pack as her new college bag. She likes it and it doesn't look like a computer bag. I have also got another patrol bag for me, some mess tins for the hedgehog and a Kelly Kettle.
Small world cycling :smile:

When I was at university i well remember a fellow student using one of those gas mask bags (I think that's what they were) - those things were all over the place when I was a kid - no wonder the Germans overtook us economically - the brits must have made enough gas mask bags for all of europe.

Army surplus style does of course come into fashion now and again but usually it's just style - shoddily made - in my vespa days I used to wear a great combat jacket and combat trousers - very handy with all those pockets and gave you a kinda protected feeling against vespa spills - visiting a Dutch war cemetary by Vespa a guy assumed I was in the army :smile:

Not sure what happened to that - think I put too much weight on - but I did very recently buy a successorv from a nice chap in a Pimlico street market - it's my travel jacket - really comfortable for lounging in airports and enough pockets to boost my carry on allowance with budget airlines. This one will outlive me I am sure.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
One of my best ever cycling buys was a pair of Swedish pilots soft leather gloves fro a place long gone in Peterborough, beautifully supple and yet long lasting. I wore them for commuting for years and was sorely sorry when they eventually wore out. I've paid three times more for modestly good cycling specific winter gloves and they were nowhere near as good.
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
I think my favourite winter cycling gloves game from that Manchester place.

(and believe me I have a lot of cycling gloves)

Not waterproof but that can be fixed with an extra layer over the top.
 

Smudge

Veteran
Location
Somerset
For many years i used to wear German Para Boots to wear riding my motorcycles. They would last years and years, not so the modern versions. They now have a shelf life where the inside of the sole will degrade even if not being worn.
I also have a pair of British Army extreme cold weather boots, double skinned with a Gortex lining. These are as good now as when i bought them from an Army surplus store 12 years ago. They've had a lot use motorcycle riding and they always come out when its snowing.
I've used Marcruss in Bristol and always enjoy looking round any surplus stores if i come across them.
 
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