You might have a friend decked out in 1980s Austrian military gear and wonder what that's all about. Well, your friend is a fan of genuine military surplus. Military surplus, often referred to as army-navy surplus, is real military gear that has been decommissioned (used or new) and auctioned out to civilians. This includes things like backpacks, jackets, shovels, canteens, mess kits, helmets, shirts, etc.

Here are the top five reasons to buy real military surplus

1. It's cheap.

Seriously. You can expect to pay less than a fraction of what a civilian counterpart might cost you. Take these Austrian Gore-Tex Parkas for example. A jacket like this would easily cost over $200. These are one-tenth of that cost and not for lack of quality, which brings me to my next point.

2. Battle-tested durability.

Military goods are made for war. Simply put, soldiers lives depend on the quality of this gear. Army contractors are expected to put out their most durable and utilitarian equipment possible. This stuff is made for use, not profit. You won't find that kind of quality anywhere else.

3. Mom & Pop shops.

Pretty much all military surplus comes from small army-navy shops that have been around longer than you've been aware of the concept of a store. Retail giants aren't going away any time soon, but these shops are a real treasure and can use your support. Why make the rich richer when you can spend your money at a small or local shop that depends on your business.

4. It's better for the earth.

Reduce, reuse, and then recycle. Why waste resources to build some crappy backpack in a third world country when you can find a better, cheaper, and already built piece of genuine military issue gear at a shop like Swiss Link or a local brick-and-mortar Army Navy store? Save your wallet, save the planet, shop military surplus.

5. Fashion.

Camo never goes out of style. I mean, maybe you think it did, but that's just like... your opinion, man. In all seriousness though, military surplus doesn't just mean garb for privates. Imagine what style the Italian Officers' Clubs required or the dress uniforms of eastern European forces. There are some really killer finds out there and you'd be surprised at how fashionable military surplus can be.