I’m looking to get some new webbing (MTP) but I have no clue where to buy it, from what I have been told at my sqn some people say ebay, some say cadet direct, so I am now seeking advice online, thanks for any replies in advance
Never ever ever ever ever go to Cadet Direct. It’s hugely over priced.
Are you a cadet or staff?
Does it have to be MTP?
Does it have to be New?
For a new set of MTP webbing it’s quite expensive. The fact it’s MTP means the stores bang a bigger mark up on it.
MOLLE has a huge mark up too.
PLCE is far superior and hard wearing. And DPM helps to break up your shape.
My advice?
Cadet:
Look at second hand, DPM PLCE. You can pick it up cheap as chips. Job done.
Staff:
Be prepared to look at 100odd dibdabs for a set of MTP webbing.
Look at second hand, army surplus shops, I would go for PLCE too.
You could get away with a MOLLE battle belt, but they are naff for anything other than looking Gucci on the range.
There’s a thread on here about someone in a similar position.
What is it with people being obsessed with MTP? It’s naff, it’s not suited for certain environments, the PCS shirts are crap. The PCS trousers are crap.
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Depends what you want - if you want new go to someone like Dragon or HM supplies, if used is fine (and used belt kit is likely to be fine, its difficult to break it…) then I’d hit fleabay…
Two bits of advice - belt kit is always less comfortable than a day sack, you don’t really need to wear it so I’d go for a day sack instead, and secondly that if you feel you really, really need to own it, I’d go for DPM instead of MTP: by the time it’s filthy no one will be able to tell the difference, wearing DPM belt kit with MTP clothing helps to break up your shape, and lastly you’ll get much better value allowing you to spend more on the important stuff like boots, waterproofs and a day sack…
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Ok thanks, and yes I am a cadet, and I’ve never bought from cadet direct but it’s mainly down to the fact that I’ve never bought webbing so I had no clue where to go.
Local army surplus store is a good place to start, if you have one.
As your a cadet too, I wouldn’t get too hung up about “new” or “mtp”. All you cool kids go crazy for that stuff but the old hands have a different opinion.
As said above, buy a cheaper second hand set, one your not scared to rag about and abuse. And invest that money in other things, boots etc or put it in your piggy bank (do kids have piggy banks these days?)
There’s not much requirement for a cadet to have webbing, and any activities like shooting, that require it, they should be issued. Might be good looking at a good daysack, a Berghaus Munro or Karrimor SF. No worries with sizing as you grow and it could last you years.
If you’re adamant about buying new, I could post a few links, although I am not sure what the forum rules are, and if it would count as advertising?
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Get it off of eBay, the going rate for PLCE is about £20-30 for a used set depending on condition.
If you have £100-odd burning a hole in your pocket that you have to spend on FT kit, get a used set of PLCE and a Berghaus Munro or Centurio daysack, which will be far handier.
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Ask at the sqn to see what they may have scrounged and save your money. For the amount of time you will actually need it makes this a better option. We have webbing that we have acquired over the years and cadets use quite happily.
If not only as said second hand for webbing. Unless you are on a sqn that does lots and lots and lots of FMS, it will sit in a cupboard at home getting in the way and you won’t get your money back on new if you sold it on.
The only things I recommend that cadets buy new are boots and a sleeping bag. Both of these can get used outside of the ATC, whereas a webbing is a bit niche.
One concern is that sqns advocate buying this and that and parents can quite easily spend several hundred quid on things that won’t get any or limited action. One of our neighbours said they have spent around £350 getting their 11 year ready for senior school and their 14 year old new things for school as he has grown over the last year.
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my 12 yo - so now in her 2nd year at senior school - is running up bills of around £300 per year in school clothes/shoes. if she were to join the ACO and her Sqn were to suggest than she needed a £50 set of MTP belt-kit (current fleabay price…) in order to shoot twice a year, i’m afraid they’d get the big FO.
OP, as @Teflon says you simply aren’t going to need this stuff in the way that you will need decent boots, or a daysack or a sleeping bag - spend your Ginger Beer tokens on these important things (which, of course, you can use for non-ATC things like school geography trips to the Lake District…) and spend the absolute minimum neccessary on belt-kit. free if you can, second hand, DPM and cheap if you must.
helpful hint: do not turn up to geography field trips to the Lake District with Belt-Kit. it won’t help you talk to girls - or boys. a nice pair of Meindls and a tasty daysack - with mandatory Karribiner, cloth tape on rolled up straps and a little glowy thing on the zip - on the other hand will make you the most attractive, windswept and interesting person for miles around.
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Have Berghaus stopped making the Munro?
i think they may have…
they want people to buy the Centurio instead - not suprisingly its another £40 or so. i also note that the Centurio now only comes in 45 ltr size - i’m pretty sure it originally came in something about 30/35 ltr.
oh well, KarrimorSF Sabre it is then…
I’d strongly recommend against buying anything made by Karrimor - they’ve been taken over by Sports Direct and now just make terrible quality tat.
I’ve seen the Centurio advertised online for around £60, which was what I originally paid for my Munro - and the Centurio looks better if only for the sculpted back system.
sorry, clarifition required: when Karrimor of old went bust the name ‘Karrimor’ was bought by the tat-fest of Sports Direct, who flog bad rubbish.
however, Karrimor SF is an entirely seperate company founded by some of the original Karrimor people who were there before it went bust 20 or so years ago. they build very good rucksacks and have nothing whatsoever to do with Sports Direct - the Sabre 30 being the daysack of choice along with the Munro…
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Fair enough, I had no idea!
Nonetheless, the Centurio would appear to be available for a fairly reasonable price.
Karrimor SF actually make a few items of kit issued to the armed forces. I have the 45L Predator in MTP and it has lasted well. It looks good as new and I have had it practically since it came out which was a few years ago. The 30L sabre in OG is also good for both mil and non-mil usage. The 80-130L predator in tan is good for expeditions and wouldn’t look out of place in the field. Pricey though.
A bit off topic though. I haven’t used any of their webbing equipment.
I would go with everything everyone else has said already, used plce in DPM… But if you are looking for mtp I’d definitely go for molle/pals over stitched “airborne” webbing or the new mtp plce due to the fact you can replace broken pouches and switch up the pouches depending on what you’re doing. And because there have been a lot of advancements in pouches since plce came in, such as clips and Velcro but that’s more personal preference. Just avoid brands such as this unless you have to
Webtex
Kombat (especially their BTP pattern)
Viper
They are cheap but that’s for a reason, other brands are a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. “Buy cheap, buy twice”
Personally I’ve spent waaaaay to much on webbing…
[quote=“angus, post:12, topic:2553, full:true”]
sorry, clarifition required: when Karrimor of old went bust the name ‘Karrimor’ was bought by the tat-fest of Sports Direct, who flog bad rubbish.[/quote]
TBH I’ve never had any problems with things from Sports Direct regardless of the brand name, but then I’ve never been excited by a name on a product, it depends how you look after it that makes the difference IMO. I replaced my Silva 4 with a Karrimor compass that cost £4 from SD and I saved myself the thick end of £25 and brought a couple of “alpine” gas cookers which were £20 a pop for the squadron and not had any problems.
Disagree. I have a set of PLCE webbing, none of it has needed replaced. In about a decade
Of use, it’s easy enough to replace broken pouches.
I have ripped MOLLE on Chest rigs, leg platforms, day sacks, battle belts.
MOLLE is a naff gimmick. And people only get it for the Gucci factor. It maybe fine for cadet activities that aren’t strenuous or require lots of kit. It can be useful but some people go mental for it and you end up with kit covered in ridiculous MOLLE with no practical use its just a selling point.
And I can’t be the only one annoyed at the stupid amount of Velcro appearing on kit? Only for it to get clogged with crap and dirt and dust and rendered useless.
Get yourself a nice day sack.
I certainly have - I bought a set of Karrimor boots and they basically fell apart as soon as they were introduced to the outdoors.
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Karrimor is crap. KarrimorSF is a different company I think, it’s pretty decent.
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Upon perusing the 'bay, I discover that you can still get Berghaus Cyclops Roc’s and Cyclops Crusaders for around the £50 or so…
They were both about £130 in the early-mid 90’s and mine are still rock solid - my Roc did two Afghan tours, two Falklands tours and endless exercises, I still use it and it happily carried all my stuff for a four day walk across Snowdonia in April…
I’d grab them while they are available - apart from someone like Aguille rucksacks in Kendal, i don’t think you can actually buy stuff of that quality any more…
Roc is a 70ltr sac, Crusader is a 90ltr sac with two side pockets - the PLCE infantry Bergen was based on it.