Genuine surplus. Properly sourced. Clearly graded.
The Old Kitbag was created from a simple idea: genuine military surplus should be easy to buy, honestly described and properly presented.
We have a longstanding interest in the Armed Forces, military history and the kit that comes with them. What started as an interest in sourcing and preserving genuine surplus gradually developed into The Old Kitbag — an independent British military-surplus retailer built around authenticity, provenance and straightforward service.
We specialise in genuine surplus from across the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, including combat clothing, uniforms, outerwear, berets, insignia, bags, field equipment and the occasional unusual piece that deserves another life outside a surplus warehouse.
Proven. Genuine. Trusted.
Those three words sit at the centre of what we're trying to build.
The surplus market can sometimes be difficult to navigate. Commercial reproductions can be mixed in with genuine issue equipment, condition descriptions vary enormously between sellers, and military sizing isn't always particularly friendly to somebody encountering it for the first time.
We want The Old Kitbag to be different.
Our stock is sourced through recognised MOD surplus auctions and trusted surplus channels, giving us confidence in the provenance of the kit we sell.
Items are then individually checked and graded by our veteran-led team before being offered for sale.
If something is Grade 1, we want you to understand what Grade 1 means. If an item has a defect worth knowing about, we want to tell you about it. And if a pair of trousers is marked 80/84/100, we'd rather explain the military sizing system than simply guess that it's a "Medium".
Military surplus naturally carries signs of its previous life. That's part of its character — but it shouldn't be an excuse for vague descriptions.
Why genuine military surplus?
There is something inherently appealing about kit that was designed to do a job rather than simply look the part.
Military clothing and equipment tends to be practical, durable and built around function. A genuine MTP smock, Royal Navy foul-weather jacket or issue Bergen wasn't designed primarily for a shop window. It was designed to be used.
Buying surplus also means existing equipment gets another useful life rather than simply becoming waste.
Some of our customers buy surplus for work or outdoor use. Others are serving personnel, veterans, cadets, collectors, reenactors or people with an interest in military history. Some simply want a genuinely hard-wearing jacket or pair of trousers.
Whatever the reason, our aim is the same: you should know what you're buying and where it came from.
More than a marketplace listing
The Old Kitbag began selling through established online marketplaces, and they remain useful places for people to discover our stock.
But we wanted to build something of our own.
This website gives us the opportunity to create a proper military-surplus catalogue — with clearer sizing information, consistent condition grading, sensible categories and a growing range of genuine kit — without being entirely dependent on the restrictions of third-party marketplaces.
It also means we can develop The Old Kitbag around the things that matter to us rather than simply around an algorithm.
The Kitbag is always changing
One of the best things about genuine surplus is that you never quite know what's going to turn up next.
Some products become regular stock lines. Others might appear once and never come through the door again.
You might find:
British Army MTP clothing
DPM and older-pattern kit
Royal Navy uniforms and foul-weather clothing
RAF clothing and headwear
Berets and cap badges
Bergens and equipment
Dress uniform items
PT kit
Collectable and unusual surplus
That unpredictability is part of what makes the business interesting.
When particularly good lots appear at MOD auctions, we're always looking for opportunities to add something worthwhile to the Kitbag.
Built with military experience
The Old Kitbag is a veteran-led business.
That experience gives us an appreciation for the difference between kit that merely looks military and equipment that genuinely came through the military supply system. It also shapes the way we approach things such as service terminology, military sizing, insignia and condition.
We won't know the history of every individual garment that passes through our hands — and we'll never pretend that we do.
Where provenance is known, we'll tell you.
Where it isn't, we'll say so.
That principle matters to us.
What's next?
We're still building.
The immediate focus is expanding our range of genuine British military surplus and developing The Old Kitbag into a dependable online destination for military clothing, equipment and collectables.
Over time, we want to broaden the business while keeping the same fundamental approach: useful products, genuine provenance, sensible pricing and straightforward descriptions.
Whether you're looking for a specific MOD size, replacing an old bit of kit, adding something to a collection or just browsing to see what has recently emerged from the Kitbag, you're welcome here.
The Old Kitbag
Proven. Genuine. Trusted.
Genuine British Military Surplus — Army • Royal Navy • RAF • Equipment