When it comes to camping equipment, governments have been stockpiling their equipment since the world wars.
As a result, they occasionally clear out some of their inventory by having army surplus sales or selling their product to wholesalers who then sell them to others.
A popular item is a tent, as you need a tent in order to go camping.
The advantage to buying these tents for your camping experience is that you know the tents are good quality as they were designed for the military, so you know that they have been made well.
You know that they will stand up to tough weather as the military uses them regardless of the weather so they have to stand up to heavy rain, strong winds and other weather conditions.
You can camp out in any weather that you can imagine and know that your tent is going to protect you when you get your camping equipment from army surplus.
When it comes to shopping for your camping equipment, it is important to know that not all tents are made the same.
If you are shopping at a third party store, the products are checked with government standards but sometimes you will find product that is older and significantly cheaper due to the age.
If you buy one of these tents, make sure you set it up before you go camping to check if there are any problems with it and if it needs any patching.
If you need to check your tent, the first thing you should do is look at the ropes.
Check it for mold, mildew or any rotten spots as these will weaken the rope and your tent will fall down, likely at a very inconvenient time.
If you find that your ropes are dirty, you can clean them with a solution of 4 parts water and 1 part bleach.
Immerse them in this liquid and then set the ropes out to dry in the sun.
Next you need to check the stakes.
If they are metal than you need to examine them for rust.
For rust spots, you can buy product that will remove the rust from the stakes.
If you prefer not to do this, then you can get a new set of stakes at any camping equipment store.
You also want to check any poles that your tent has to check the condition of them.
These may be harder to replace if you detect problems, but if you are handy, you can always create a new one.
Do not forget to check the fabric of the tent as it could be moldy or have mildew on it.
If so, you will need to wash it.
Once it does not smell bad anymore, you will know that it is clean.
When it comes to camping equipment, make sure that you inspect it first before you use it, especially if it is second hand or used.
While you can save money on second hand camping equipment, you may not always be getting a good deal.