Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Got the new Sportsmans Guide HQ catalog the other day. The HQ catalog differs from the regular SG catalog by being mostly military surplus stuff. It is rapidly becoming one of my favorite catalogs. There’s some very cool, very handy surplus stuff in there that I normally haven’t seen elsewhere. Some highlights from this recent catalog:

The fabulous flectar parka w/ liner for $29.97 (AX8M-124413X) – These things are wonderful. They are very comfy, warm and well made. I notice the price has gone up about $10 since I last saw the liner/parka combo offered. This is the coat I wear through most of the Montana winters and I’ve been pleased. You can roll the whole thing up into a tight ball and stuff it into its hood for compactness. I usually leave one basketball-sized rolled up parka in the truck ‘just in case’. These are excellent pieces of gear and I always recommend them when I see the catalog has them available.

2-pc Snow Camo Set $19.97 (AX8M-87700X) – Another fine German product I can recommend. In fact, I just had mine out the other day to try it in our new snow. My buddies agreed that at 50 yards I was pretty much invisible. These are covers that go over your normal clothing. They offer no real warmth or insulation, they simple act to cover your winter clothing you’re already wearing. They are completely reversible from/to solid white/white with pine. Even the pockets are reversible. I’ve had my set for years and this is the first time Ive seen them available at such a reasonable price. Obviously, since you’re wearing them over your bulky winter clothing, you might want to order a size larger than what you normally wear.

Two fairly new items that look interesting that I have not purchased:

Chinese copy of the GN58 portable hand generator – $149.97 (AX8M-115980) – The GN58 was made to power various military radio equipment. You can sometimes find them on eBay. They’re output is particular for the requirements of the mil radios but Im sure anyone with a soldering gun and knowledge of electronics could convert it to whatever voltage output they wanted. This Chinese copy looks almost identical to the genuine article. An interesting thing to experiment with.

Czech military RF-10 radio $129.97 (AX8M-130642) – Another new item…says it operates 44,000 to 53,975 Mhz which sounds odd for some reason. Comes w/ battery, antannae, mic, cables, charger, etc. 1 watt output (pretty short range). Might be fun for the radio enthusiast who wants to tinker.

What might I actually wind up getting?

Swedish M90 insultaed pants $19.97 (AX8M-130964X) – These look like just the ticket for wearing under the snow camo for those long, cold moments laying in the snow waiting for something to walk in front of the muzzle.

Theres a few other things in the catalog as well but they’re mostly luxuries or novelties that don’t serve a purpose that I haven’t already got covered. And while surplus stuff is always a bargain, Im not buying stuff just for the sake of having something new to play with. Resources are too limited for that. Still, alot of cool stuff if you should happen to get one of the HQ catalogs.