Places to buy kit

[Sentinel]

Does anyone know a decent place in Central london where I can buy kit from? I'm in a specialist unit and all my kit has to come from Grantham, so rather than take a day off work to go to Grantham, I'd rather buy my own kit and save a days annual leave.

We're meant to be one army, but that doesn't seem to apply to kit. I wonder why?

 

[tangowhiskey]

Not in London but ASMC.de is a good site and a lot cheaper than most of the UK shops

 

[TheSpecialOne]

You can always go to Silvermans in Mile End (close to Mile End tube)

http://www.silvermans.co.uk/Silver/docs/topframe.htm

But surely you can claim a days pay from your unit and get the correct kit and save yourself a small fortune - there's nothing worse than looking like a complete Walt if you go over the top

 

[DarkNinja]

Strange request? Don't you get issued kit like the rest of Grantham?
Don't uou draw bergans webbing etc at the start of the excercise like the rest of Grantham?
Why would you need to take a day off?
Walt!

 

[Rockhopperst4]

If he's RE like i am we get a permanent kit issue, (bergen, webbing etc). Trouble is the stores are not that great and getting the full issue can be a bit of a struggle. 18 months in i'm still waiting for two pairs of boots for example.

 

[LordVonHarley]

I can kind of understand where you are coming from. If you are at the begining of you your training the last thing you want to worry about is all the bollox that come with trying to get stuff out of stores - "Stores are for storing" etc. A group of us ended up buying our own Noddy suits because we could not get any out of stores for our RT weekends.

Silvermans is expensive but has a lot in stock, the yellow pages has a lot of surplus retailers in it.

Also try www.ukkitmonster.com for mail order. Very fast delivery.

 

[ugly]

If your parent unit are unable to provide then surely a stock of kit should be held at the training unit for such emergencies and can be added to the trainees electronic 1033/1157 or whatever it is nowadays. The parent unit could then either be debited that from central stock and the balance made up. FFS the Army is huge and stock control and thus delivery of mandatory kit is a piece of pish.
I f I can work out how to do never having been a Norman surely the RLC can ectract the digit.
Name and shame by turning up for training with only issued kit. If they cant provide then embarres them into it!
You will never get the money back if you provide for yourself!
I see your problem if that they threaten to RTU you for turning up without the right kit then you wait ages but if that is the only way to do it then you mustnt waste your money.
Sorry to rant on about this but this really gets my goat. I know it wouldnt happen if we treated TA recruits like reseves in some countries I have heard off. Start basic wioth regulars, after 2-4 weeks go back to TA centre and continue with weekends for 8 months, TOETS and a further 2-4 weeks in depot/ATR polishing off. A great way to ensure all recruits are of a standard where they would be of use to the one army principle. The Aussies do a similar one but its about 3 lots of 2 weeks over 1 year with a load of weekends thrown in I think!
That way you would get the correct scale of issued kit on day one!

 

[milkandcheese]

We're meant to be one army, but that doesn't seem to apply to kit. I wonder why?

It does apply. Everything from field kit, c95 through to specialist equipment is issued if/when required. Everyone buys the odd bits and bats, if they can't really justify getting it from stores, but if your CQMS cannot hand you the items you are allocated from stores then there is something seriously wrong.

I agree with ugly, name and shame.

 

[Sentinel]

It isn't that the kit isn't there - it is. However, as a member of a specialist unit I rarely go to Grantham and so to go there just to collect a pair of boots takes up half a day etc. On the other hand the unit I am with, I stood in the stores of our regular counterpart, asked them to replace my boots and I was told to go to Grantham.

 

[ugly]

Put them in the internal post?

 

[backstabbin]

I had similar probs at PWOG, because I'm 6"6' and there were only average sizes in the stores I was told to either wait out for them to be ordered or buy my own.

As for webbing, bergans etc, we didn't get a personal issue, just picked some up when we got there.

 

[Flash_Eliminator]

I've heard lots of people with problems like this. When we turned up to Grantham, some of the recruits on my course had issues with their kit and ended up having to get members of the Grantham unit to do exchanges for them etc...

Luckily our Sqn has a really switched on set of storemen, so good that I returned a jacket one morning and they gave me a replacement by lunch time!!

 

[blobmeister]

To say Silverman's is expensive is an understatment. RIP OFF merchant's more like. Can't believe they still get buisness from the Forces.

 

[STILTS]

There is Dragon Supplies in Colchester, they do a mail order service:

they post out to BFPO addresses

www.dragonsupplies.co.uk

Stilts

 

[blobmeister]

Dragons have been known too bump prices just when he gets wind of a pending deployment. Troopers is good, there is also a new surplus in Colchester, it is advertised in this months soldier mag.

 

[deefadog]

just wait until you DO go to grantham to be issued your kit. as with you been in specialist unit you wo nt be away on weekends that often also email your qmsi and ask what to do about kit exchange , youll probably find you fill a form in and send it back to unit then wherever your next training weekend is sqms will send it through to be exchanged / initial issued hope this helps

 

[STILTS]

Dragons have been known too bump prices just when he gets wind of a pending deployment. Troopers is good, there is also a new surplus in Colchester, it is advertised in this months soldier mag.

I have used Dragon over Troopers as the customer service is loads better, I have never known them to up prices due to "pending deployments" Dragon also manufacture there own specalised kit. As for the new company in Colchester Major league, If you want over priced spetic kit shop there (if you want to take out a mortgage)!!

Stilts

 

[blobmeister]

Fu** me stilts, I clearly wont be shopping there! not good for buisness if the blokes hate you? I agree that Troopers have the worlds most misserable staff but Dragons "AIRBORNE WEBBING" is shite and over priced compared to Jayjays say! Troopers quality is vastly improving up to jayjays standard!

 

[Barrack Room Lawyer]

You will get paid from the army for your trip up there, doubtful it will be as much as your civvy job,but better than nothing, phone up cell 6 and they will arrange a call in and travel docs for you. It only takes a hour and a half or so from Kings X so get the right connections and you could do it with a half day from work.