What are your recommendations for someone looking to purchase quality gear (boots, mag pouch, etc.)?

To begin with, you got a family? Better see what your income is and what your living expenses will be first. Get your priorities straight. The army will issue you what you need to start out with. Yea, you can get out and buy all the hi-speed stuff and look real cool, but step back and look, do you really need it or is it wants?

As far as foot gear goes, there are a lot of allowed / not allowed, so I'd wait until you get to a unit and see what the SOP is.

Only officers like me don't get the new boots or uniforms unless deployed. The SGM is right. Don't max out your uniformed clothing AAFES account when your S4 rep in your Battalion can give you a Sh!tload of free issued stuff including boots, goggles and cold weather gear. Budget and spend your money wisely. Don't go out and buy a Dodge Hellcat or SRT8 yet LOL!
CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SGT Damaso V Santana MAJ (Join to see) CPT Pedro Meza LTC Stephen F. LTC Stephen C. MAJ David Potter PFC Talal Al-Tunsi

Why are you spending your $$ on equipment that should be issued?

I wasted a bunch of money on cool guy gear, ended up using most of the stuff the Army issued me just tweaked it for better personal preference. Bought a utility pouch hear, a few small weapons mods there bungie mag pouches and a camle back pouch were probably my most personally useful buys. After that havnt needed to buy new gear for years because i optimized what i had and it worked for me.

CPL,
You will be issued gear when you get to your unit. As SGM Dawson and everyone implied, get adjusted to your finances before getting tacti-cool.

To answer your question: your supply sergeant. We wouldn't be getting issued gear if it wasn't quality and capable enough to do it's job. Save that money because the Army is already spending money on equipping you.

Socks is the only thing I would buy. 9 years in, and have only used issued items (other than the socks). If you absolutely have to have tacti-cool stuff, hit up the guys ETSing or headed out. You can snag that stuff for pennies on the dollar.

Red Wings for boots.

I had a soldier. Let's call him John. Whenever John got his pay he would spend it all on stuff he probably didn't need. A new ipod or a Tactical Taylor X-harness. Spent $300 on a harness that wasn't even allowed to be used because it was Coyote Tan instead of ACU. So first things first is make sure your chain of command (up to an E-9 if need be) doesn't have some rule that says all pieces of gear must be the same color. My time in we were allowed some items to be Woodland or BDU during the transition phases.

Personally I didn't buy much high speed gear during my time in. I was issued some quality gear at some units that was much better than what I was issued in other units. So if you plan on changing units or going active, you may just be wasting money.

As far as boots go, find a place where you can try on boots. There are a million and half websites where you can buy boots but only a fraction of places to slip on a pair. It would really suck to drop $250 on a pair of Oakely or Rocky boots and they don't fit or you don't like them. My personal recommendation is find the nearest active duty base with a store to take a look.

Try the issued gear first and wear your gear exactly the way the unit tells you too. The reason I say this is most young soldiers have not been in long enough to know what you like and what you do not like. All of us on here could give you advice, you go spend the money, won't like it, and could find yourself happy with the issued gear. I will say, pick yourself up a nice poncho liner or wobbie as some call it.