Official — for public release Field Manual MSU-01 · Issue 2026 · Independent
Military Surplus UK The Quartermaster's Field Manual

Field Manual MSU-01

Know your kit before you buy it.

The independent field manual for British and NATO military surplus. Decode the size label, identify the camo, check the stock number, then buy from UK stockists who know their kit.

Decode a size label Browse kit guides
Two desert-painted British Land Rover 110 patrol vehicles loaded with kit, jerrycans and camouflage netting
Fig. 1 Land Rover 110 patrol vehicles, fully kittedPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain

Section 0 — The manual

Decode it before you buy it

Retailers sell kit. We teach you to read it. These free tools turn cryptic labels into plain English.

Annex A Size Decoder Turn 180/104, 85/88/104 and boot fittings into sizes you actually understand — or find the label that fits you. Open annex Annex B Pattern ID DPM, Desert DPM, MTP, M81 or Flecktarn? Identify a camo pattern in two questions. Open annex Annex C NSN Lookup Decode the 13-digit NATO Stock Number on a label — what the item is and which country catalogued it. Open annex Annex D Genuine or Repro? Read a label like a quartermaster and get a verdict before you part with your money. Open annex

Sections 1–5 — Kit guides

What are you after?

Buying advice for each category, plus researched UK stockists who actually sell it.

British soldier in Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) combat clothing and helmet in woodland §1 Clothing & Uniforms Combat jackets, smocks, trousers, boots and webbing — from genuine issue to modern pattern kit. 5 stockistsOpen Army reservists in MTP cooking ration packs on a hexamine stove with mess tins §2 Field Gear & Equipment Bergens, tents, sleeping bags, ammo cans, mess tins and ration packs. 4 stockistsOpen First World War entrenching tool with a steel blade and wooden handle §3 Tools & Hardware Entrenching tools, multi-tools, knives, axes and torches. 3 stockistsOpen Rear of a British Army patrol vehicle on a wet road during Exercise Trident Juncture §4 Vehicles & Parts Ex-MoD Land Rovers, trucks and plant — plus genuine and NOS spares. 6 stockistsOpen Group of First and Second World War campaign medals with ribbons §5 Militaria & Collectables Medals, insignia, badges, documents and historic uniforms. 4 stockistsOpen

Standing orders

How to use this manual

  1. 01

    Decode

    Paste the size off the label into the Size Decoder, or enter your measurements to find the label you need.

  2. 02

    Identify

    Name the camo with Pattern ID, check the stock number with NSN Lookup, and run the genuine-or-repro checklist.

  3. 03

    Buy smart

    Pick a kit guide and go straight to UK stockists we've researched. Our field notes cover what to look for.

Memo — about our links

Every offsite link is a tracked redirect through /go/, so we can see which stockists readers find useful. None are affiliate links today and nobody pays to be listed. Popular stockists may become affiliate links later, which never changes your price. Full disclosure.