Dunno how many people here are into combat gear but I am a huge collector of military surplus gear.
Well I've nearly got my IDF kit complete with a few exceptions. For anyone who has an interest in IDF loadouts I can give a few sources that would help and where to buy everything.
Ok so if anyone is interested in doing this loadout I can recommend where to get everything
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Zahal.org where most of the equipment can be bought is not an official Israel store, it's a military surplus store in Israel which sells items from manufacturers that also contract to the IDF.
BDUS (Olive green fatigues with Zahal insigma) you can buy directly from Zahal.org, they are the authentic BDU's used by the IDF. The old pair they had I believe were knockoff copys however the new ones are sewn very well, the buttons are hidden and it has a Z on the inside to show it is Zahal certified (Zahal is the name used in Israel for the Israel Defense Forces). They are reinforced pretty well so should take a good beating. They have a black Zahal tag as well on the uniform to show they are authentic and the newest issued uniform.
The new uniform has the buttons hidden, I think this is the Alef (dress) uniform which looks identical to the combat uniform (Beth)
Footwear, I have the red paratrooper boots. I don't like the new Israeli boots as they feel a bit light however they are lightweight boots. They do keep your feet from sweating and it's easy to run in them but they just feel a little too light for me. The new boots are made in China and India which has lowered quality a bit. Sometimes on ebay the older boots made in Israel from a company called NOGA-EINAT pop up. The materials considerably better however the IDF no longer issues them though they are still used. You do not HAVE to wear standard issue Israeli boots, you can wear trekking boots as well as many special forces wear these. Also on Zahal they sell what looks like a shoe called commando boots. These are very cheap and inexpensive, the IDF uses them mainly for CQB and short missions but for long missions boots will be much better.
Newer ones on the right (lightweight), older ones on the left (more common, heavy weight and made better.)
LBV, the IDF uses a variety of LBV's but they are mainly either homemade by sewing pockets on or they are made by commercial manufacturers like KATA, Marom-Dolphin, Export Erez and others. Marom-Dolphin being the most popular, many IDF have told me many soldiers wish they had Marom-Dolphin as apparently they are made to the highest standards. If you need a LBV there are several places I recommend, don't buy the LBV's from Zahal as they are a bit overpriced. You can get these at
http://www.zahal.org. They sell all the new Marom Dolphin vests and I believe some by Export Erez as well. They even have a modular vest from Marom Dolphin (not molle) which will take velcro pouches and packs and fit a plate in it as well. I wear a Export Erez EPHOD A-10 myself, this is mainly used by reservists or regular conscripts however they are built to last. They are much lighter than a vest and probably work a bit better in the heat. Alot of times the IDF will wear a Flak Jacket underneath the EPHOD.
Helmet, this one is going to be very difficult to find. Infact it took me at least 6 months to find one listed on Ebay and even then it was hard enough to find one for a reasonable price. Israel produces it's own helmets from companys such as Orlite and Rabintex. They exported some of these helmets to South Afrika (during apartheid) and Chile in the 80's. Unfortunately these helmets are very difficult to find as Israel appears to have some sort of shortage on them and have since 2002 requested American made PASGT helmets due to budget issues. The Israeli made helmets are still more common in the IDF however. There are only a few shops that appear to sell Israeli helmets, unfortunately they are not the version you will want, they appear to be copys of the PASGT advertised as KESDA or something like that and sell for 300 dollars, avoid these. Your best bet to find a helmet will be ebay, search for "IDF Helmet" and look for a specific shape and design of the helmet. I found my helmet from someone selling theres on ebay from South Afrika, it was advertised as a M83 (Rebranded Orlite helmet) helmet used by SA special forces. Sometimes helmets can go up to 600 dollars due to them being so scarce and very infrequently appearing on ebay. Here are some pictures for your reference what to look for if you get a helmet.
They even have ballistic level IIIA protection. Rabintex appears to manufacture a riot helmet with faceshield included though these are even more uncommon to appear on ebay.
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Helmet covers can include a mitznefet (looks like a chefhat or showercap with camoflouge pattern)
Googles, the most commmon goggles are standard Oakley goggles for special forces, most IDF use a brand called GENTEX EPS-21 which you can buy from
http://www.diamondbacktactical.com/Gentex-EPS-21-Goggle-P243C0.aspx . I don't know anything about them.
M4 Accessories, Israel uses the M4, M16, CAR-15, and on occasion (for armored core) the galil SAR. Most M4's Israel uses are actually halfbreeds, half CAR-15, half M4. A lot of times optics include ITL MARS, and Trijicon ACOG reflex sights. If anyone has the cash to spend on a 1500 dollar MARS sight be my guest. I use a AIMPOINT myself which though uncommon is somewhat used. A lot of times Israelis will use their own slings, I use a Sayeret sling myself which can be bought on Zahal.org under rifle accessories. Foregrips with handle are not uncommon either or a flashlight. For some reason many of the M4's appear to have elastic bands attached to it as well on the stock and the foregrip perhaps for better gripping? Not sure their purpose. Other items are random really, magpulls, couplers, magazine cover, etc.
Other accessories you can get on Zahal.org such as belt for uniform, patches (IDF doesn't wear patches on combat uniform they use two uniforms, Alef which is a dress uniform for walking around town and base and Beth which is used in combat, the only uniform sold on Zahal is the Beth uniform), and some other little stuff you can use. You can also search ebay for some little items.
http://www.israelmilitary.com is also a decent site though their shipping takes a lot longer.
It is difficult to get certain IDF helmets and is not as easy to get surplus say as communist or american equipment so a lot of it has to do with searching around. Many items have been replicated through surplus which you want to avoid as they are cheap copys that do not compare in quality to real IDF equipment. If you wish to see that an item is officially used by the Israeli military, look for a Z on any item you buy. If it does not have the Z it is a knockoff copy probably sold by some PLO/Hamas Arab Muslim Nazi mother in the North. The boots are probably the most common to be "knockoffs" and if it has a serial number it's more than likely stolen and legally is property of the IDF. You can find many neat items that were used in the Lebanon war on ebay that were used by soldiers and they legally own them, i've found small things such as a parka dubon (israeli jacket) to a israeli flashlight and radio. Hopefully others will find some appreciation with an IDF kit as much as I do
Topic: Israeli/IDF Combat gear (Read 15546 times)