First British Kit, Help Me!

Essential items for a non-look-a-like impression are:

Battledress trousers (+ braces)
Battledress jacket and/or denison smock
Webbing set (belt, utility pouches and braces at a minimum)
Gaiters (or puttees maybe)
Boots (ammo or dms are best)
Helmet (tommy, turtle or airborne; or maybe a cap comforter, GS cap or beret depending on the impression)
Weapon

Then add extras as you see fit...

Huzzah! Another Brit!

To be honest mate its easier if you tell us what you are going for.

Brit line inf?
Commando?
Airborne

If you'd like to join us then the first kit to get is the airborne lot, we can advise you well here.

Different regiments have different headwear or even helmet types.

What sort of brit impression do you want to do and have you looked at our loadout guides?
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/zoom/2commando.html
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/zoom/lowland.html
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/zoom/staffs.html
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/zoom/hallamshires.html

I'll go for the Airborne kit in that case, that would be the South Staffs regiment then?

Ideally I would like to go for the 52nd Lowland uniform eventually, but I was hoping to start with something a bit more basic and then eventually adding bits on as I get more games under my belt (and build up some more funds ).

In that case the minimum kit to get is.

maroon beret (old style one $8 from WPG)
Denison smock (half zip pattern £100 from Soldier of Fortune - best you ca get and cheap, they used to be 225 for one on that quality)
37 or 40 pattern trousers

webbing wise get a war pattern (brass fittings and popper closures) set of:
belt
braces
2 basic bren pouches
water bottle and carrier

from Sabre sales, shoudl cost you about £20 -£25 while you are there try and get some anklets/gaiters (should be about £3)

Boots you want as rich said black ammo boots or DMS boots, again about £20 from sabre sales.

Thats the minimum to look spot on.

Extras you might want (these wont be seem much but help)

2 colour 40s scrim scarf (useful for camming up the red beret or wearing round your neck.
trouser braces
round neck collarless 'grandad shirt'
clasp knife and lanyard

So really you shoudl be able to get a full *spot on* loadout for about £150 - £200.

You can do it for much cheaper by buying counts as kit but todds are you'll end up replacing it for correct stuff later.

If you want the cheaper options i can advise you there but the above is the *best value* choices and stockists.

Doh you have webbing anyway

in that case beret £4/$8
Smock £100
Trousers from keith £40?

so about £150 to look the business.

I should have webbing somewhere, but i've been looking all day and can't find it anywhere, so I may have to buy some.

luckily its the cheapest thing going,

on average pay no more than 10 quid for a belt
no more than 8 quid for a pair f bren pouches
2 quid a piece for cross braces
about 4 quid for water bottle and carrier.

In that case the minimum kit to get is.

maroon beret (old style one $8 from WPG)
Denison smock (half zip pattern £100 from Soldier of Fortune - best you ca get and cheap, they used to be 225 for one on that quality)
37 or 40 pattern trousers

webbing wise get a war pattern (brass fittings and popper closures) set of:
belt
braces
2 basic bren pouches
water bottle and carrier

from Sabre sales, shoudl cost you about £20 -£25 while you are there try and get some anklets/gaiters (should be about £3)

Boots you want as rich said black ammo boots or DMS boots, again about £20 from sabre sales.

Thats the minimum to look spot on.

Extras you might want (these wont be seem much but help)

2 colour 40s scrim scarf (useful for camming up the red beret or wearing round your neck.
trouser braces
round neck collarless 'grandad shirt'
clasp knife and lanyard

So really you shoudl be able to get a full *spot on* loadout for about £150 - £200.

You can do it for much cheaper by buying counts as kit but todds are you'll end up replacing it for correct stuff later.

If you want the cheaper options i can advise you there but the above is the *best value* choices and stockists.

Gadge,i am a big fan of the Rangercamp denisons and for £100 new they are fantastic but best-nope-the K+C,Gmax,SOF etc smocks are still in my opinion the best and sometimes can be picked up used for £100 if you are very very lucky

But yes-for the money and for a NEW smock the Rangercamp smocks certainly cannot be beat and hopefuly in time all Belgian,WPG and Replicaters Denisons will be banished forever

Where can you get the Rangercamp stuff from, do you just contact the guy via email or is there a wholesaler here in the UK?

This is the person handling Rangercamp sales in the UK:
Ellen Yao - springwestlake@googlemail.com

Or you can now get it from Soldier of Fortune - http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/reenactors/index.asp
'1942 1/2 Zip Denison smock' £100

I've just checked SoF and they do a full zip and a half zip version, does it make much of a diference which one I go for or is it just a matter of personal preference?

I've just checked SoF and they do a full zip and a half zip version, does it make much of a diference which one I go for or is it just a matter of personal preference?

Full zip was generally a tailored alteration done by/for officers, std. one was half zip.

Thanks for clearing that up, i'll go with the half zip then, don't think i'm officer material!

all Belgian,WPG and Replicaters Denisons will be banished forever

Why's that then?

Cos they're not as good...

Cos they're not as good...

Unless someone's planning on handing over free £100 bundles, my replicaters one's here to stay, i'm afraid.

heh... I can understand that. But I managed to sell my Replicaters one on after I got my Rangercamp ones. Though for a MUCH reduced price as I don't think they're worth the £60 that Sanjay charges.

Not only is there the fading problem, but there are a number of mistakes in the design, the material is too thick and the popper fronts have a habit of coming off because of the very thin brass they're made from.

heh... I can understand that. But I managed to sell my Replicaters one on after I got my Rangercamp ones. Though for a MUCH reduced price as I don't think they're worth the £60 that Sanjay charges.

Not only is there the fading problem, but there are a number of mistakes in the design, the material is too thick and the popper fronts have a habit of coming off because of the very thin brass they're made from.

Yeah, i know what you mean, but at the time it was a £60 one, or a £200 one. If i were to buy one now, i'd certainly go for the rangercamp one, but it wasn't available back then, and i doubt i'd be able to sell mine for anything worthwhile towards buying one.