There is always two sides to a story, non issued kit can be great, think stealth suits, and bivy bags back in the day, even boots. BUt the problem arises when people have no concept of what they require, and buy stuff off the cuff, through hear say, or because of glossy magazines. Everyone says things like, "well, I'll just take that risk". But when it comes down to it, can you afford to take the risk? People on Sov Ops have brought mec goose down parka's, gutted the old parka of its liner, and worn the down, works great until the level of exertion you are doing excedes the moisture management of the down jacket. Then it turns into a cold, wet, thin, and potentially deadly item. Or, the people that were into the dragon skin armour, I don't know the full story on it, but it seems that someone in the US is answering a lot of important questions about that body armour. I am in no way defending one side or the other, but, the issued stuff of this generation has been trialled by the end user, and most items require 80 percent acceptance by the end user before it is put in service. You may not agree, but that is the way it is. On top of this, items are subjected to wear in trials, they are burned, washed many times, worked to the point of failure, and trialed by users around the CF to ensure there is no one group boning another by giving it 100 percent while anothergroup says 10 percent. And anyone on here that is arguing that a troop should first, be competent and confident in the use of his basic issue kit has something wrong. The tac vest may not cary ten mags comfortably, but it will carry them, in the C9 pouch, stuffed in the map pocket, or any where else you can stuff it, and at the expense of the issued canteen, but it will carry them. A non issue rig may be more comfortable, but if it craps out Beyond Gun Tap Repair (BGTR), then you must know how to use what you will be issued in its stead. A guy covered in Snugpak must understand that if that stuff is burned in a tent fire, he can put the innner and outer issued sleeping bag together, place them inside a bivy bag, use the issued sleeping pad, and he will still get a good nights sleep.
Complaints about kit will carry on forever. Even if the army completely re-issued everything that is on the aftermarket right now, a year from now, guys would see "better" things, and want them. This doesn't mean that the issued stuff is junk, just means that time marches on. There once was a time that Danner's were the only good aftermarket boot, now look at the market, Swat's, Magnum, Bates, Haix, Hanwag, Lowa, and the list goes on.
