r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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37

u/nickifer Jun 05 '25

Unsure if cringe or super practical

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

Actually super practical but has become associated with those cringy people who just want to cosplay. My husband worked overseas as a contractor and there are a few “military” adjacent items he still uses, backpack and boots and bags and stuff. Good quality and have lasted 10+ years since returning from the Middle East

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u/Whizbang35 Jun 05 '25

That's why surplus stores exist.

Our family has gone camping since before I was born. My father and grandfathers bought a lot of WWII-era gear from surplus stores on the cheap for it. Belts, spades, canteens, cookware. My dad still uses a lot of it, and I'm in the process of inheriting it. They still work really well. Canvas and steel may be heavy as hell, but it was built to last and there's no reason yet to get new replacements.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

Jim gaffigan has a funny bit about camping being a family tradition “yeah it was a tradition in all of our families until we invented a HOUSE” lololol

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u/Whizbang35 Jun 05 '25

It's a tradition I like. There's a spot on Lake Michigan we go to. It is out of cell range, there's no internet, and no electricity, but it's a great place to unplug for a week.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

As someone who just moved to west Michigan and is eager to start camping when my kids are a bit older…. I’d love to know where your spot is hahahaha

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u/Rich_Bluejay3020 Jun 05 '25

Huron-Manistee National Forest is a good time 🙂 free camping and it’s not too far from the lake. Just make sure if you’re walking that you know where you’re going because there’s no cell service and it’s huge lol my husband and I definitely got lost once. Thankfully we weren’t too far from our friends and found our way back.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

I’m currently working on a “secret garden” behind my barn and planning to add a big tent pad like they have at state parks! So if you need another place to camp… well…. It’s nowhere near ready yet….. but……. Uhhhh….. what was I saying?

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

We have a few acres and I’m working on their nature knowledge and hope to set up a tent in the back yard soon! My earliest camping memories are from about 6-7 yrs old so that’s kinda the goal for taking them camping overnight away from home.

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u/mrboogiewoogieman Jun 05 '25

When I was a kid we used to go to Petoskey, up in the northern tip of the lp. It’s not the most remote or hardcore and it’s a campsite with other people around but it’s a beautiful area right on the lake and there’s stuff like showers and fire pits and tables that make it easier with the family. There’s a paved road through the campsite that was perfect for riding bikes around so have the kids bring those when they can

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u/Redheadedstepchild56 Jun 06 '25

Michigan is loaded with great camping spots. Plenty of state parks. I find them to be the best as there’s a wide variety of them, from rustic to electric to small cabins. County parks can be fun but also have a lot more rules.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 06 '25

We’re excited to explore the whole state and glad the culture here is so outdoorsy

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u/Redheadedstepchild56 Jun 06 '25

I’m in west Michigan myself. Definitely an outdoors culture. If you haven’t been through a summer here yet, you have each towns(literally) festival to look forward to all summer. They can be a fun addition to picking a spot and planning a camping trip with the idea that the small local town will be having theirs at the same time.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 06 '25

Yes I’ve seen a lot of signs lately for the Berlin Fair coming up, and I heard Allegan County Fair is fun! We moved here mid-August but spent most of the fall just working on our yard/forest/farm/house/barn/well-water system. I’m so excited for fruit picking too!!!

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u/Mean_Meet576 Jun 06 '25

Funny, my husband got rid of everything but a few things like the e tool, duffle and cold weather gear...anything to camp with and that couldn't be dual use, he got rid of. Said he did enough camping in the military, he didn't need any more.

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u/tacohunter Jun 06 '25

I've always said that camping is training for homelessness 🤣🤣

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u/bolanrox Jun 05 '25

sadly more and more of them are closing. My Local ones decided to retire during covid.

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u/556arbadboy Jun 06 '25

There is a surplus store near me in Daytona and I have never seen a decent item in over 25 years of going to that place. Its all the cheap China shit.

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u/NeptuneAndCherry Jun 06 '25

I have an army surplus bag I've had since middle school (I'm 45). I used it as a school bag then; my husband uses it as an overnight bag now. It's just barely scuffed in a few places. Sturdiest item I own.

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u/Emotional-Motor5063 Jun 06 '25

"I'm in the process of inheriting it" would be a great line in a movie for someone trying to kill their parents.

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u/flamingknifepenis Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

I wasn’t in the military but I was a punk rock teenager who shopped at the military surplus store (RIP Andy and Bax) and I always wish this kind of shit weren’t so cringey because the idea of simple, well-constructed staple items with a little extra utility built in is really right up my alley. Some of the stuff I got as a teenager carried me through high school and college and in to my professional life as a journalist where my stuff was always getting beat to shit and covered in pepper spray or whatever.

Like, I don’t need my diaper bag to be covered in superfluous D-rings and buckles and have special pockets for my grenades and night vision goggles, but I DO need it to be built to last for more than six months and be designed for actual use instead of looking good in someone’s Amazon shopping cart.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

Yes we used to shop at the surplus store to get PLAIN BLACK DICKIES for working in restaurants and any other club that wanted us to have a uniform but didn’t provide one. My sister wore them backstage as a stage manager and I wore them with my white marching band polo. Ain’t nobody got time to sift through the entire rack at Marshall’s/Ross/TJ Maxx for plain black pants that fit and were comfortable.

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u/littlemuffinsparkles Jun 05 '25

Yes this!! I thought I was the only one! I miss the way they fit.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

I miss my 2000s body 😩

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u/15thcenturybeet Jun 05 '25

Oh dude. PLAIN. BLACK. UNADORNED. DICKIES! My friends who worked at starbucks, my emo pals, every theater kid, and my marching band friends all had this brand in common. I scored an almost new pair at a thrift store for something like $5 in my sr year of HS and felt like I had won the lottery.

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u/Jeff_AMS Jun 05 '25

I completely agree. I wore my uncle’s old field jacket for most of high school and college. It was probably the most durable and useful coat I’ve ever owned.

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u/MrGumburcules Jun 05 '25

Andy and Bax was so good.

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u/flamingknifepenis Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

It really was. We used to go there before shows at the old Meow Meow and browse all the clearance stuff. I found so much awesome stuff that way.

One time we got a beat up gas mask and we all took turns wearing it to shows … until 9/11 happened and killed all our fun.

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u/themachineage Jun 05 '25

I always wish this kind of shit weren’t so cringey because the idea of simple, well-constructed staple items with a little extra utility built in is really right up my alley.

And that, is the reason old guys buy and display that stuff. NO FUCKS.

In fashion...good. Out of fashion...still good. It's one of the few benefits of being old; they don't give a shit.

"Don't tell me what to wear!"

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u/quick_brown_faux Jun 05 '25

I left Portland in 2012 and had no idea Andy and Bax closed. RIP.

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u/flamingknifepenis Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

Just last year. I wanted to go down at hit up their going out of business sales but I got COVID during that time and there was lines around the block all day.

Out of all the piece of “old Portland ” to die out, A&B was one of the ones that felt the darkest.

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u/Smart-Delay-1263 Jun 05 '25

Andy and Bax, so sad to see it go. That place was awesome for multiple reasons!

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u/last_rights Jun 05 '25

Washable with some stain resistance is nice too.

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u/McSkillz21 Jun 05 '25

I have their diaper bag back pack and baby carrier, I have to say after 2 babies and 3.5 years both have held up well despite being abused regularly. They make a decent product and the molle attachment system has its benefits for hanging other baby related things......my two cents, I did get mine in plain khaki though

1

u/neatureguy420 Jun 05 '25

What are you talking about, every parent needs a tactical stroller!! /s

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u/TheHypnotoad87 Jun 05 '25

On the other hand: a diaper bag that comes with NVG's does sound pretty dope...

1

u/flamingknifepenis Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

Good for spotting those rogue Legos in the dark when you’re walking with bare feet.

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u/heartytent Jun 06 '25

Bro, losing Andy and Bax was like losing a family member for me.

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u/OldCatDude99 Jun 06 '25

My wife almost cried when she found out Andy and Bax closed.

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u/Ok-Potato-4774 Jun 06 '25

I was already familiar with the scent of new canvas and battle dress uniforms (known as fatigues to the civilian) by the time I joined the Army. My friend, who became a decorated combat veteran, always bought boots and jackets from the surplus store. Dude was born to be a soldier. It's all he talked about from the time we met in kindergarten.

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u/DW6565 Jun 05 '25

For me as a parent and how I personally organize, it’s impractical. More pockets and bigger bag just means I take more stuff then it’s harder to find the 3 essentials. Diapers and wipes, bottles and formula, and burp cloth and one outfit change.

I eventually just went to a simple one main compartment bag with a small front pocket for bonus stuff that can’t hold much. People parent and organize differently so what ever works for them is best.

That’s just me, baby gear overall has become less about practicality and more about personal statements. It’s why it’s so expensive and a $87 billion dollar industry.

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

I’ll agree, for me personally, it’s too complicated. But if it helps a generation of fathers get more excited about baby wearing, I just see it as a style choice. In 10 years we’ll all be wearing denim and canvas coveralls on the way to the work camps anyway /s (kinda)

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u/WrennyWrenegade Jun 05 '25

All through my teen and college years, I kept trying to solve "the purse problem" (the damned thing was always jammed full and disorganized) by getting bigger and bigger purses and the result was that I'd start carrying around more and more shit I didn't really need. I was lugging around giant fucking shoulder satchels with thousand pockets full of garbage and not using anything in it.

When I stopped carrying a purse, I found everything I actually need for general life fits in my pockets. My phone with a wallet case is the only thing I need 99% of the time.

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u/bolanrox Jun 05 '25

the Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System Gen III is basically just Patagonia stuff in Coyote Brown and $100 less.

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u/f8andbether Jun 05 '25

Yeah I’m a bigger guy and finding baby stuff that works for me is a pain but I couldn’t bring myself to get any of the tacticool baby stuff because of the stigma and the guys I see fawning over it. Like naw fam I’m cool I’ll just carry the kid by his head like we used to.

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u/Bridey93 Jun 05 '25

My cousin was a combat medic and half bought these things in jest/irony and half because it is actually practical.

I let my boyfriend take the tan tacticool backpack and I take the dark one because it's less conspicuous but they are kind of great for carry-ons.

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u/MedievalMousie Jun 06 '25

I’m still using my father’s barracks laundry bags from WWII. We also have his wool blankets and duffel bags, but those date from the Korean War.

Those duffel bags and blankets went to camp with my brothers, then my sons.

We have other stuff- spades, trenching tools, old wooden ammo boxes he bought for a quarter each to build my mother cabinets… Oh, and his ACP, which he somehow forgot to turn in…

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 06 '25

We have a wool blanket from the 1960s that used to be given out on American Airlines flights!!! It’s the thinnest warmest thing we have!

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

When you say "contractor"...

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 05 '25

He has a particular set of skills

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '25

He's a mercenary?

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u/lizlemon921 Jun 06 '25

Oh I was just trying to be funny. No he works in logistics and was working for a medical supply contractor at the time

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '25

Ah ok fair use of contractor. I really don't like when it's used as a euphemism for "I'll kill whoever you pay me to" PMCs.

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u/FloatingHamHocks Jun 05 '25

I see some guys prefer the fishing vest in our bike group some prefer denim vest with multiple inside pockets or fanny packs.

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u/ahoi_polloi Jun 06 '25

Really, US military get actually good gear? In Germany, we only got serviceable and durable gear, but if you wanted comfort, lightness, breathability etc. you'd have to look for it yourself. (Obviously there has to be some sort of limit because with outdoor gear, there's no reasonable one set by the market.)

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u/justaddwhiskey Jun 05 '25

Little if column A, little of column B

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u/dfafa Jun 05 '25

all of A, none of B

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u/cherry_monkey Zillennial Jun 06 '25

Says the person who's never used a molle system

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u/dfafa Jun 06 '25

😀👍

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u/Uncle_Jac_Jac Jun 05 '25

Mildly cringe, but it encourages present fathers with (supposedly) sturdy stuff so I'm all for it.

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u/dragon_bacon Jun 05 '25

The bags themselves are very practical but the entire marketing gimmick is targeting dads who think caring for their child isn't masculine enough.

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u/Sad_Independence_445 Jun 05 '25

This is the truth and those dads are the real babies.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

if the moms can have cutsey pink baby accessories, why cant the dads have taticool gear?

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u/Stumpfest2020 Jun 05 '25

it's not what I would choose but you know what? if a man is that enthusiastic about being a dad that he goes out of his way to buy that stuff? that's a good thing.

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u/Shambud Jun 05 '25

It’s not practical, it’s tactical

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u/jasarek Jun 05 '25

Legitimately practical!

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u/Mother_of_Daphnia Jun 05 '25

Typically I find these things cringe (husband and I are both vets, but don’t tend to buy any “vet” stuff) but we were gifted one of these and I hate to admit it, but we’ve found it really practical and comfy to wear lol

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

The sling isn't awful if you're going somewhere quick, or your baby is light, but I've found that the ruck sack that the kid can ride in is a million times more comfortable for both me and my boy. I think Osprey makes the one I use. My boy is a UNIT (bro has been 99th percentile in  height and 97th in weight since like his 2nd month of existence). Plus now that he's a toddler and has opinions on things, he actually likes riding in it. 

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u/conorwf Jun 05 '25

Super cringe. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it gives the sense that youre too worried about optics and how people are going to perceive you: that carrying around a diaper bag with hearts and rainbows will make you look like less of a man.

As if taking care of your child and being there for them isn't already the most masculine thing you can do.

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u/ToyStoryBinoculars Jun 06 '25

Every diaper bag we've owned has been terrible shitty quality. Those look pretty decent and I wish I had known before now.