In an earlier post, I confessed my appreciation for the US military’s Boonie hat – the fly fisherman’s ideal warm-weather hat (at least for anyone willing to endure the icy glare of Fly Fishing’s Fashionistas).

I suggested more military surplus gear might find its way to the Budget Underground’s pages.

And why not?

Military “surplus” gear lacks panache (and any semblance of style), but it’s generally rugged and often attractively priced.

And if one thing’s become clear, it’s that the Undergrounders are a bunch of cheap bastards thrifty fly fishermen, and when our readers cry out for relief from pressing economic conditions, the Underground answers [strike heroic post].

Included in the descriptions below are links to a couple Cheap Gear Sources. Bear this in mind: I’m not suggesting these are the only places to get this stuff, and I’m also not benefiting in any way from the sale.

I’m just a giver, that’s all. A giver.

The Tube-Style Headwrap (The Buff)

You’ll find a lot of anglers wearing Buff headgear these days – especially those in sun-drenched saltwater environments.

They’re basically tubes of breathable fabric – a lightweight version of the venerable neck gaiter.

I was skeptical of the things – until I ran into a cloud of truly aggressive mosquitoes, and found only an empty bottle of repellent.

In desperation, I wore the Buff over my face and neck (my hat went on top), and while it was a little warm and fogged my glasses (eyeglass wearers know exactly what I mean), it was a hell of a lot better than a few dozen mosquito bites.

Speaking as someone who happily avoids the sun whenever possible, I’ve also pressed my tube headwear into a solar-avoidance role, and it worked – without wholly cooking me in the process.

Problem is, I lost my Buff.

And it turns out, they’re expensive ($20+). If you’re interested in one of their colorful patterns or anti-microbial/UV blocking tubes, then by all means buy the Buff.

If you can live with Olive Drab or Desert Tan, you can find a military-issue headwrap (Buff-style) product here – for $8.

They’re lightweight and basically disappear into the back pocket of a vest or chest pack, so you’ll do yourself the favor of always having one on hand when you really need it.

Like the affordable Boonie hat, I can’t see a reason you wouldn’t have a couple of these stashed in your gear.

They’ve become a staple on my small stream trips; they’ll protect you from sunburn (or more importantly, from more sunburn), keep you warm on cool days, and turn an irritating cloud of mosquitoes into background noise.

tube headwear

I risk ridicule, but not mosquito bites.

For $8.

At that “such a deal” price, buy a couple and squirrel them away (buy now, thank us later).

Identify Yourself

Ever leave a vest, bag, duffel or other piece of gear behind – without any ID attached?

(No, of course I haven’t – my mind is sharp as a #20 dry fly hook.)

However, it could conceivably happen to one of you, and when it does, you’ll be glad you’re a regular Underground reader.

We give you the US military dog tag.

They’re cheap, they’re durable, they’re custom – and with the included chains, they attach easily to a pack, vest, duffel, briefcase or other bag that can get left behind by aging, forgetful fly fishermen.

In simple terms, they offer a good Samaritan a chance to find the real owner.

And yes, if you’re struck by lightning or rendered unconscious by your own faulty backcast, wearing a dog tag might help folks find out who you are and how they can reach your family – especially if you’re like me and you often don’t carry your wallet into the wilderness.

Custom dog tags (complete with chain and rubber “silencers”) cost only $6/pair at The Command Post site, so for $12, you get four personalized tags – one to wear on a chain and three to scatter among your easily misplaced gear.

You may begin thanking me at any time.

Wader Aid

Small stream fishermen spend a lot of time hiding behind low-to-the-ground things, which means you either develop Lance Armstrong-level quads and squat, or you chew the crap out of your knees (and pinhole your expensive waders).

If you lean towards the latter, then you’ve no doubt ‘enjoyed’ that special moment when you find yourself hopping around on one knee while trying to dislodge the pointed rock from your kneecap.

It hurts, it’s not pretty, and there’s always the chance someone with a video camera will tape the event, landing you squarely on YouTube at one of your least photogenic moments.

The solution?

Knee pads for fly fishermen

Silly, but effective (no pinholes)

I bought a pair of these last year – when it became clear I was spending a lot of time fishing from my knees, and they weren’t happy about it.

Decades ago, I carried a pair of sizable “drywall” knee pads on fishing trips in an effort to avoid all those wader pinhole leaks that irritated the hell out of me.

Those worked (to a point), but didn’t stay up while walking and took up a fair amount of space in a daypack.

When I lost them, I didn’t bother to replace them.

Still, I recently went looking for a replacement, and discovered that a lot of US Special Forces troops wear knee protection in the form of “tactical” knee pads.

The newer, slimmer “tactical” knee pads stay on your knees better than the old geezers, and while they’re not exactly comfortable (you won’t wear them when you don’t need them), they’re good enough to carry along in the car.

For example, on my last small stream trip, I didn’t wear the things on the freestone part of the trip, but unlimbered them for the meadow portion, where you pretty much have to fish from your knees if you’d like to accomplish more than spooking trout.

Several different brands are available, but these are pretty cheap ($15), seem to work well, and are even available in camo colors.

It’s hard to imagine whipping these out on the Upper Sacramento River, but easy to see the benefits on a smaller venue, especially if you’re wet wading, and your knees are wholly unprotected.

Your knees will thank us…

See you at the surplus store, Tom Chandler.

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