Started in 1996 by Mark Brown trading out of the back of his old Volvo on the local markets, we have grown (through 2 old Leyland Dafs, Amy joining the company and the expansion of the internet) into the Military and Outdoor you see today.
We bring together the worlds of Military and Outdoor, combining our loves of quality, reliability, heritage, craftsmanship, values and the outdoors. We offer our customers a wide selection of clothing built for action, whether it’s a weekend walk, bushcraft, or on deployment. Offering a combination of brands and genuine military surplus you won’t find on the high street we’re a unique destination for our valued customers who are looking for a range that suits their lifestyle.
Early Days Approx 1998
We trade at airshows and events all over the country and have been to some amazing places over the years including RIAT, RAF Waddington airshow, RAF Cosford Airshow, Dunsfold wings and wheels (where we accidentally ended up driving on the runway with a spitfire trying to land!) Imperial War Museum, RAF Cosford and many many more.
RIAT 2013
We’ve had some great adventures along the way and continue to do so to this day, including when one van broke down near an event and we had to get a recovery vehicle to take us back to the stall – Mark was so excited to be able to direct the driver with the famous words “Follow that tank”; and when it rained so much the entire stall bowed like a banana under the weight and we had to get a blacksmith on site to bend it back before we could trade for the day. Aargh!
We now trade online as well as the big events and buy in items from around the world. We stock a selection of new brand items and import military surplus from countries around the world. Some of this surplus we buy in knowing what we’re getting, some of it we order in bulk and it’s like Christmas discovering what’s in the box. This approach can yield some very, very, odd items so keep a watch on our social media for our latest random stuff finds.
We’re a small but mighty team here at Military and Outdoor, including husband and wife team Amy and Mark.
Mark Brown Founder, started with one market stall in 1996 and has worked hard to build it up since then.
Marks area of expertise is primarily sales, buying, and new lines. He is at all the shows ('cause Amy's too short to put the sheet on the stall) . Secret skill: weather forecasting.
Amy Brown Partner
Joined Military and Outdoor in 2011.
Amy runs the website - internet sales and social media sides of the company, does all the show booking and accounts, and sometimes helps at shows. Secret skill: Animal Artist
So if you’d like to learn more about us, or fancy a chat, please feel free to pop in if you see us at an event, sign up to our newsletter, or follow us on social media for regular updates of new stock, events we’ll be attending, or weird and wonderful things we find as we go along.
We look forward to meeting you.
Mark, Amy and the team at Military and Outdoor