1986 NZ DPM Trousers

Stumbled across these today thinking at first that they were some nicely-faded British tropical DPM trousers, until I read the label. I loved the colouration from the fading, so I grabbed them; for $9 I couldn't say no!


Here's the tag:

These trousers seem to be in really good condition for being a disposal piece, other than the fading. But for me, that's a plus!

Wow,super cool pick up Ben,I like these a lot mate,nice one

I love the colouring on these trews, Teal and Mustard Eye candy!!!!

The mustard patches of colour were actually what caught my eye... I rifled through the rack to find the hanger they were on and had patrons staring at me like a madman. Ah, militaria collecting at its finest!

Camo_fiend wrote:The mustard patches of colour were actually what caught my eye... I rifled through the rack to find the hanger they were on and had patrons staring at me like a madman. Ah, militaria collecting at its finest!

Yeah Mate,I can imagine. General run of the mill surplus store customers ,have absolutely no idea at all,about us madmen,who swoop onto items that catch our eye....

The fools,if only they knew ,what we know

Easy Gee wrote:The fools,if only they knew ,what we know

But, thankfully they don't, which leaves more for us who do!

Good find! These are not easy to come by, and certainly not at $9 And a great condition tag on top of that. You did very well for yourself.

A long time ago Sportsmans Guide had a bunch of these. I bought a couple, but it took me quite a bit longer to get a jacket in good matching colors. There are at least two earlier versions of the trousers which were worn with green shits. The colors were not nearly as fun as this set

Steve

Thanks, Steve!

I had not known that SG sold these before... and yes, I have already found that components to complete this uniform are tricky to find. So far even ebay has turned up nothing. Based on some research I've done, there were quite a few variants of the NZ DPM pattern.

And you're right -- the wacky variations of the faded dyes are all the fun in collecting these!

Camo_fiend wrote:

Easy Gee wrote:The fools,if only they knew ,what we know

But, thankfully they don't, which leaves more for us who do!

Absolutely Mate, but it does tick me off,when you see some guy ,picking up something really unusual,to use for fishing or whatever ...


"No!!!!!!...put it back on the shelf,and walk away,you will not use it for fishing,and get it get it covered in Fish guts and scales, I NEED it for my collection".

That was how I lost out on a nice desert DPM smock awhile back... if I'd only gotten there 5 minutes sooner!

Camo_fiend wrote:That was how I lost out on a nice desert DPM smock awhile back... if I'd only gotten there 5 minutes sooner!

I am amazed that DPM is as common as it appears to be in the states, when I look around my surplus stores, US kit is as rare as hen's teeth

But I'm glad for your sake,you can get Brit kit in stores,and not have to rely solely on buying it on-line....that would be a Bummer of the highest order

It was only after I started buying UK kit online that it started to appear in the shops where I live... talk about frustrating.
Thankfully I don't have to buy online as much now, though, since it's available "in-person".

Camo_fiend wrote:Thanks, Steve!

I had not known that SG sold these before... and yes, I have already found that components to complete this uniform are tricky to find. So far even ebay has turned up nothing. Based on some research I've done, there were quite a few variants of the NZ DPM pattern.

Yup! Just check out the pics in this thread. I posted a few of mine:

https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t3798-nz-dpm-shirts

[url]And you're right -- the wacky variations of the faded dyes are all the fun in collecting these! [/quote]

These were not simply manufacturing control issues. They really did have different colors from batch to batch in the 1990s. Different cuts too. Damned hard to find decent condition matching items.

Steve

nice find, i also have a similar pair, except it was manufactured two year earlier than yours, 1984
and had no washing instructions
i got it for 5 bucks, as it was complete trash to the person who owned it (was an ex-serving member of the NZ air force)

$5 is an even better deal!

that a nice find, and frankly im jealous, you just cant find NZ DPM here in NZ it just doesnt show up.

That's a shame that it's so difficult to find... I love the brighter greens and yellows of the NZ DPM!

they really are nice aye my favorite NZ DPM was that which i saw painted on a tank(cant remember which type) parked outside the army museum, it was a pink DDPM designed for the desert road where most army testing happens, and it actually works really well, despite looking odd parked up next to a building

KeeghanM wrote:they really are nice aye my favorite NZ DPM was that which i saw painted on a tank(cant remember which type) parked outside the army museum, it was a pink DDPM designed for the desert road where most army testing happens, and it actually works really well, despite looking odd parked up next to a building

do you mean the one at Waiorou (pardon my spelling) camp? Been there before, got some photos of some NZSAS uniforms
will post it if requested.

KeeghanM wrote:that a nice find, and frankly im jealous, you just cant find NZ DPM here in NZ it just doesnt show up.

i know you pain dude, was in Auckland for a month, had trouble getting one despite several members of the family in the NZDF...

Camo_fiend wrote:$5 is an even better deal!

"another man's trash is another man's treasure"

lammasulyon wrote:do you mean the one at Waiorou (pardon my spelling) camp? Been there before, got some photos of some NZSAS uniforms
will post it if requested.

yeah at Waiouru Army Museum, and id love to see those NZSAS pics, as they are hard to come by.

KeeghanM wrote:

lammasulyon wrote:do you mean the one at Waiorou (pardon my spelling) camp? Been there before, got some photos of some NZSAS uniforms
will post it if requested.

yeah at Waiouru Army Museum, and id love to see those NZSAS pics, as they are hard to come by.

there was a nzsas exhibition at that time, so i cdonsider myself lucky

NZSAS in Vietnam



in Afghanistan, 2002



in Afghanistan, current




A range of NZSAS arms, Vietnam to current



New Zealand Regular Army in Afghanistan

ah yes the exhibiton, saw that about a week ago but we were told off for taking photos and they made us delete them on the spot kinda sad bout that.

@ lammasulyon,

Thank for the NZSAS pics, it was especially nice to see a detailed pic of the modernised L1A1 as seen in this NZSAS recruitment poster:

KeeghanM wrote:ah yes the exhibiton, saw that about a week ago but we were told off for taking photos and they made us delete them on the spot kinda sad bout that.

That is seriously retarded. A lot of these items would be obsolete anyway. If anything was current OpSec it shouldn't be on public display in the first place ...

filupe wrote:That is seriously retarded. A lot of these items would be obsolete anyway. If anything was current OpSec it shouldn't be on public display in the first place ...

my thoughts exactly