I go both ways when looking at gear. Certainly, military has superior gear in some areas, but in what areas? Likewise, civilian gear is better in some areas. When deciding what you want, consider what qualities you are looking for in that particular piece of gear. Let's look at a few things and compare military to civilian.
There are some civilian brands out there that military actually uses such as Camelback. But they generally have their own manufacturers who make military gear. Packs fall into that category. Military has some awesome packs, but depending on what you are looking for. If your primary concern is durability, military is the way to go. They seem to have best made gear. The design on their packs are continually improving and becoming more comfortable. But if you are more concerned about comfort, civilian has it beat. There are many brands out there that specialize in packs, so they can research and develop packs for superior comfort and usability. Military manufactures, however, make gear designed for combat and rugged use. You can find a good pack with tons of space, but again, they are made for combat and pack space is designed to hold military equipment. Civilian brand packs are designed to optimally carry your camping and hiking gear effectively.
How about tents? The same goes for them. Military tents are designed for rugged use which is a good thing. However, every military tent I've used were all bulky and heavy. If you are backpacking, you want something designed to be lightweight and compact.
Food. I personally like MREs. I would take then on every trip. Some people don't care for them but it's because they dont know how to fix them. If you want to take MREs, you have to know how to cook them. Same goes for any packaged food. The reason I don't usually carry them, though, is because of the price. MREs are much more expensive. However, they are more nutritious than civilian brands. It's really a preference on taste and nutrition.
Survival gear. There are endless companies that make survival gear, but hands down, military is better. It's more durable, accurate, and will last longer. The function of the gear is usually more superior to civilian. Look at flashlights. The new military flashlights have so many features and not to mention waterproof. Civilian lensatic compasses tend to lose their accuracy after rugged use and even after sitting for an extended period if time. Military compasses last much longer. Military navigation gear is designed for military navigation so if you get military, get everything military in regards to survival and navigation. Some of it is compatible with civilian gear, but you're better off getting all military.
I personally think civilian sleeping bags are better than military. I do like military because they are warm, but they are very bulky and heavy. They don't compress like many civilian brands because they are made of durable materials. My military 30 degree bag is down, but made of canvass which really adds weight.
Mess kits are a great thing to have. Military mess kits are simple and cheap and are very light. You can put your packaged food, snack, coffee grinds, etc. in it while it's in your pack to keep everything together. However, it's not effective for cooking. Civilian brand kits are also optimized for cooking. I will, many times, bring both because the military ones make great plates and clean easily.
Overall, military and civilian have equally good gear. What you decide is based on what you are looking for in gear. I didn't cover all the items that could be compared, but you can see how military and civilian have their advantages and disadvantages. What do you prefer? Military or civilian?
