Avery Trufelman

Surplus comes from big, massive militaries with lots of cheap excess sloshing around.

The end of the draft led to a smaller, tighter army that can be accounted for.

There doesn't end up being that much left over.

It's not like a company supplying to the military is going to be like, oops, we made a couple extra hundred thousand jackets.

Clothing for the 21st century army is made to order by private companies who stand to make a lot of money.

So many of the brands that you know and love are in fact military contractors.

They make a lot of clothes for the military or for special operations.

They're really, really, really interconnected.

Like Arcteryx does it.

Patagonia says they don't do it, but they used to do it under another company.

Gore-Tex does it.

Vibram does it.

Danner does it.

It's really, really common.

If you are a company who is trying to do business with the military, the AUSA conference is the place to be.

It's where all kinds of companies from gun manufacturers to health startups to cell phone carriers set up booths and try to impress the generals who are strolling around.

Also present are a number of well-known clothing companies and suppliers.

Many of them ignored me or shrugged me off a number of times before they would finally do me the kindness of outright refusing to talk to me.

Refuse to talk.

I wasn't that surprised.