about gear rack
About Us
What Is Gear Rack?
Gear Rack is a military surplus company based in Tampa, Florida, specializing in genuine modern U.S. military surplus. We source much of our inventory in large quantities, often by the full truckload, directly from military bases and government-contracted liquidation and disposal channels.
A typical shipment can weigh around 20,000 pounds and contain thousands of individual pieces. Once it arrives, a big part of the work is sorting through everything, identifying what each item is, checking its condition, and getting it ready to sell. Since these shipments can include such a wide mix of equipment, we never know exactly what we are going to come across until we start going through it.
Most of the gear we find comes from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. That can include uniforms, packs, pouches, field gear, cold-weather equipment, sleeping systems, boots, helmets, and all kinds of other military equipment.
We also get some foreign surplus, older gear, and unusual items mixed in from time to time. That is part of what makes the process interesting, because certain pieces may only show up once. For businesses or resellers looking to buy in larger quantities, we also operate GearRackWholesale.com.
How It Started
Gear Rack was founded by William Perez, whose interest in military history began at a young age through stories of his grandfather’s Army service, along with collecting military items and visiting museums, military shows, and surplus stores. Over time, that interest grew into researching, collecting, buying, and selling militaria.
The business originally began as BSR Militaria, with a focus on individual military antiques and collectibles. As it grew, so did the scale of its purchases. Individual items became boxes, boxes became pallets, and pallets eventually became full truckloads of military surplus.
What Is Military Surplus?
Military surplus is gear that was originally made for the military but is no longer needed and is later sold to the public. This can include uniforms, bags, pouches, clothing, field gear, and other equipment. Some surplus was previously issued and used by service members, while other items may be completely new and were never issued. New surplus often becomes available when the military changes uniforms, replaces equipment, ends a contract, or moves to a newer system, so surplus can range from brand-new equipment to well-used or damaged gear.
how we get our surplus
Military equipment is regularly replaced, phased out, or declared excess as new uniforms, contracts, and equipment systems are introduced. Some of that gear is then released through military bases and government-contracted liquidation and disposal channels.
We purchase directly through these sources, usually in large quantities rather than ordering individual products from manufacturers. A single shipment can include new or unissued gear, used equipment, damaged items, discontinued products, and unusual one-off pieces. In many cases, we only know part of what is included before the shipment arrives.
Once a load reaches us, our team opens the pallets and containers, identifies what we received, and sorts everything by product type, size, condition, military branch, camouflage pattern, manufacturer, and other relevant details.
Condition and Liquidation
Our regular inventory includes New, Used, and Damaged equipment, with condition determined by the overall state and serviceability of the item.
Severely damaged surplus is sometimes separated into our Liquidation collection rather than discarded. These items may still contain usable components or have value for repairs, projects, displays, parts, or other uses where full serviceability is not required.
Condition varies from item to item, and Liquidation products are priced accordingly.
For more information about how we classify item condition and determine sizing, visit our Sizing & Conditions page.
Documenting the Process
A major part of Gear Rack is documenting what happens behind the products we sell. We regularly share unusual finds, military history, sorting, identification, and the work involved in processing military surplus so customers can better understand where the equipment comes from and how it reaches the website. YouTube is the main place we document that process, with additional content shared through Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.