Need a Practical Halloween Costume? Try Military Surplus Outdoor Gear

Struggling to come up with a good Halloween costume idea?

Consider sending your son or daughter out as a hunter in full camo. Low-priced government-surplus camo goods make that practical, affordable and safe.

Here are a few specific ideas.

A six-pocket camo hunting vest. Officially known by the military as a "load bearing vest," this is a nifty-looking vest that is intended to hold many rounds of bullets -- but also works great for candy, gum and other "trick or treat" staples. You can get them on line for less than $20 at many online stores (including this one).

Hydration pouches. These comes with elastic bands that work great for kids. They snap open and shut with ease. Designed to hold specially designed military water bladders, they also work great for standard 2009-vintage water bottles. They hold tons of candy, too!

Backpacks. Military surplus back packs come in many styles, sizes and colors. You might want to check out the incredibly roomy standard-issue ALICE field packs in medium and large varieties (ALICE stands for "Advanced Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment"). Another option is the smaller and more efficient MOLLE packs ("Modular Lightweight Load-Bearing Equipment"), which come in woodland camo and desert camo options.

When ordering backpacks, be sure to ascertain whether shoulder straps are available. Also, for the large ALICE packs, you should also use an ALICE pack frame and a waist pad to fasten it.

More information about military surplus and hunting goods is available online at Heartland Values Outdoors, or at olive-drab.com.

Any other suggestions for Halloween costumes? Feel free to post a reply.