introduction

The Value Gear series of tents, tarps, crates, truck stowage and tank stowage has grown from a few items to an entire line. These are three of the earlier items that found their way into a corner and were undeservedly overlooked.

what you get

Inside each Ziploc baggie stapled to a header card are 12-22 gray resin pieces in the shapes of folded tents, tarps, boxes and tools.

#9: 12 pieces
#10: 22 pieces
#12: 18 pieces

the review

One of the best things about Value Gear products are what's in the name: value. Instead of paying twice the price for stowage, you get a nice selection of items that will work on just about any scenario from Roman times to the present. I have used Value Gear stowage on any number of models, and really like the way I can mix & match them depending on the need.

The casting is pristine and there is no mold-release scum, so you can paint the pieces right out of the bag (I still recommend soaking them overnight in Blech-Wite or Windex to make sure there is nothing to interfere with paint adhesion). And while they're designed to go on flat surfaces, if you immerse them in boiling water for ten seconds, you can bend them to flop over the edges of fenders or truck beds.

The individual pieces aren't really designed for stacking on top of each other, but a little work with a file or sanding stick would likely allow for some of that. The nice thing about these sets is it doesn't matter if you fail with one or two, there are plenty more where they came from.

Value Gear has moved on from basic sets like these to individualized truck and tank stowage. But there definitely remains a place for generic tents and tarps in any modeler's stash.

The attractive thing about these three sets is their very different take on stowage: set #9 has tents and tarps placed atop boxes, giving the appearance of gear stowed for a journey. Set #10 is a mixture of tools and tarps strapped together. Set #12 is focused more on backpacks and other smaller items, along with tools like shovels and pickaxes strapped down so they don't fall off.

conclusion

There's really no downside to picking up a few of these sets. They're good for any army, any era, and will fit on just about any flat surface.

Thanks to Value Gear for providing these review samples. Be sure to mention you saw them reviewed here on Armorama when ordering.