by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 11/97) - "We have items from all over the world, new unissued products and German camouflage patterns," says the owner of Mil-Spec. "They'll stand up in combat and stand up anywhere."

Dave Bondy's new store stocks military mess kits, clothes, hammocks, sleeping bags, water-proof flashlights and camouflage netting (great to disguise your car at parking meters).

A request came in for three parachutes from H.A. Simons, says Bondy. The company plans to use the parachutes to help hold in the heat from Herman Nelsons, around equipment up at the BHP mine site, says Bondy.

"Parachutes can be a snowmobile cover -- a couple of sticks and they can be a house," says Bondy. "You just have to use your imagination."

Mil-Spec sells survival gear such as flares and flare launchers.

One customer from Lutselk'e became stranded 50 kilometres out of town on a broken-down snowmobile and had no way to signal the community, even though he could see it.

He had to walk all the way back to town and vowed he'd never, ever have to do that again, says Bondy.

"He bought an Air Force pilot strobe light and didn't even blink at the cost -- before the store even opened," says Bondy.

"I spend a lot of time hiking and boating," Bondy says. He also enjoys cooking in his off-hours.

A customer walks in and Bondy serves him at the display case. "Lots of people come in and browse -- take a poke around."

The store, which opened April 26, is located on old Airport Road beside Rent-a-Relic. It's open Monday through Saturday.

Bondy says he made some mistakes in the beginning, but they didn't impede his progress.

Assistance came when he contacted a similar business in Alberta.

Bondy made sure he wasn't encroaching on the Alberta business when he asked for advice -- and got lots. His Alberta counterpart has 40 years of experience in the military-surplus business.

Another store-owner in B.C. gave him a stack of catalogues, sticky-noted with whom to deal with or not to deal with.

"We were very cautious. We ordered one (item), then re-ordered. Some of the items we ordered we threw away," Bondy said.

The company tries to avoid competing with products already on the market in Yellowknife, such as fishing and hunting gear.

Some visitors to the store have included the four remaining NWT legislative assembly mace carvers, a former member of the Filipino Army who works at an area mine, an Israeli paratrooper, Polish soldier, former East-West German border guard, Brinks staff, jail guards, bylaw and RCMP.

The local Canadian Forces assisted by providing a sizing chart.

Canadian Rangers have purchased combat greens -- tops and bottoms -- and cadets opted for field message pads.

"There's a lot of military and ex-military people here," says Bondy.

And there's campers too, people looking for special order canvass tents and supplies.

A couple of Bondy's friends help out on weekends.

Start-up funds for the business came from Bondy's silent partners. "We opted to do it this way with less cash. We circumvented the financial institutions."

The business also includes a mail-order side and white nylon snow camouflage outfits, which Bondy says are popular in Nunavut.