Alpha Industries M65 Field Jacket

[Trenchfriend]

View attachment 351201

One of the original jackets. Not the very first.

 

[Trenchfriend]

How popular are Camouflage M65 in the US? Could it be risky to walk around in a Camo jacket, there?

I mean, the Germans got different opinions on this topic, but in general, I can see no real danger to walk around in Camo, at least here in the middle of Germany.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I see a fair amount of camo out in the wild, but I don't see a lot of US military camo. It's strange how the general public is attracted to wearing oddball camo, while I think it looks crappy. I feel it would all be flipped if I was wearing US woodland camo in public. Not if, because I do. There's no risk, other than judgement. Woodland camo is almost so far in the rear view mirror that people don't think of it politically like they do the desert camos and multicam camo that the paramilitary guys parade around political events wearing.

 

[Mrfrown]

One of the original jackets. Not the very first.

I wore this fairly recent issue M65 a lot last winter and no one took issue with it.

Regionally I'm in the southern United States. I do regularly see camo, especially outside of the "big city" New Orleans. A lot of people wear RealTree style camo casually.

EDIT: I quoted the wrong post - trying to reply to your question about wearing camo in the US.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I wore this fairly recent issue M65 a lot last winter and no one took issue with it.

Regionally I'm in the southern United States. I do regularly see camo, especially outside of the "big city" New Orleans. A lot of people wear RealTree style camo casually.

Really nice exemplar. With hoodie in the collar?

 

[Mrfrown]

Really nice exemplar. With hoodie in the collar?

Yes it has the hoodie, though I think I've only used it once or twice it was nice to have.

 

[Sonero]

How popular are Camouflage M65 in the US? Could it be risky to walk around in a Camo jacket, there?

I mean, the Germans got different opinions on this topic, but in general, I can see no real danger to walk around in Camo, at least here in the middle of Germany.

It depends where and how you wear it. Personally I would stick with olive green and dress it up with some slim fit jeans and an oxford dress shirt/ V neck sweater. When you get into camo patterns it gets tricky to glam it up unless you are an eccentric running around NYC in camo and combat boots.

 

[TLW '90]

How popular are Camouflage M65 in the US? Could it be risky to walk around in a Camo jacket, there?

I mean, the Germans got different opinions on this topic, but in general, I can see no real danger to walk around in Camo, at least here in the middle of Germany.

The only Camo I will ever wear is true USGI " m81 " woodland, and it has to be American made by a current or former Gov't contractor.
I will absolutely never touch imported reproductions of anything from the US military.
From my grandfather driving a tank across France with the 4th armored, my grandmother's brothers serving with the navy / UDT , to my dads 12 years in the ARMY I just find it disrespectful to them to wear any cheap imported reproductions because so many men and women in my family have served our country in gear and uniforms made in our country.
I've pretty much been wearing USGI woodland all my life.

My dad gave me his last two patrol caps when I was 12 and I have had one on my head every single day since.
I plan to never run out for the rest of my life.

When I leave the house in the summer though I switch to a USGI boonie.


And in the winter when it's not raining I wear my dads last m65 at work.


I wear my patrol caps until they're thoroughly worn out, because I form a real relationship with my hats and hate to give 'em up.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I've been wearing my "Schimanski jacke" almost exclusively for going out and about and it's managed to do its job well as an affordable, handy, washable jacket with removable liner. The only drawback is that it's a Rothco, and although the cuffs have adjustable velcro etc, they don't close up much at all and the wind gets in. By contrast, my Mil-Tec repro's cuffs can be closed up super-tight. But hey, these aren't heavy-duty winter wear, so I just roll with it.

 

[Doctor Damage]

In Tatort episode #217 a young detective who is assigned to work with Schimanski adopts a light blue version of Schimanski's jacket, with cuffs rolled back on the outside.

 

[Setok]

Has anyone had a chance to compare to the Austrian m65? It has plastic zips, which is disappointing, but I’ve seen people say good things about them.

Also I wonder how they would work with a tweed jacket underneath, or any other sports style jacket for that matter.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I think I complained before how the cuffs on the Rothco jacket can't be closed up beyond a certain point, which was a problem last winter since the cold wind would blow right up my sleeves. This afternoon I removed the velcro strips that the cuffs stick to and moved them further away, right to the sleeve seam (diagram below). Now the cuffs can be tightened up a lot more. A small victory.

 

[Sonero]

Minor Update :

I wound up purchasing the black ALPHA version again but the gold hood zipper was a turn off to me. I looked on the Iron Heart website to look what they do to it. They mute the zipper by adding fabric over it. I simply purchased fabric tape and cut it down to size. The hood zipper is now muted. I am also pleasantly surprised how well the fabric tape holds up.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Minor Update :

I wound up purchasing the black ALPHA version again but the gold hood zipper was a turn off to me. I looked on the Iron Heart website to look what they do to it. They mute the zipper by adding fabric over it. I simply purchased fabric tape and cut it down to size. The hood zipper is now muted. I am also pleasantly surprised how well the fabric tape holds up.

You'll probably never use the hood so it sounds like a good workaround!

 

[TLW '90]

Had my first real jacket weather since summer today and naturally the trusty old Woodland m65 was my choice for work, it rained so I used the hood as I tend to do which worked great as always for minor rain.


I get that theres this thing called fashion and everything, but to me the m65 is just a piece of utilitarian outerwear that happens to have some sentimental significance to me.
It has a number of great features which I fully utilize.
The hood is great, anyone with and m65 should try using it sometimes.
I also quite like the velcro strap across the mandarin collar, and I am actually somebody who will use those wrist flaps unlike probably 99% of people wearing m65's today.


Btw as far as wearing Woodland camo I never really see anybody else besides my dad wearing it, I only ever see modern Mossy oak type civilian Camos or vets in their UCP's and multicams.
And the public perception?
Velcro and morale patches are a necessity for todays tactical loadout these days ( it's scientifically proven that cool patches make you safer), and the modern gear with that life saving feature isn't often found in old school " m81 " woodland camo.
It is the coolest camo there ever was, and I know it would make a tactical comeback if they were making modern gear in it these days.

Because of this I would say you're probably safe from looking like a late 80's Hollywood style radical if you choose to wear m81 woodland these days.

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ excellent post TLW

 

[Doctor Damage]

I think I complained before how the cuffs on the Rothco jacket can't be closed up beyond a certain point, which was a problem last winter since the cold wind would blow right up my sleeves. This afternoon I removed the velcro strips that the cuffs stick to and moved them further away, right to the sleeve seam (diagram below). Now the cuffs can be tightened up a lot more. A small victory.

Quick update... yesterday I was able to wear my coat for the first time since moving the velcro on the cuffs and this mod worked out successfully, so I'm quite pleased. It really does make the coat much more useful for me. Not a big deal in the greater scheme of things but I'll take my W's where I can find them, haha

 

[Doctor Damage]

William S Burroughs and pumpkin...

 

[Doctor Damage]

Someone has posted most of the post-Tatort "Schimanski" series on youtube and I'm starting to watch those. In the first episode Schimanski digs through his closet which is full of M-65 jackets to find one that's wearable and not damaged, not smelly. Blink and you miss it is a glimpse of a tag and it's clearly Alpha (the big white rectangular tag with the small black tag underneath with Alpha crest in gold thread).

 

[Damon141]

I love the look of the M65 and my wife apparently did too because I received an Alpha m65 last year for Christmas and though is was a great jacket, I felt I looked ridiculous in a size large in which I was swimming in.

That and me being in the southern USA, it was overkill for my weather so it went back. If I lived in a mountainous northern area, it would be a killer jacket for outdoor activities like hiking

I did like the look so I picked up a Levi’s green jacket in a similar style but toned down, not so military. I was wondering about the Iron Heart modern m65 recently