M-65 Field Jacket

[zhz]

One big problem of M65 is, the useless Foldable hood... the only usage is to fold it into the collar to make it stand.
Oh, if you care about the price, you can search for Helikon-tex's M65, They made very good M65 IMO, very close to original, also 50% 50% cotton and nylon, and much cheaper than Japanese repro.

 

[4444Design]

i swear on these M65 even for walkin' or motorbike ridin'

plenty of room for storage - and warm enuff with the liner even in winter

during the last couple of years i got hands on a gouvernment issued original on OD and had some ALPHA manufactured also - as far as i know no "civilianized" ones but manufactured for army use

during my stay in china (worked there for almost 7 years) i had a chance to visit one of the locations where ALPHA stuff is manufactured - in china there are special areas specialized in specific products so a lot of those production facilities are nearby and most of them in the south of china

when i was there they had a production run with those cheapo plastic zippers but also production lots with all metal hardware with pretty thick 'n sturdy fabric for the jacket

was able to pick one for free but anyway i was surprised about the high quality of the jackets

 

[EmergencyIan]

One big problem of M65 is, the useless Foldable hood... the only usage is to fold it into the collar to make it stand.
Oh, if you care about the price, you can search for Helikon-tex's M65, They made very good M65 IMO, very close to original, also 50% 50% cotton and nylon, and much cheaper than Japanese repro.

In regards to the hood, I disagree. I have an unissued surplus 1973 Alpha M-65. So, I don't know about the civilian versions and their hoods. But, the hood on my M-65 has come in handy a number of times in the rain and in the snow.

I live in NYC, and last fall and winter, I went out for breakfast or lunch and, at some point, while I was out it began to rain (light rain). I pulled the hood out and it kept my head dry until I could get back to the office. Also, during a "blizzard" (the height of it was during the morning rush) we had last winter, I wore the hood over a watch cap in order to keep my head and watch cap dry. It did a great job.

Granted, it's not the most convenient thing to use, but it does serve it's purpose.

- Ian

 

[4444Design]

In regards to the hood, I disagree. I have an unissued surplus 1973 Alpha M-65. So, I don't know about the civilian versions and their hoods. But, the hood on my M-65 has come in handy a number of times in the rain and in the snow.

I live in NYC, and last fall and winter, I went out for breakfast or lunch and, at some point, while I was out it began to rain (light rain). I pulled the hood out and it kept my head dry until I could get back to the office. Also, during a "blizzard" (the height of it was during the morning rush) we had last winter, I wore the hood over a watch cap in order to keep my head and watch cap dry. It did a great job.

Granted, it's not the most convenient thing to use, but it does serve it's purpose.

- Ian

second that ...

also used that hood a couple of times and was handy

pain in the ass was to get that thing back into the collar

 

[Atticus Finch]

I'd like to respectfully disagree about one thing brought up here. I think the nylon zippers on the newer issued M-65s are an improvement over the metal zippers on older issued jackets. They are especially an improvement over the aluminum Scoville variety, which can be very prone to sticking. I certainly agree that the older zippers look better. But from a purely functional standpoint, I think the nylon zips work better, especially when the jacket is wet and dirty.

AF

 

[zhz]

I have an original M65 as well (dated 1981). And I agree with you that this hood is good for the light rain, but I dont really need a hood for light rain. And it is thin and not very warm in the winter, think about the UK winter, strong wind, heavy rain, so this hood is just useless for me.

In regards to the hood, I disagree. I have an unissued surplus 1973 Alpha M-65. So, I don't know about the civilian versions and their hoods. But, the hood on my M-65 has come in handy a number of times in the rain and in the snow.

I live in NYC, and last fall and winter, I went out for breakfast or lunch and, at some point, while I was out it began to rain (light rain). I pulled the hood out and it kept my head dry until I could get back to the office. Also, during a "blizzard" (the height of it was during the morning rush) we had last winter, I wore the hood over a watch cap in order to keep my head and watch cap dry. It did a great job.

Granted, it's not the most convenient thing to use, but it does serve it's purpose.

- Ian

 

[Big J]

I have an original M65 as well (dated 1981). And I agree with you that this hood is good for the light rain, but I dont really need a hood for light rain. And it is thin and not very warm in the winter, think about the UK winter, strong wind, heavy rain, so this hood is just useless for me.

I'm never really sure why military clothes have hoods anyway. Shouldn't soldiers be wearing helmets in wartime, and berets or caps in peacetime?

 

[Atticus Finch]

Actually, US field jackets have always had hoods. But up until the M-65, the hood buttoned onto the jacket. I'm not sure if having the hood always available under the collar is a huge design improvement. But you might think so if it was snowing, you were otherwise bareheaded, and your button-on hood was back in your foot locker.

Truthfully, I’ve used the hoods on my M-65s fairly often. Not only for protection from the elements, but also to break up the outline of my big head when I was deer hunting.

AF

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

+1 on the hood. I'm glad they're smartly tucked into the collar. I've used it plenty.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

How warm is the jacket without the liner? I am considering getting one soon because it keeps raining.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Atticus Finch]

How warm is the jacket without the liner? I am considering getting one soon because it keeps raining.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

Charlie, my only experience is with originals; I've never owned one of the modern reproductions. As to warmth without the liner...the M-65 is only slightly better than being butt naked. As to water resistance...its about like a sponge.

AF

 

[ProteinNerd]

How warm is the jacket without the liner? I am considering getting one soon because it keeps raining.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

I have one of the new Alpha Slim fit M65's.

Nice jacket but even in the relatively mild Australian winter you definitely need another ayer under it, due to the slim fit apparently the regular jacket liner won't fit it either.

As far as I can tell it doesn't have any specific water resistant coating spat from being a cotton-nylon blend, I wouldn't expect it to keep you dry in decent raid.

 

[Atticus Finch]

The M-65 wasn't designed to be warm without its liner. But the good news is, M-65 liners are inexpensive and easy to find. This is opposite of M-51 liners, which (in size XL) are almost impossible to find.

AF

 

[Seb Lucas]

I have one of the new Alpha Slim fit M65's.

Nice jacket but even in the relatively mild Australian winter you definitely need another ayer under it, due to the slim fit apparently the regular jacket liner won't fit it either.

As far as I can tell it doesn't have any specific water resistant coating spat from being a cotton-nylon blend, I wouldn't expect it to keep you dry in decent raid.

Really? Man, I live in Melbourne and I only ever get about 4 weeks of wear from mine as it is never cold enough here for an M-65. The liner would be useless to me. In Sydney, which is even warmer, I can't imagine wearing one more than a few times a year.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Charlie, my only experience is with originals; I've never owned one of the modern reproductions. As to warmth without the liner...the M-65 is only slightly better than being butt naked. As to water resistance...its about like a sponge.

AF

Agreed..on cold damp nights the shoulders get cold, a nice sweater or flannel shirt helps, as does the liner ( too bulky for me) and if it rains, forget it..but it looks cool....collar flipped up

 

[EmergencyIan]

The liner makes the jacket very warm. Some of the great things about the liner are that it's thin and very lightweight. In fact, it's of so little substance that one may not think it would be anywhere near as warm as it is. And, as mentioned, surplus liners in near mint condition very inexpensive on eBay. Generally well under $10 USD. Just search M-65 liner on eBay. They are sized x-small through, at least, x-large. Just purchase a liner in the size that corresponds to your M-65 field jacket (make sure it's not a parka liner). Regular, long or short doesn't factor into liner size.

In saying all of that, I have M-1943 field jackets (two) and they are a bit lighter than the M-65 jacket (without the liner). In my opinion, the M-65 is good, without the liner, in most early to mid fall and early spring weather, here in the United States. Of course, your mileage or body temperature may vary.

- Ian

 

[Seb Lucas]

What is the sizing like on the originals? As I wrote earlier, my new version in a Medium fits like a large.

 

[zhz]

My original M65 is XS-S, it has a 17" shoulder, 22" chest if I recall it correctly. But I like the fit of it. The M65 fits large, because it has to leaves some room for the liner.

What is the sizing like on the originals? As I wrote earlier, my new version in a Medium fits like a large.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Really? Man, I live in Melbourne and I only ever get about 4 weeks of wear from mine as it is never cold enough here for an M-65. The liner would be useless to me. In Sydney, which is even warmer, I can't imagine wearing one more than a few times a year.

Maybe the newer slim fit version isn't as warm as the standard?

 

[EmergencyIan]

Yeah, they are oversized a bit, but if you typically wear a medium in a regular length, an M-65 Medium-Regular should fit you fine. You probably could size down, but, of course, you need to know the measurements of that specific smaller jacket before you purchase it.

- Ian