M-65 Field Jacket

[EmergencyIan]

This is how my M65 fits without liner, it is a size XS-S. So love those pockets.
View attachment 17336

Looks good, zhz.

You mention that it's a sixe x-small to small. Is the inner label/tag that has the jacket's size on it missing?

- Ian

 

[zhz]

XS-S means size x-small and the lenght of the jacket is short. The label says exactly x-small short.

Looks good, zhz.

You mention that it's a sixe x-small to small. Is the inner label/tag that has the jacket's size on it missing?

- Ian

 

[EmergencyIan]

XS-S means size x-small and the lenght of the jacket is short. The label says exactly x-small short.

:eusa_doh:

My fault. Forgive me. I should have picked-up on that.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It has arrived. I'll try to get pics up soon.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

http://m.duluthtrading.com/store/mens/mens-outerwear/mens-work-jackets/coats/57228.aspx

 

[EmergencyIan]

It has arrived. I'll try to get pics up soon.

How are those pictures coming along?

- Ian

 

[karhu21]

I purchased an ex US army M65 jacket in 1980 from a surplus shop in Dublin for six quid...still have it and the insignia of The Big Red One infantry division..

 

[Bruce Wayne]

No pics yet but I've been wearing the jacket for about 6 months & am already experiencing what I feel is excessive fading in the pattern of the camouflage. I should of gotten an Alpha.

 

[EmergencyIan]

No pics yet but I've been wearing the jacket for about 6 months & am already experiencing what I feel is excessive fading in the pattern of the camouflage. I should of gotten an Alpha.

On the up side, you didn't spend a lot on this one. So, now you know.

Why not just get a surplus GI issue M-65? There are many great ones to be had, for reasonable prices, on ebay.

- Ian

 

[DanielJones]

I had an M65 field coat with the button in quilted liner back in high school. Paid all of $15 for it, and thought it was expensive. Eventually got the lined winter hood for it and wore that sucker into the ground. Served me well in rain, snow and freezing conditions. Couldn't have asked for a better jacket back then, except for maybe an N1 Deck Jacket. For me the selling point were all the pockets. Was an outstanding jacket. It eventually fell apart at the seams, quite literally.
Combine that with a watch cap & wool gloves & my top half was warm, toasty & dry.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Guppy]

The m65 is a great jacket. It is vintage. They were in use in the 60s but continue to be made today, but with some minor updates. With the liner buttoned in, they are warm down into the 20s, but when temps drop too far below freezing I'd want something warmer.

 

[EmergencyIan]

^ Yeah. With the liner, it's really warm. Such a practical and versatile jacket in so many ways. It's not often the most fashionable jacket/coat around, but that's often not the most important thing (though, I think it looks pretty good).

- Ian

 

[alangloi]

Wore my M65 with a liner today in Jax (low 30's) while outside with my pug. Works well even in colder/windy weather with gloves and a wool cap. My first M65 was issued to me at Lackland, Texas without a liner. ("If I had needed a liner they would have issued me a liner.") (A liner would have helped when I was stationed at Sheppard AFB for awhile.) Had (and wore) that GI jacket for more than 35 years before it gave up the ghost. Made sure my replacement M65 came with a liner. Like the previous posted mentioned, without a liner it is just barely better than being buck naked. The olive drab jackets, to me, still looks way better than the color/patterns of the newer cold weather GI jackets.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Would an M65-jacket with a classic water-repellent Gabardine-shell even be better than the classic NyCo-shell?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Would an M65-jacket with a classic water-repellent Gabardine-shell even be better than the classic NyCo-shell?

Gabardine is just twill woven cotton or wool. I can't see that it would offer anything more to the cotton blend used by M65's. Both fabrics repel water.

 

[Trenchfriend]

But, what is the NyCo-satin? Really satin-weave or just plain-weave or even twill-weave?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Gabardine was created to provide a tight weave in cotton or wool to resist wind and small amounts of water. The Nyco ( a nylon cotton blend in a tight weave) does that probably better than the $1000 Burberry trench I had. In the end it doesn't matter what the weave is - does it work? Yes, it does.

 

[l0fielectronic]

I always found the standard Alpha M65 I had to be pretty waterproof, maybe not for a whole day spent in heavy rain but it would take a couple of hours or so with no issue.

About 20 or so years ago they did a jacket called the Surveillance Jacket which was basically the M65 in a more waterproof 'ripstop' type material. That was a great jacket, the liner on that one zipped in and came to collar height, could also be used as a zipper jacket on its own. I actually dug it out this winter as its been as damp as its been cold here and its been doing its duty as a dog walkng jacket. The hood was/is just as non waterproof as the M65 one still though

 

[Trenchfriend]

Anyone finally seen on his jacket, if it's satin-weave http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=satin+weave&FORM=HDRSC2 , plain-weave or twill-weave?

 

[Asinyne]

I found an M-65 field jacket from 1993, but instead of a DA/DSA/DLA #, it has a DBA #. Otherwise everything else looks fairly legit, and it’s from one of the known contractors. Anyone have any idea what this means? I’m wondering if it’s maybe one made for civilian use and not actual military? It also says “Made in USA” but I don’t recall ever seeing that on any other M-65s. Wondering if some of the small discrepancies are just because it’s from the 90s or, like I mentioned, maybe because it’s a civilian model? TIA

Edit: a word