All those Japanese brands like Visvim/Nonnative/White Mountaineering seem to have made fairly nice versions teched up to the max and really expensive. While these jackets are nice, I prefer the idea of something built for more practical applications and I'm broke and want something I can spill beer/sauce on/fall over in and not care. I could probably rationalise that more as wanting to build some wabi sabi crap and sew it up with patches.
The Air Force APECS Multicam Parka by Alpha Industries is kind of along those lines, except it looks hip/thigh length.They also have the NYCO ECWS which is pretty similar and comes in a nice sagey green.Most of Alpha's stuff looks pretty gammon. They mostly make flight jackets which look okay, but yeah nothing along the lines of what I'm looking for. Alpha is an obvious choice, but as a more civilian/apparently 'style'-oriented brand of clothing over a brand like Propper, they offer about the same thing. I guess there're also brands like Real McCoys etc, but again they're way above my price range.
On ebay there are a lot of options, the m65 seems cheaper and more available than the m51, I guess due to their respective ages (production numbers, rarity bla bla). There isn't really a new interpretation made for the military. They seem to just have shorter length softshells and longer ones and they're all packed with a million pockets on the outside/in more of a BDU or SAS smock style. Kind of like those Alpha numbers linked above.
My first interest in a jacket like this is via the USN deck coat, a nice change from the N1 that is pretty commonplace, despite being 'real rare' n shit. Maybe Paul Newman bought all the ones in existence? This jacket is nice, it's actually basically the same, but with a hood and a longer length. According to the information I've found, it's from the same era, but I can't verify/didn't care THAT much. They do seem harder to come across, though.
It's dumb, but I like this poolside deck jacket from Nova come on australia you rool!
I've got the M65, M51, a couple night-desert parkas, and many other's and I just bought a deck coat today like the one you posted for about $70. Out of all of them I'd say the deck coat is the coziest though a bit on the scratchy side with the pile lining. You really can't beat the M65 though. If you find one cheap and with a liner you won't be disappointed. It won't keep your nethers warm but it's still quite cozy and a bit more fashionable if that at all matters.
ReplyDeletei was curious about the lining, whether it'd be itchy or not. i agree on the m65 front, they're classssssic, i have a canadian field jacket that is really nicely worn in, i'd love to get an m65 but my current jacket is just too familiar/nice to stop wearing.
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