View Full Version : M65 Field Jacket
TheViking
10-07-2004, 12:16
Hi...
I bought an M65 jacket for bushcraft when it's a bit colder, but now I'm starting to doubt it's waterproofness and other things. It has some good pockets and a liner which is pretty warm.
Mine is the one with 65% polyester and 35% cotton.
Is this a good or bad jacket????? Is it waterproof or windproof or what it is? :wink: :biggthump
:feedback:
Gary's the man into M65's he'll have some advice on it.....I think that there is mention of it elsewhere...have you done a search? I think that the general consensus is that it's not waterproof but dries quickly, for waterproof you would need to wear something over the top.....
The best solution is to wear a poncho over the top. M65 and poncho - an excellent combo!
M65 is an excellent jacket for bushcraft and the 65/45 poly/cotton mix is the best mix for the craft being hard wearing and fast drying (I use the same jacket myself)
I also have a 50 nylon/50 cotton jacket which is a heavier weight and perfect for cold weather although it does take longer to dry.
It isnt waterproof but being 65/45 it does dry very quickly (same as army lightweights) Waterproofing can be added with TX10 although I dont realyy bother as I generally either use a poncho or waterproof jacket over it in bad weather.
It is windproof and very tough when working in the woods.
Over all, when everything is taken into account, I think M65's are better than any other jacket for bushcraft and I for one wouldn't bother buying anything else.
Incidentially, a little snippet of info I picked up when ordering in my new batch of jackets for the trading post is that the US military no long has olive M65's there for no-one can sell them as Geniune. However the Manufactures who used to make them still make them and now class them as Mil spec.
TheViking
12-07-2004, 13:59
Can I use the jacket with the liner to sleep outside on a summernight??
With a fire going by my side....
How cold does it get there in summer? I've certainly slept in less in summer here when I was younger! With a fire I think you'd be fine.
I have an M65 and can't praise it highly enough. Lets face it the US army have had the same jacket for 30 odd years whereas we have had 58 pattern 65 pattern soldier 95 soldier 2000 etc etc
If it ain't broke...Don't fix it :super:
TheViking
12-07-2004, 14:12
Hi...
This summer is not going to be very sunny in Denmark. Normally about 10 degrees (C) at night I think. (+/-) :roll: But if you slept in less Adi, I think it's gonna' be fine. :super: :wink: :-D
I've slept out in lower than that with a lesser jacket with a fire ... you'll be fine!
jamesdevine
12-07-2004, 14:33
I have to agree with the above it is a super jacket. :super:
It may not be waterproof but it really does dry fast going from wet through to bone dry in 20mins by just leaving hanging in the open on an over cast morning. (a recent unexpected test. Middle of the night, thirsty, half asleep when closing the bottle, in a HHammock. :shock: You get the picture)
Great pockets. It's tough as nails and at the price you can't go wrong.
James
I also have an M65 jacket which I got many years ago and which I believe is an original issue one, it had the persons name, rank insignia + badges etc. Mine is in a medium, long fitting, and came minus the liner. Does anyone know if the liners for it are still made in this size and where to get them? I’ve tried all the likely places, Silvermans etc.
ranger
TheViking
12-07-2004, 14:41
Hi...
Maybe: http://www.armynavysales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=01&Product_Code=MJ109&Category_Code=M65
Or: http://www.perrets.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=87&p_catid=34
Also: http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.exe/military/level4.tam?M5COPY.ctx=7507&M5.ctx=7507
Just google the sentance: 'm65 liner'
Ranger - I stock the jackets and liners at Bearclaw but only sell them as a complete set - if your after just the liner you might try some of the american sites such as Omaha GI JUNGLE their pretty good. Beware of S'MAN's btw.
Thanks, I'll do a bit more searching it'd be nice to get the liner, just never been able to find the size. Maybe the chap that originally had it was unique to the U.S Army, who knows!
ranger
RovingArcher
12-07-2004, 16:27
I have two of the M65s. I normally wear a large sized coat, but the medium field jacket fits me very well without the liner, so I go to it during mild weather. I also have a large jacket with the liner and it gets worn during colder weather and it's large enough to layer clothing underneath. Both of my M65s have been water resistent from the outset and are both US military issue jackets. However, I don't trust the jacket to keep me dry and get the poncho out before much precip hits the ground.
The liners are readily available here in the States if you have trouble finding them on your side of the big water.
Gary,
I need some help identifying a jacket: I picked it up in the Gulf last year from a US guy (swapped it for some UK kit). It doesn't say M65 in it anywhere but sounds a lot like what you've described above. It has a zip-away hood and the label says: 'Coat, Cold Weather, Field, Desert Camouflage Pattern', and the outershell is 50% coton, 50% nylon. I haven't used it much yet but it looks and feels like a quality garment. Is it an M65? If it is, I'm gonna be a very happy boy! :-D
RovingArcher
13-07-2004, 02:10
Mike, here's the label from one of my jackets. Hope it helps.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/199195.jpg
Coat cold weather is the correct terminology and there should be a Height and chest size guide, nato and stock no, with the printed idiots guide below this.
Thats about it.
RAPPLEBY2000
13-07-2004, 12:00
I to have owned M65 jackets:
1 "Tigerstripe" no doubt a fake! seemed soft but strong and faded quite quickly.
1 Genuine Olive green jacket, tougher more weather resistant!
i wore mine day in day out for years and it served me well,
the only down side being the rather poor hood which seems to be a bit of an after thought in the design, and the pockets aren't that big.
i did a little sewing and added an inside pocket and a map pocket behind the front zip, also a new hood(which was far better more like an SAS smock hood)
i find using proofing helps water repellence but you could never call it water proof! a really heavy rain storm and you will get wet! :umbrella:
also if you've ever wondered what the strange buttons, button holes, and the somewhat lost popper (inside the zip flap chest hight!) are for,
take a look at the arctic jacket of the same era, (M1951 parka) the huge fur lined hood is designed to fix to the M65 jacket in cold conditions!!
if you can get hold of the hood (i got one for £10)the label describes how to fit it to each jacket!
one way of deserning a genuine or fake! :!:
the popper inside the zip flap (at chest height) is identical to the poppers used in the US Army "AlICE" webbing (i.e. poppers used on the side of the ammo pouch)!
be carefull when using the liner, (identical construction as the poncho liner) it makes the jacket warm which makes you forget about the layer system :doh: , if you use it, of course you can use the liner loose as a layer!
Alpha industries make a liner for the M65 jacket with pockets! :35:
everything considered, a well made, comfortable, and functional jacket, quite suitable for Bushcraft!
they are one of the better bits of army surplus going!
but make sure it's genuine! :cop:
:biggthump
I tried one on at surplus and adventure and found the sizeing to be very strange. Although The Jacket was a large and looked really big it came out quite small.
Also the arms were really baggy and look/felt like they would get in the way.
Maybe it's just me :roll:
The label does not say M65. The label usually says COAT COLD WEATHER 50 Nylon/50 Cotton. There is usually a NSN or NATO number plus a DLA number which is Defense Logistics Agency plus name of contractor plus user instructions on label. Older Vietnam era olive green ones usually have a DPSC DEFENSE PERSONNEL SUPPORT CENTER number and sometimes the user instructions are sewn inside at the bottom of the coat. If you run across the older green jackets there are variations amongst them as I think the Air Force had a slightly different version at one time. Coat is very hard wearing and well worth the search for. Watch out for liars...once had a salesman try and sell me one saying that this is an authentic combat jacket as used by the Yanks and very hard to come by in the pawnshops...but there were no pawnshops around and inside the jacket label at the bottom had HONG KONG on it. I was polite and left!!! Check out flea markets and secondhand clothing and army surplus stores..once you see a few real ones you will know what you are looking for and good luck!
Some good tips there and anyone after a genuine M65 should also remember that they now only come in Woodland.
However as pointed out else where the three manufactures, Alpha, Propper and a company called Golden Rod Instrusties who were/are defence contractors still make them in gren to Mil spec - interestingly on a visit to Alphas site I was surprise to see that even there stuff is now labelled as imported so i guess like so many other things they are now made in china or somewhere else too. :banghead:
Oh and another thing the Mil spec (green) jackets now have something like DSA in them - but I cant remember what that means.
Coat cold weather is the correct terminology and there should be a Height and chest size guide, nato and stock no, with the printed idiots guide below this.
Thats about it.
Yay!!! :o):
I've got an old Woodland one in 100% cotton, with a synthetic fur liner, is this a fake or just what they had on the older models? It must be a good 20 year old, one of my father's friends gave it to me, he used it for paintballing when he was young. It's either made by Alpha or a copy with the same labelling.
I found it was a bit restricting though, when I lift my arms it lifts the hole shoulders of the jacket, just like dress suits with padded shoulders (see what I mean?). Did anybody else have that problem? Would it just be the cut of that one that's a bit strange (if it's a fake)? Otherwise should I take a larger/smaller size? (length seems alright). Because I'm interested in buying one in the 65/35 mix in Olive (rather than 100% cotton in woodland camo), since they seem to have a good reputation. My usual surplus have them reasonnably cheap, but they're all import versions. Would it really be a problem quality wise? (since anyway even the genuine ones are made in asia, and most good quality clothing too anyway....)
I found a quite good feature yesterday trying it one (hadn't touched it for a while), there's a little flap at the wrist that's fixed inside with velcro, undo the velcro, fold the flap out, and it protects your hands. Not much use for civilians but gives a nice extra camouflage.
Not sure douglas Alpha make a pile lined version which is cotton with the distressed look - but i dont know if these were ever issued to the troops.
RAPPLEBY2000
15-07-2004, 23:06
those worried about sizing and design.....
take this thought.
which is more fashionable?
M65 jacket or standard UK DPM?
which is more comfortable?
which has the best features?
the main point I'm making is that in general, the US army tends to make good quality, well designed kit that is comfortable!
the UK (apart from elite kit) on the whole tends to opt for kit that is not so comfy but is as tough as old boots!
so...Douglas
that strange feeling that you are wearing a dress jacket, with padded shoulders? you aren't too far wrong!(do check your sizing though!)
you will notice the back of the jacket has blousing(added sections) behind the shoulders, this is for comfort! the equivelent UK jacket has not!
those "storm cuffs" (little triangles at the end of the cuffs) are for comfort, i know of no other jacket that has them!
the lower pockets of the M65 jacket, are they designed to carry kit? i suggest they are to keep your hands warm or "American Gloves".
so in essence:
fashion, comfort, practical, and part of a uniform as well!
unlike most other army jackets! i think you'll agree! :wink: