I'm thinking of adding a blue M-65 field jacket to my winter arsenal, not sure why I didn't get one sooner but the latest snowfall has me thinking of ground team ops in this weather and if I would really be prepared for that cold. I always had a woodland M-65 as a Cadet and that lasted me through several winter ops and two years at Winter Hawk.
My local surplus store carries the blue M-65 in two different shades, Navy Blue and Midnight Navy. Has anyone used the Rothco M-65 that can speak to the quality, as I know Rothco can be hit and miss, and does anyone know which shade of blue is correct?
Here is the link to the listing: https://www.harrysarmysurplus.net/navy-blue-m-65-field-jacket.html
The Navy blue in the picture is, IMHO, the proper color. The other blue is much darker, approaching black, and doesn't resemble anything I saw in my time in the Navy.
As for Rothco, my experience has been mostly negative, and I recommend against purchase of their products if you expect any kind of long term durability.
Or, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
At my last job, they bought a few dozen of those blue M-65s with liners and had them embroidered (Flight Test) for all the flight line F-22 maintainers. Much appreciated by the guys, and they looked great in midnight navy blue with silver. I'm pretty sure they were Rothco. I missed out on the order, but borrowed one one night to do some work standing outside the cockpit and I stayed toasty warm all night. Down side was, midnight blue is midnight dark on a working flight line, but we all had to wear the immortal safety belts anyways...
R/s
Spam
Edit: I realize I'm not saying if midnight navy is correct or not for CAP. Don't know. I know they were popular and warm though.
Quote from: Capt Thompson on February 05, 2022, 12:19:20 AMMy local surplus store carries the blue M-65 in two different shades, Navy Blue and Midnight Navy. Has anyone used the Rothco M-65 that can speak to the quality, as I know Rothco can be hit and miss, and does anyone know which shade of blue is correct?
The navy blue one is the common color. The nametapes and insignia you get from vanguard will match that one. The darker one is the color blue that LAPD uses. Its technically not wrong, but it will not look correct once you have nametapes on it.
Quote from: Slim on February 05, 2022, 04:41:44 AMOr, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
I scored a Coast Guard foul weather goretex (in Dark Blue) for cheap money one day on eBay. The fleece is zip-in, and the double storm flap alone is worth what the jacket cost. :)
(EDIT: https://www.propper.com/uscg-foul-weather-parka-ii-propper.html If you can find one. They seem to be on clearance. I don't know that I'd pay full boat for one, but I got it for less than half of what they went for new, with a pair of gloves and a Coastie hat.. Only beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
Quote from: NIN on February 06, 2022, 05:18:42 PMQuote from: Slim on February 05, 2022, 04:41:44 AMOr, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
I scored a Coast Guard foul weather goretex (in Dark Blue) for cheap money one day on eBay. The fleece is zip-in, and the double storm flap alone is worth what the jacket cost. :)
(EDIT: https://www.propper.com/uscg-foul-weather-parka-ii-propper.html If you can find one. They seem to be on clearance. I don't know that I'd pay full boat for one, but I got it for less than half of what they went for new, with a pair of gloves and a Coastie hat.. Only beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
Same, I got one for about $100 from Propper, brand new on a deep discount about 3 years ago.
NIN,
Perhaps the previous owner carried and wanted easy access?
V/r
Spam
Quote from: NIN on February 06, 2022, 05:18:42 PMQuote from: Slim on February 05, 2022, 04:41:44 AMOr, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
I scored a Coast Guard foul weather goretex (in Dark Blue) for cheap money one day on eBay. The fleece is zip-in, and the double storm flap alone is worth what the jacket cost. :)
(EDIT: https://www.propper.com/uscg-foul-weather-parka-ii-propper.html If you can find one. They seem to be on clearance. I don't know that I'd pay full boat for one, but I got it for less than half of what they went for new, with a pair of gloves and a Coastie hat.. Only beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
Went to a USCG Aux C school a few years back and went to a surplus store just off base. Hit the motherload, called my unit and took orders, ended up dropping like $3K on uniforms for us. The gortex was by far the best money spent and was much appreciated on the river in January!
I am a rothco dealer and can get the (navy not midnight navy) blue m65 with liner at cost of $55
I honestly dont get many complaints about them even though their reputation is questionable.
Quote from: GroundHawg on February 07, 2022, 02:34:01 PMQuote from: NIN on February 06, 2022, 05:18:42 PMQuote from: Slim on February 05, 2022, 04:41:44 AMOr, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
I scored a Coast Guard foul weather goretex (in Dark Blue) for cheap money one day on eBay. The fleece is zip-in, and the double storm flap alone is worth what the jacket cost. :)
(EDIT: https://www.propper.com/uscg-foul-weather-parka-ii-propper.html If you can find one. They seem to be on clearance. I don't know that I'd pay full boat for one, but I got it for less than half of what they went for new, with a pair of gloves and a Coastie hat.. Only beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
Went to a USCG Aux C school a few years back and went to a surplus store just off base. Hit the motherload, called my unit and took orders, ended up dropping like $3K on uniforms for us. The gortex was by far the best money spent and was much appreciated on the river in January!
I am a rothco dealer and can get the (navy not midnight navy) blue m65 with liner at cost of $55
I honestly dont get many complaints about them even though their reputation is questionable.
I'm going to see if my local surplus store has them in store so I can figure out the correct size, and then I will PM you for one, that's a great price! I've had good products from Rothco and bad, they are hit and miss but at that price it's worth the buy, and then I can look for week spots and run them through the sewing machine to reinforce the stitching before taking it out on a mission.
I had a woodland goretex as a Cadet as well, still have it hanging in the closet actually. Are they still as noisy as they used to be? I know we don't exactly need to be stealth but the excess noise always bugged me, I had the matching trousers and those were worse. I don't know if that's what turned me away from them but that expensive goretex always hung in the closet while the free M-65 saw a lot of use.
Less noisy. The fabric is a bit softer
Quote from: NIN on February 06, 2022, 05:18:42 PMQuote from: Slim on February 05, 2022, 04:41:44 AMOr, for the money, go out and get yourself a black Tru Spec Goretex. That jacket with the fleece underneath has been plenty warm through several Michigan winters now.
I scored a Coast Guard foul weather goretex (in Dark Blue) for cheap money one day on eBay. The fleece is zip-in, and the double storm flap alone is worth what the jacket cost. :)
(EDIT: https://www.propper.com/uscg-foul-weather-parka-ii-propper.html If you can find one. They seem to be on clearance. I don't know that I'd pay full boat for one, but I got it for less than half of what they went for new, with a pair of gloves and a Coastie hat.. Only beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
I did the same thing. The Coast Guard Changed the style of their Goretex jacket so the old style is on clearance just about every where. I think I got one for like $40.
Quote from: NIN on February 06, 2022, 05:18:42 PMOnly beef is that the inside velcro pocket is MIA for some weird reason.)
Maybe the missing pocket is one of the reasons for the lower price? Maybe most people would not consider that a "major defect"... however, it's still not up to the full standards expected...