Niche jacket suggestion

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Billy-o

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Apr 19, 2018
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Like most people, I suppose, I like the US BDU ripstop jacket a lot for summer and round the house. Loose, well-though out, airy, lots of pockets. I like the Mil-Tec/Teesar ones, particularly.

But, the BDU offers no more than a polite nod to wind and rain before letting it straight through

I wondered is there a slightly heavier but still light and otherwise similarly laid out green jacket that people are fond of?
 
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Billy-o

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Thanks for the suggestion, Herman30. As it happens, I have a bunch of nice ventile jackets which are very good.

But, Ventile is a bit fragile when it comes to the casual rough and tumble that I have in mind. So, what I am looking for will cost abuut £30, not £300 :)

It might just be that a different manufacturer of the BDU is what I am looking for, or perhaps someEuropean military equivalent of the same jacket.
 
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nitrambur

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Jan 14, 2010
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Varusteleka have a few military type jackets in goretex for around £50 (and one over £200 but we'll ignore that) Austrian, German and British surplus
 
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bobnewboy

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Jul 2, 2014
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For fishing and other long outdoor spring/summer days when i might get wet, i wear a British army MVP MTP lightweight jacket. Light, tough and cheap. Ok, its MTP camo, but it isnt in-your-face at all. I got mine from Strikeforce in new packing, for £40 plus £4 p&p. It is very waterproof, breathes really well, but doesn't have any hood - that suits me as i like a separate hat anyway.

https://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/index.php?method=stock&id=20311
 

Herman30

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Aug 30, 2015
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Ok, Billy-o. Must confess I´m at loss what you are after.

But, the BDU offers no more than a polite nod to wind and rain before letting it straight through

It might just be that a different manufacturer of the BDU is what I am looking for, or perhaps someEuropean military equivalent of the same jacket.

So you don´t want a jacket that stands up to rain, after all?

Perhaps this: https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/tactic-9-gorka-mountain-suit-jacket-brown/56298
 
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Billy-o

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I have been having fun looking. I''m going to give the German moleskin fiield jacket a go, even though the pockets arent the same as the BDU. And that Danish jacket looks good. Thanks Mr Ed

But it was bobnewboy's term l'lightweight' opened the doors though. Lots of options. And in some ways weirdly too. Googling 'lightweight field jacket' churns up tons of stuff from Gap, Levi's, Eddie Bauer, Ralph Lauren etc etc :lol: The hipster fashion for military and old workwear styling remains

Herman30 - I think what I am looking for is a cotton twill something, slighty heavier than the ripstop BDU, but lighter overall and less bulky than a smock or combat jacket. Mind you, I think the ventile suggestion might be along the right track .... if I could find a gabardine field jacket/blouse for £30 :):) I have come to the opinion that single layer ventile is only really water resistant because of the DWR in the fabric. Good for a windcheater, though. And double layer ventile is entirely waterproof.

Thing needs to be light enough for warm weather and indoors use as a work jacket. I am not beyond putting hammers in my pocket.

You can get French workjackets now made in cotton twill. Perfect really. Very high street - made by Vetra and Le Laboureur etc. But they are expensive and cut for a light frame. I dont have one of those

https://totokaelo.com/linen-gabardine-field-jacket
https://www.net-a-porter.com/us/en/...ent/embroidered-cotton-gabardine-field-jacket
https://www.lemaire.fr/products/field-jacket-stone-grey-lf304-ss19m
https://www.alexandermcqueen.com/ca/alexandermcqueen/field-jacket_cod41845259cm.html

See my problem?
 
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Van-Wild

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Feb 17, 2018
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For fishing and other long outdoor spring/summer days when i might get wet, i wear a British army MVP MTP lightweight jacket. Light, tough and cheap. Ok, its MTP camo, but it isnt in-your-face at all. I got mine from Strikeforce in new packing, for £40 plus £4 p&p. It is very waterproof, breathes really well, but doesn't have any hood - that suits me as i like a separate hat anyway.

https://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/index.php?method=stock&id=20311
I want thinking of getting the OD MVP field smock version off ebay. Are they any good? I'm wandering if, what with the breathable lining, will it be on the heavy side? Do they breath well?

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
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Billy-o

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Billy-o

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Apr 19, 2018
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what about an arktis B110 smock? or a B310 if you want waterproof?
I had a B310 and it was absolutely superb until i wore out the droplining (i cut it out and now its just a B110)

Love the look on them Arktis smock things and on the nice gabardine ones that Silverman's sell ... too looty though.

I have a bunch of smocks in different patterns and materials and had kind of dismissed the idea. What I need wants to be quite short and kind of close fitting. And, of course, smocks do come in different sizes. I wear a 180/104 for close fitting and a 180/112 if I want a layer under it. I have seen people wearing short ones, so I might see about a 170/96 or a 170/104. There's a Canadian supplier of gabardine ones who got rid of all his larger stock, just leaving stuff that is too small for Canadians. :) Only trouble is that smocks aren't tailored in such a way to allow easy removal of the hood.
 

GuestD

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Feb 10, 2019
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Have a look in H & M, and Sports Direct. It's amazing what you'll get in these places if your vigilant.

Camo and olive, were £8 in the sale.
h-and-m-green-camo-h-and-m-jacket-size-8-m-0-1-960-960.jpg
 
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Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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Ok, Billy-o. Must confess I´m at loss what you are after.

So you don´t want a jacket that stands up to rain, after all?

Perhaps this: https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/tactic-9-gorka-mountain-suit-jacket-brown/56298

If you’re going for a Gorka, don’t get the Tactic 9. Get a BARS. Tthe Tactic 9 is so thin as to be see through. I have a thread on here somewhere. Here’s a link to the 3 main Gorka Anoraks. Maybe a Demi or a Bars 4 would work.

https://armada-store.com/blog/gorka-suit-what-manufacturer-is-better/
 
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MrEd

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Feb 18, 2010
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www.thetimechamber.co.uk
Love the look on them Arktis smock things and on the nice gabardine ones that Silverman's sell ... too looty though.

I have a bunch of smocks in different patterns and materials and had kind of dismissed the idea. What I need wants to be quite short and kind of close fitting. And, of course, smocks do come in different sizes. I wear a 180/104 for close fitting and a 180/112 if I want a layer under it. I have seen people wearing short ones, so I might see about a 170/96 or a 170/104. There's a Canadian supplier of gabardine ones who got rid of all his larger stock, just leaving stuff that is too small for Canadians. :) Only trouble is that smocks aren't tailored in such a way to allow easy removal of the hood.

get one second hand off ebay or something, £50 to £60 for a black ex-police one that you can 'de-police' or a bit more for a military one
The arktis b110 etc come up 'short' in the drop of the jacket.
 
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