Right, apologies for the war-y (sp?) picture - I'm really sorry as it's not what this site is all about but it's the only one I've got of the jacket in use. And - yeah - I know: but the area was secure by then and the helmet and radio were in the Landy about 10 ft away.
Another excellent reason for getting a large size is that you can roll the sleeves up properly (so they don't fall down). If there's lots of room underneath, it also keeps you a bit cooler by allowing the air to circulate. The only problem then is the body armour underneath and battle vest on top which stops the air from moving around. As anyone else who's worked in those conditions will know, you end up soaked with sweat on your upper half, which then rubs.
Note the tape on top of the buttons to stop the exposed thread from catching - I replaced it with some brown tape a couple of days later when I finally got hold of some. You can see the big bellows pockets below the bottom of the battle vest The pockets on the arms are a bit overkill for bushcraft use and are more likely to get snagged than anything else; however, in the one on my right is a spare field dressing. You can't see the top pockets but - trust me - they're full of stuff! I found it a lot easier to keep stuff in jacket pockets than in trouser pockets, especially when spending a lot of time in vehicles. A lot of people have talked about using battle vests for bushcraft - I'd argue that you're better off with those 'photographer-type' waistcoats and a small daysack. Otherwise, I think you'll end up looking like you're about to storm the Iranian Embassy. Personal choice, though, I guess...
Anyway, great bit of kit but - unfortunately - it's only available in camo, as far as I know. That's why I'm looking into making my own smock in blue or olive green - 'Neil1' and others have given some really good advice - see the 'Ray Mears Shirt' thread in the 'Kit Chatter Forum'.
Sorry - didn't get round to taking a picture of the temperate DPM smock.
