Swedish Smock

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steven andrews

Settler
Mar 27, 2004
528
2
50
Jersey
I was looking for a "beater" smock for times when I didn't want to risk damaging my Snowsled Classic Ventile and came across this:
swedsmock.jpg

swedsmock2.jpg

swedsmock3.jpg


I bought it from ExArmy where it is £30. I initially bought a black one , as they only have black and white listed, but when I received it I asked them if they could get it in green and they provided. The colour is a very khaki-ish green which I love. Very retro!
It seems to be very well made - it is cut baggy to be worn over warm kit, has a nice big hood, big secure pockets and a strap at the crotch that buttons from back to front to stop the smock blowing up.
It has the Swedish three crowns and "OSB Industrier" stamped inside. A small label with "2" on it is stitched in (size?)
Edit: Apparently it is a Swedish Army M60 Smock.

I recommend it.
Let the "Telemark Hero" within you out!
(Sweden is close to Norway) :wink:
 

bigjackbrass

Nomad
Sep 1, 2003
497
34
Leeds
I wore one of these in Sweden during the winter, largely to protect my other clothes (such as a Buffalo Special 6 shirt) during bushcraft activities. A very handy piece of kit, nothing magical or revolutionary about it, simply a thoroughly functional and useful item, available very cheaply. Inevitably, if you are going to get it wet then it takes a while to dry (not so much of a problem where I was due to having good stoves in the hut) but a treatment with Nikwak Cottonproof helped to give the smock a decent water repellancy. The front pockets are practically bottomless, and I seem to keep finding an endless supply of bark fragments still in them.
 

Zacary

Tenderfoot
Aug 14, 2004
61
0
A smock like that would probably serve me well when I am back in Canada too where did you get it?
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
It's the same pattern as the swedish army arctic smock - just a different colour (obviouslty the arctic smaock is white). You can dye the arctic smock to whatever colour you like. The stitching dyes too.
 

Gary

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 17, 2003
2,603
2
57
from Essex
Martyn isnt the arctic smock a thin over smock? This one looks like it is either poly/cotton or ventile!
 

steven andrews

Settler
Mar 27, 2004
528
2
50
Jersey
I gave the link to the supplier, ExArmyLtd.co.uk in my orginal post above.
The smock is fairly heavy duty cotton, or at least it feels like it. There are no labels on the smock apart from the one that I have shown in the pic.
 

RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
50
England
:banghead:

i saw these last year in a surplus shop, in white!

i've also seen somone wearing exactly the same jacket dyed sky blue... :-?

not sure about that! sky blue!
 

RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
50
England
GOOOOOD NEWS!!!

i have found a newer version of the swedish army smock!

it is identical in every way to the white version, (including the makers stamp)but has a button front (and even a crotch raiser!) with a wierd but effective two sided fastening i'm going to leave the buttons done up! at first sight i thought it was cotton, it is not, it's probably a poly cotton.

the colour itself is just off white, it seems more an extremly light grey, which almost seems more effective than pure white :shock: though it might be from washing it wrong :?:

i have dyed it!
ive dyed it brown (coffee no. 7 Dylon muti purpose dye),
because of the polyester it comes out a little lighter, best description i can think of is the colour of a Deer or Rabbit, but would suit sandy conditions also.

the dye has also coloured the plastic buttons a mushroom brown colour.
i assumed i would have to swop the buttons to a dark colour.

i am very impressed with it's weather proofing! Damn it's practically waterproof!
i have TX-10 treated it (nikwax cotton proof), to replace the incredible proofing it already had.

when first washing the jacket (prior to dyeing) i could not soak it!
the water really did just fall off, as on a waterproof! i had to wash the jacket in washing up liquid to remove the coating so i could dye it!
:super:

and only £14.99 :eek:): :eek:): :eek:): :super: :super:
steve (manager) said he had a few left, i would ring first to confirm:phone: .

mine was bought from:

Hoopers surplus,
20 pottergate,
Norwich
01603 665585



(best to find it on foot, the one way system is horrible, you'll never figure out how to get to the shop and back by car :drive: :nono: )

park in the city center, find the city hall.
With the city hall to your front, walk down the pedestrian street 50yards(ish) to your right(lower goat lane), walk to the far end of lower goat lane about 100yards.
turn left past the chippy, and Hoopers is 10 yards on your left.

worth a look round loads of kit, make sure you have a rummage upstairs, it's where i find my bargains!
mention my name"Richard from the outdoors shop " you might get the price lowered! :deal:

:wink: :biggthump
 
J

JR

Guest
@rappleby2000,

What you have is a M-62 Snow Jacket. The heavier version in the first message in the thread is in fact a M-60 Windproof smock.

There is also a smock called M-40. It´s similar to the M-60, but I´ts snowy-white instead of light-greenish white.

The M-62 version was made in two qualities, one 100 % cotton and one a poly-cotton blend of 65/35 (not sure if cotton is 65 or 35). The M-60 and the M-40 was always made in 100 % cotton.

When I did my military service in an army ranger unit back in the early eighties in Sweden, we normally used the M-62 poly-cotton version. But sometimes, when doing long excercises in the mountains we were sometimes issued the heavier but more windproof M-60 Windproof smock.

Both jackets are originally dyed in a light greenish-white color, very efficient in snowy conditions but a little to dark in some light.

The M-60 is a very good smock for winter-use, although I may be a bit partial to it :).

//J
 

ChrisKavanaugh

Need to contact Admin...
Cotton usually carries a bad rep for outdoor clothing anywhere but extremely hot environs. The routine goes " cotton has no insulating ability, especially when wet- The best dressed corpses in missing hiker cases wear cotton." Now transport yourself to Sweden in cold,DRY snow. Tightly woven cotton is a marvelous windbreaker and venting material for perspiration. Naturally, we have lots of good insulating wool or pile underneath it. In this scenario the Swedes got it right.
 

RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
50
England
and that is my intended use, cold, dry, and windy conditions.

for rain i have goretex or a poncho.

still it does have pretty amazing water repelency concidering, far better than any other non-water proof jacket i've had, literally like water off a ducks back! some waterprofs don't even do that!. it definitely will cope with showers!

cotton/polycottens are very comfortable, and durable!
that's why they are so popular!
:nana:
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
ChrisKavanaugh said:
Cotton usually carries a bad rep for outdoor clothing anywhere but extremely hot environs. The routine goes " cotton has no insulating ability, especially when wet- The best dressed corpses in missing hiker cases wear cotton." Now transport yourself to Sweden in cold,DRY snow. Tightly woven cotton is a marvelous windbreaker and venting material for perspiration. Naturally, we have lots of good insulating wool or pile underneath it. In this scenario the Swedes got it right.

I think the whole "cotton kills" thing has given a very unfair kiss of death to connon coats. They wont kill on contact. :D

I do agree, they are NOT idiot proof. By that I mean like any tool, you need to use it properly and appropriately. If you are reliant on a cotton coat for insulation in wet conditions, you're in trouble. But if you have a waterproof shell (poncho) and good insulation such as a wool jumper, then a light cotton coat is fine. If you're going somewhere that is constantly wet, gtx is probably a better option, just for simplicity's sake. But still, no reason you cant use cotton combined with a lightweight waterproof. For medium showers, no problems with cotton. The comfort, durability and breathability of cotton makes a strong argument, when married with appropriate waterproofs and insulation.

I think all the "dead hikers" have probably been caught short and found themselves reliant on wet cotton for insulation.
 

Viking

Settler
Oct 1, 2003
961
1
47
Sweden
www.nordicbushcraft.com
Martyn said:
I think the whole "cotton kills" thing has given a very unfair kiss of death to connon coats. They wont kill on contact. :D

Cotton wont kill as long as it´s not the the clothing that you have closes to your body. But there is an exception, undershirts that are made ot of net.
 

bigjackbrass

Nomad
Sep 1, 2003
497
34
Leeds
Viking said:
Cotton wont kill as long as it´s not the the clothing that you have closes to your body. But there is an exception, undershirts that are made ot of net.

Does anyone have practical experience of this sort of net underwear under trying conditions? I recall reading about it in Colin Fletcher's "Complete Walker" some time ago, apparently developed for commando use in WWII (clearly not "going commando," then...), and it can still be found for sale. Nauticalia, for instance, a mail order company in the UK (and I believe they are on the Web too), offer longjohns and a top made of cotton net. Although the principle is perfectly sound, I've never been sure enough of thermals made wholly of cotton to give them a go. Having said that, now I think about it my trusty L.L. Bean River Driver's Shirt, basically a two-layer Duofold shirt, is entirely cotton on the inside.
 
J

jimfs1

Guest
Size advice for said smock.
I ordered a medium sized smock from Exarmy, which has just arrived.
It has on the inside Size 1, I'm a 44 inch chest but this thing is huge it works out at a 54 inch chest.
I gathered rthey might be a large fit but this is a bit to big.
Can anyone measure their smock and give me a clue to what size the number printed on the smock is in inches or cm's.
Ta very much.
jim
 

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