The venerable M-65 field jacket.

[Rastoff]

Before I ever joined the Air Force I had one of these. I bought it used at a surplus store and wore it throughout high school. I got two while I was in the military and my son now wears one of those. I've outgrown them, but I just bought another.

The jacket has a removable liner that has full length sleeves. The shell is a tight weave of cotton/polyester. It blocks the wind fantastically. It's moderately water resistant and with a coat of Scotchguard can handle light rain long enough to get out of it.

With the liner removed is is a great medium weight jacket or wind breaker.

The collar is not wide. When folded down it's easily out of the way and stays in place. When up, it has a little velcro tab to hold it closed which keeps the wind off your neck very well. Inside the collar, under a zipper, is a light hood. This stays out of the way in it's storage pocket, but is easily accessed if needed for temporary wind/water resistance.

It has 4 pockets which are large enough to hold necessities. The hand pockets have flaps which can be tucked into the pocket. This makes them nice hand warmer pockets or they'll function nicely as "dump" pouches. The breast pockets are large enough to hold a full sized glasses case.

The sleeves have a tab or flap that is triangular. It folds into the sleeves and is held in place with a piece of velcro. When unfolded it adds some length to the sleeve that doesn't get in the way of your hands. I've never extended them, but I guess they could be nice in windy weather.

The jacket also has two cinch cords. One is at the waist level and one at the hem. I like to cinch the one at the waist a little. This keeps the wind from getting up inside the jacket.


In case you can't tell, I like this jacket. Over the years I've owned probably a hundred jackets or coats. I have yet to find one that is more functional than this one. If you've never tried one, give it a shot. There are plenty of colors available. I just bought one in black.

 

[JayFramer]

Very nice. My peepawl has one in the later BDU pattern.

 

[vonn]

Good practical gear.

 

[dusty3030]

The M65 jacket with liner, green wool scarf, watch cap, green wool glove liners and black leather glove shells. Not necessarily the best cold weather gear ever invented, but there were days in my past that not all the tea in China nor all the gold in Fort Knox could have bought the ones I was wearing at the time. I have long since quite smoking but it's one of those things that when I see it triggers me wanting to crack open a fresh pack of Marlboro reds and my old Zippo and burn one.

 

[Weimar]

I was issued one and a BDU, but have neither now - somehow the BDU was accidentally swapped and its a small and I am a large-tall

 

[Ozark Marine]

Have my old issued field jacket with liner.
If I bought a new one I'd have to find the iron on EGA USMC transfer for the left breast pocket.
And a salty pair of E4 chevrons out of my old sea bag.
Oh ya.

 

[Watchdog]

The venerable M-65 field jacket.

I still have my original one, issued to me in 1966. Wore it just the other day, in fact, cause it was raining but was too warm for any of my winter coats.

And with the military's penchant back then for issuing you stuff that was too big for you so you'd look sorta clownish, the field jacket still fits.

Somewhere along the way over the years, I lost the liner. I hate that. I've thought of looking for another liner, just haven't got around to it.

I also have a genuine USAF Arctic Parka, too, with the USAF winged star logo on it. With the snorkel style hood and fur lining. Still wonder how much the thing weighs. Makes me sweat just looking at it.

 

[Jessie]

They were good for cool to cold weather and that was about it.
The black leather gloves with (wool) inserts were kind of worthless in my experience. Never did keep my hands warm.
The cold weather gear today is far better than what we had in 1970

 

[whitecoyote]

Uncle Sam gave me my first M-65 jacket, but I out grew that one. These jackets are fantastic.
I recently purchased a M-65 jacket from Amazon. It's made in Germany. Excellent quality. I wear mine all the time.

 

[Bat Guano]

I tend to live in one from fall to spring. I layer up under it, wool shirt, a vest, then the jacket. If that's not enough, I seriously rethink my need to go out.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I still have a field jacket in about the largest size the Army used. I have the Field Pants and liners for both. They are from the late 80's and are in the Woodland Camo pattern, which I thought looked funny when I was shoveling snow drifts! As the day warmed it was easy to maintain you temperature by sheading layers! I just saw them hanging in the basement yesterday!

The local National Guard unit supply sergeant, needed items that weren't "Consumable or expendable" I had items he could use and traded with me and the Ohio State Militia (all their stuff was OD) frequently in the 90's. Desert Storm put a strain on the Ohio National Guard's supply system that they hadn't addressed by 9/11. I have no idea how they supply units overseas now, but they had major problems in DS!

Ivan

 

[steveno]

the last field jacket I had with a liner I gave to my sister. what I miss most was the gray parka that I was issued when I got to West Germany. the Air force didn't care about field jackets but they made sure the parka got returned when I got out. it was about thigh length with a fur lined hood and it was warm. I don't know if there is such a thing as an army/navy store anymore but if there was I would look for another one.

the biggest problem with the parka as it was really too bulky to wear when working in the cockpit of an airplane. I tried to swap it out with a parka given to flight crews which was the same parka except it was waist length and they wouldn't do that.

one year I took the train to Munich for Oktoberfest and wore the parka because I didn't know where I would be sleeping. I figured the parka would be warm enough in the train station. I found that the girls really liked having their picture taken in the parka. somethings you just have to deal with and make do at Oktoberfest.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I still have my OD green M-65 issued to me in 1975 - well, kind of as my daughter inherited it (commandeered it, actually) from me several years ago when she was in high school. Poignant memory was when she went on her semester abroad to Europe. We took her to the airport and she was standing in line to go through security, and we were standing on the sidelines watching her. I looked at her and told me wife that I was also 19 yrs. old once upon a time and wearing that same field jacket as I was on the threshold to travel and adventure. Strange how it made my eyes water a bit. BTW, my daughter still owns and wears that same field jacket.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Eagle 477]

Funny, Just this weekend I found mine, still has my name and rank on it, only I think it shrunk in the last 27 years. couldn't even get the zipper to close with a bit of WD40

Rob

 

[bobcat]

My OD green one, issued in Oct. 1973 in boot camp, still hangs in my closet with my name tape and a U.S. Air Force tape still on it. I remember the drill instructor opening a big box and tossing us a jacket with no regards to size. Somehow mine fit and still does. I also have a desert camo one I got off of EBAY, simply because I need another field jacket. Never had a liner, somehow the AF never issued any that I knew.

 

[steveno]

to get the liner all you had to do is go to clothing supply and ask for one. I can't think of anybody in our avionics shop that didn't have a liner in their field jacket.

 

[Rastoff]

Never had a liner, somehow the AF never issued any that I knew.

They issued my a liner with both of my jackets. Got one in basic, but not everyone there got a liner.

For some reason they issued me another one, with liner, when I got to England AFB in Louisiana. I didn't complain.

I still have both, but they have shrunk for some reason. I just recently bought another. Great jacket. It's one of the few things the military really got right.

 

[Harrison]

I still have my issue M-65 and wear it when the weather turns cold. Also it is a great cool/cold weather hunting jacket.

 

[Frank237]

LOL. My M-65 complete with colored name tapes and patches...will turn FIFTY years old this December. Got it early December of 1968 at Lackland AFB. Medium-Long It probably still fits.

I recall wearing it to get served at Bars as a 19 year old in a 21 yoa State. Guess they figured I was old enough to be in the USAF I was old enough for a beer?

 

[eveled]

I never had one of the jackets, but love my military cold weather sleeping bag.