Smocks/Jackets.

I thought i'd throw this one into the forum, the subject of smocks or jackets.

In the past i have tried chest rigs, but didn't like them too much. However i wanted more load carrying ability in a jacket, so for the last few years of my forces career i wore one of these....and it's still going strong today.



The one above is not my own btw, but thats the one i have. It is the SASS Kit Karry smock, heres the description....

16 Pockets!... And That's Not All...

The kit swallowing smock, carry your kit the convenient way.

Features:

* Windproof, reliable, wrist seal. Knitted wool cuffs.
* Double D Ring left chest pocket
* Access zip behind the stormflap to the inside without opening your smock
* Forearms waterproof nylon section now covered and hidden by DPM Cotton Gaberdine, as the rest of the Smock (shows with nylon section only on the photo).
* Back nylon loops for foliage

Upper Smock - 8 Pockets

* Compass pouch and D ring behind nylon pen holders
* Large bellows chest pockets with zipped chest pockets behind them
* Inside left chest pocket - nylon pen holders
* Left shoulder and right arm pockets

Lower Smock - 4 Pockets

* Two bellows front and side pockets.

Back of Smock - 1 Pocket

* External poachers pocket.

Interior of Smock - 3 Pockets

* Poachers pocket and zipped chest pocket left and big TAMCO pocket.

This thing was perfect for the jobs i was doing, i didn't need webbing, i could just throw in what i needed, including comms and ammo into the large pockets...of which there are many. It meant i could run easier than i could with a load on my front/back, which was a must for what i was doing. If you stopped for too long, you didn't get to talk about it the next day.

I know this kind of thing would not be to everyones tastes, but if you are looking for a jacket that can never run out of pockets for your gear, this is up there with the best of them.

The waterproof elbow pads were great for lying in crappy areas, and the cuffs kept the cold out nicely. This smock will not keep out the rain, but if wet it will dry very quickly.

Pockets on the shoulder and arm for field dressings and pens too.

Anyway that one did me fine for my needs, does anyone else use anything else or can recommend a good one?

CX.

whats the price on those things.

I went for a New US Style M65 Combat Jacket in Black


less pockets but still i like it.

Originally posted by thecrow001
whats the price on those things.

I went for a New US Style M65 Combat Jacket in Black


less pockets but still i like it.

£170 or $270. Not cheap, but like i say it did the job for me and replaced gear that could have cost me just as much.

I've been looking at the M65 recently, more for casual wear now and again. Do you mind if i ask where you got your from?

CX.

reply to post by CX


yeah abit pricey but you get what you pay for

Yeah its more casual so you could wear it as normal clothing, i wear mine to football following the mightly reds.


heres where i got mine

www.surplusandoutdoors.com...

reply to post by thecrow001


Thanks for that link, thats cheaper than some places i've looked lately.

Much appreciated.

CX.

I was never issued with a smock over here in Aus, but I recently bought one and wish that I had been.

Mine is a Drop Zone Tactical "Recce Smock" in Multicam. It's kind of like a British SAS smock crossed with an M65 field jacket. Arm pockets, four big main pockets with side entry as well as top entry, pit zips, roomy hood, internal poachers pocket at the back. It's a very well designed and constructed piece of kit.

www.dropzonetactical.com...

Not cheap, but mine was second hand.

I have modded mine with buttons inside so I can attach an M65 liner. It's winter here.

I'm thinking of splashing the cash and picking up a new one in non-threatening tan.

Not to bust your bubble CX but a jacket full of stuff is
cumbersome. Load it up and try running around , stuff
will swing and jump up and down on you. A good tac
vest will accomplish what you want. The closer to your
body you can keep the weight, the easier it is to manage.
Nice jacket though. You might want to spray paint it a bit
to tone the yellows down, theyre rather intense. peace bro,

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Asktheanimals]

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
Not to bust your bubble CX but a jacket full of stuff is
cumbersome. Load it up and try running around , stuff
will swing and jump up and down on you. A good tac
vest will accomplish what you want. The closer to your
body you can keep the weight, the easier it is to manage.
Nice jacket though. You might want to spray paint it a bit
to tone the yellows down, theyre rather intense. peace bro,

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Asktheanimals]

Cheers for the reply

As i said before, this one did me fine and i did a shedload of running, but you do bring up a very good point.

You are right, if you are not carefull, you can have stuff swinging around all over the shop if the jacket is too loose. I ensured mine was close fitting by getting the right size, the body armour underneath added to the close fitting.

On the issue you bring up, the only problem that i needed addressing is the need to quieten mags rattling around in the same pocket. A quick bit of tape sorted this and with the jacket being made of quite a soft feel material, this eliminated any "rustling" sounds which was handy if you wanted stealth.

I guess it depends on why you want the jacket. To be honest, like most contacts, ours were unannounced, and especially if we were in the base and had to run out to react to an incident, having extra gear to put on as well as the basic combats that we had on all the time, i didn't want to waste even a few seconds putting extra gear on like vests or rigs.

I had this on all the time, so when we got hit, it was helmet on, grab weapon and go.

As i say though, this is just my experience and opinion. It doesn't work for everyone and i can appreciate why.

So thanks for the replies, whether for and against, thats how we get the best lowdown on kit that might be of use to us...or not... when the time comes.

As for the "spray painting the yellows", i thought the same and already have that one covered.

It's not actualy as bad as it looks, so it was ok for my service use, but when i left the army i didn't particularly want to be running around in cammo all the time, so i stuck it through the washing machine with a machine wash Drayon black dye which has turned it a very dull darker green all over.



Not quite what i was after, and it didn't get rid of the cammo, but i found out that some of these custom smocks are made with a material that has been treated against the weather, and as a result not all dyes will work like they normally do.

Oh well, it does me. It's mainly used for wild camping and treks through the woods with the kids, so those extra pockets are ideal my personal gear, and for carrying all the crap they want to bring or what they find and want to bring back lol.

Thanks again for all the replies.

An extra tip for anyone who is interested, if you are not keen on any of the jackets you see, and have a fantastic super dooper custom design you have in mind (pockets/zips/buttons/loops/D rings/patches) where you want them, some people in the past have bought their own material and either sewed the smock themselves, or got someone profficent to do it.

Ventile is very popular, so if you know someone who can sew a pattern, maybe think about that option.

Most of us used to adapt the butts of our weapon so we had a strap and carribiner set up, so we could hang the weapon from your webbing/rig whilst you needed your hands free but didn't want your weapon away from your body.

The D ring above the top left chest pocket was easily strong enough for this job, and the strap was made just long enough so that if you suddenly came under fire with it still clipped to you, you could bring it up into the firing position easy enough.

One thing i have not used on jackets is waterproofing sprays or other products. Thats the one thing my jacket lacked so if anyone has used anything like this, i'd appreciate the info.

CX.

Had a para smock me self in the old days, great piece off kit..
I would suggest a 58pattern belt with NBC pouch you can get alot in there and australian ammo pouch for your enhanced first aid kit