M65 jacket and its features
What is this model?
The M-65 jacket appeared in 1965, it was developed for the US Armed Forces and began to be used by American soldiers in Vietnam. The M-65 is a field jacket for cold weather, made especially for the rainy and windy climate of the Vietnam jungle. The forerunners of the M-65 were the jackets M-1943, M-1950 and M-1951, on the basis of which this legendary model was created, which absorbed all the best of these jackets.
The M-65 has five pockets - two large jackets at the bottom and two medium ones on the chest, as well as an internal pocket. On the shoulders - false shoulder straps. Cord utyazki are sewn into the belt and furcuts of the jacket, there are clamps on elastic bands in the sleeves and collar, in the sleeves there are valves that protect against the wind, a zipper made of metal.
The protective hood is hidden in a special section of the collar, and in front of the jacket there is a clasp that secures the collar.
Inside the jacket is an information label on which you can get information about the material, size, conditions of use and care of this model, and the military specification of the jacket. The lining for M-65 (ALS-92) is made of quilted nylon, filled with materials such as polyester, silicone, and synthetic winterizer. The M-65 jacket is designed for temperatures above 0 ° C. Included with the lining jacket is designed for temperatures up to -10 ° C.
Variety of models and manufacturers
Currently, many companies around the world are engaged in the production of M-65 jackets, but such companies as Alpha Industries, Propper International Inc and Rotko Ultra-Force are at the beginning. These companies during the war years collaborated with the US Army and sewed uniforms for them. Now the German brands Max-Fuchs, Brandit, Surplus, Polish Helicon-Tex and many other companies are engaged in manufacturing the M-65.
Alpha industries
The emergence of Alpha Industries dates back to 1959 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. The company's cooperation with the US Armed Forces lasted for more than 40 years, and since then Alpha Industries has been the main producer of the M-65 model. After the Vietnam War, M-65 jackets became fashionable for the civilian population, and the number of government orders, on the contrary, decreased, and Alpha Industries switched to the market of ordinary American citizens, starting to sell their products in army stores.
A feature of the production of Alpha Industries was that they began selling the same clothes as military men to the general public without changing anything in materials and manufacturing techniques. Now the company is still engaged in the production of high-quality reliable clothing in military style.
Original from USA
The original M-65 jackets, which are a form of the US Armed Forces, can now be found on the Internet. For connoisseurs who are interested not only in the newly made jackets, namely the military uniform of American soldiers, there is an opportunity, thanks to the Internet, to find such an original from the USA. This will have to browse online shopping, especially the United States and Canada.
Also, the originals of the M-65 of those years can be found in the shops of decommissioned military equipment of NATO countries. In order to understand what kind of tailoring in front of you jacket, commercial or military, you can check the NSN jacket number. Example of NSN numbers: 8415-00-782-29336, where the second group of numbers means the place of production. Figures 00 and 01 indicate that the model was manufactured in the USA.
Also, in order to distinguish an army jacket from a commercial one, look at the fabric composition, in the original the composition should consist of 50% cotton and 50% nylon. On the original M-65 should not be such inscriptions as Made in China, Made in USA, and any logos.
Jackets made for the army were released in 1991 by American Apparel. The original olive-colored jackets of 1965-1977. The line with the contract number begins with the letters DSA, edition 1978-1991. starts with the letters DLA (applies to all jackets, except the Defense Perssonnell Support Center).
Max-fuchs
Max-Fuchs is another fairly well-known, along with Alpha Industries, clothing brand that is very popular in Europe. The brand was founded by Max Fuchs in 1981 in the town of Freunge in Germany.
This company is one of the leaders in Europe in the segment of military and outdoor clothing, as well as hiking equipment in the style of military. At the moment, Mach-Fuchs has four brands under which they produce their clothes and equipment. Max-Fuchs makes quality identical to the original M-65 jackets.
Giant brandit
Brandit is a young fashion brand from Germany, headquartered in Cologne. Brandit is engaged in the production of military-style clothing for everyday wear. The company sells retail and online sales. In Brandit, it is impossible not to distinguish such a variation of the M-65 as the M-65 Giant in vintage style.
Colors
For the first time, the M-65 jacket was produced in olive-gray OG-107 olive drab, later the color gamut expanded to black, dark blue, beige, khaki colors, and forest camouflage, Vietnamese camo, pixel camo, desert camouflage, “ tiger stripes.
Modern manufacturers have gone further in their experiments, and now you can find this jacket in completely different variations. Hfor example L1 released M-65 in caramel color, Nike in light gray, Swagger released the jacket in red dots, and Bathing Ape made it leather. But SANTASTIC! Went the furthest of all! With M-65 in leopard colors.
The black
Despite the fact that the classic M-65 is made in an olive-gray color, the M-65 model in black will be no less stylish and at the same time fitting into military style. However, it is perfect for everyday urban modern life and will not look too army and military.
How to choose
Currently, many brands of clothing have already presented their completely different versions of the M-65, so it depends on you exactly what model you decide to purchase. In various online stores you can choose a model for any wallet and for every taste. M-65 can be bought both in classic and in various modern variants of design, and the range of colors of M-65 also will not leave anyone dissatisfied.
Sizing
M-65 - jacket free cut. The best way to choose a jacket that fits perfectly on you will be following the size grid attached to the product. In order to choose a suitable jacket, you need to measure your chest volume, waist volume and sleeve length with the shoulder (from the neck). Measure yourself better with a soft centimeter, rather than a ruler. After that, you should verify your data with the size grid of the product and select the appropriate size.
Dimensional grid M-65 is divided by height and size. Size: very low - 150-160 cm., Low - 160-170 cm., Medium - 170-180 cm., High - 180-190 cm. Breast volume: very small - 74-84 cm., Small - 84- 94 cm., Medium - 94-104 cm., Large - 104-114 cm., Very large - 114-124 cm.
Reviews
The M-65 jacket has become a cult and recognizable thing, and lovers of such clothes should definitely have it in their wardrobe. It will be a jacket of modern manufacturers, or the original model, long-sought, tailored specifically for the army decades ago is up to you. It is ideal for everyday wear in urban environments, and for such activities as hunting, fishing, hiking, military sports (airsoft, paintball), etc. Now there are so many variations of this model that everyone can find their own M-65.
In addition to the status and recognition, the M-65 is extremely comfortable and functional. Bulk pockets hold everything you need. The hood comfortably hides and does not interfere. The jacket is suitable for wearing both in the offseason and in winter - thanks to a detachable winter lining. Depending on the budget and goals, you can now choose any M-65, both in appearance and price characteristics.
Regardless of the model chosen, the M-65 is always distinguished by the strength of the material and quality.M-65 is still a military jacket, designed specifically for difficult weather conditions, and therefore this model will always be distinguished by reliability and impermeability to the wind, increased protection from rain and cold and other negative climatic conditions.