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Reversible gor-TeX desert parka


USMCRECON
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USMCRECON

I was commenting on another thread that I had a desert parka similar to the one being discussed. This afternoon, I found it still packed in my desert rucksack in the basement and thought I'd post some pics of it.

 

Here are two shots of the front. I'd commented that it was chocolate chip on one side and night desert on the other but, as you can see, I was mistaken. The day side is the 3-color coffee stain pattern.

 

The day side has two lower zipper-closure slash pockets and Velcro tab cuff adjusters. You can also see my name stenciled on the inside of the storm flap.

 

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USMCRECON

Here are three more shots of it. Top shot shows the hood rolled into a collar and the snap-closing tab for attaching rank insignia, just like the current parkas have.

 

Center shot shows the back of the day side, including the Velcro closure tab to secure the hood in the rolled position. I forgot to mention above that it has an elasticized cord drawstring at the bottom as you can see in this shot. Bottom shows the hood deployed.

 

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USMCRECON

Here is the night side with the hood deployed. The night side does not have the slash pockets but does have one zip-closing pocket about centered on the left chest. The night side also has its own Velcro adjusters on the lower sleeves.

 

This was issued to me about October of 1990 while deployed with SOCCENT to DESERT SHIELD. As far as I know, we never were issued the trousers.

 

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craig_pickrall

I know that the US Cavalry Store and Brigade Quartermaster were both selling these. Do you know if they were the supplier or was it another company? It sure stayed in nice condition to be in a ruck for the last 18 years.

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bravo_2_zero

I have a set of this and they tend to run a little on the small size. My large is more like a medium both pants and jacket. The set folds away into a tiny little green pouch ( which is one of the pockets ).

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Bill

 

Thanks for showing it. Did you guys use it much?

 

I didn't wear it all that often while at King Fahd but when I deployed forward in Jan 91, I wore it virtually every night. It got quite cold at night in the desert of northern Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait. I also have a chocolate chip pattern Anorak that was given to me by the Kuwaitis when I commander a Kuwaiti unit in the ground war but it was a thin, single layer pull-over with no water-repellency and little insulating quality.

 

When I went back to Kuwait with SOCCENT in Feb 92 I took it with me and, again, wore it almost every night. During 8-9 subsequent deployments from 92-95 I took it with me as well and wore it as required by the weather.

 

(edited to correct a typo)

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I know that the US Cavalry Store and Brigade Quartermaster were both selling these. Do you know if they were the supplier or was it another company? It sure stayed in nice condition to be in a ruck for the last 18 years.

 

I'm not sure where they got them but it was from a supplier in the States rather than through military issue. We'd been issued the standard night parka but the SOCCENT Commander deemed they were not suitable (as I was told) and had his supply chief look around for something more suitable.

 

I know that, once they decided on a parka, we got them within 2-weeks. I suppose they could have come from either one of them.

 

Oh, by the way, I guess I should have been more specific about the parka in the ruck. It hadn't been there since 1991. I used it frequently on deployments to the desert, as well as on base in CONUS when wearing DCUs between 1991 and 1995 when I transfered back to the Pentagon. From that point I kept it in the closet with my DCUs and such, ready to go, just in case. In 2003, I was destined to deploy to Iraq and I repacked the rucksack (but the deployment was canceled crybaby.gif ) so it was really only in the ruck since about summer of 2003. Sorry for the confusion over that.

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I have a set of this and they tend to run a little on the small size. My large is more like a medium both pants and jacket. The set folds away into a tiny little green pouch ( which is one of the pockets ).

 

I dunno; mine was a large, the same size and my DCUs and it seemed to fit me just fine. As I said, we were never issued any trousers. It does roll up into a nice small unit though I don't remember ever putting it in a pouch/pocket. Was that pocket on the trousers?

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yeah... small and really short.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier reply, mine seemed to fit me just as it should. It was designed to be shorter, ending just below the hip.

 

The longer length of the (then) standard night parka was one of the things (I was told) the SOCCENT Commander did not like about it.

 

These Gor-TeX parkas were thin but water-proof and had acceptable insulating qualities. Personally, I found it quite comfortable and I liked the way it fit under the LBE.

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bravo_2_zero
I dunno; mine was a large, the same size and my DCUs and it seemed to fit me just fine. As I said, we were never issued any trousers. It does roll up into a nice small unit though I don't remember ever putting it in a pouch/pocket. Was that pocket on the trousers?

 

Yeh the night desert side, the jacket has a small zip pocket on the left. You turn that inside out and push the jacket in and zip it sealed. The trousers have the same sort of system too.

 

As for size, my Issue one camo sided large gore-tex jacket is miles bigger than these. This reversible jacket feels like BDU jacket sized large rather than an over jacket large. I take a Medium in BDU and it feels the same fit, it's very very snug fit with a m-65 liner and a BDU jacket.

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Yeh the night desert side, the jacket has a small zip pocket on the left. You turn that inside out and push the jacket in and zip it sealed. The trousers have the same sort of system too.

 

As for size, my Issue one camo sided large gore-tex jacket is miles bigger than these. This reversible jacket feels like BDU jacket sized large rather than an over jacket large. I take a Medium in BDU and it feels the same fit, it's very very snug fit with a m-65 liner and a BDU jacket.

 

Yes, mine has a small pocket about center left chest (visible in the night side pic above) but that pocket is pretty small and I never tried crushing it down into the pocket.

 

I wouldn't say it was overly large (baggy) like the current cut Gor-TeX parkas are but I liked it that way. It made it easier to put the LBE and rucksack over it. The ones we had had no provision for attaching any sort of liner into them. Perhaps mine fit me better because I never used a liner but my size large fit just fine over the my DCU shirt/jacket.

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bravo_2_zero
here's mine:

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label:

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Mine is same minus the US Cavalry label and with gold on black Goremillitary care label.

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Your post got me to thinking and I pulled my parka out again to take a closer look. I saw absolutely no tags on the inside anywhere but, after looking at your shot again, I ventured into an area of mine that I had never really had a need to look into before...the night side pocket.

 

The zipper never really worked well and I had to work at it for about 15 minutes to get it open. Down on the bottom inside seam of the pocket, I found a similar label indicating it had, indeed, come from the Cavalry Store. It seems I was also mistaken on the size. I always believed it was a large because that's what I asked for when they were issued. It seems the supply guys were smarter than I was and they issued me an extra large, as the size tag indicates.....probably why it fit me better. My apologies!

 

Below is a pic of the tags I just found inside the night side pocket. Also shown is a pic of how the night camo side wore/faded with moderate use. Also included is a close-up of the rank tab with telltale holes where my full-color Major's leaf was pinned.

 

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Hey guys,

Major,

 

I was issued the same parke and pants,when assigned to USASOC at Ft. Bragg. I believe (not 100% sure,as I was not supply, and just took whatever I could) that ours,alaong with 3rd SFGA,bought a bulk purchase from General Jacksons (yadkin rd@ Bragg) and then issued to us in the units/group.

 

I will pull all my old stuff out later and get pix if anyone wants.

 

I loved these jackets,very light weight. Only issue I had was no "pit zips" for ventilation. I have several issue type gore tex-this is better. I ripped mine once, and called the company on the tag that came with it, they said to return it,and they replaced mine,in amazing turn around time. I was very inpressed with the company,and their warranty is great. Still wear it when deployed.Last time I wore ir was 2007-8.

 

Going to get to wear it again soon.

 

Major,We probably ran into each other- I was with USSOCOM for awhile in the late 90's.

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Hello USMCRECON..

 

Sorry it took me so long, but here are the pants that went with your/our reversable goretex parka.

 

No tags that I saw-unlike the jacket. I am also including the tags in my issued reversable goretex jacket, as they vary slightly from yours.

 

As I said in one other post somwhere, These were,I believe, a bulk purchase from General Jackson's (Yadkin Street in Fayetteville, NC, near the gate) by USASOC, JSOC, and SF Command for its units. Jackets were great-lightweight and durable;if only they had "pit zips",as you would have sweat running off of you cuz they REALLY trapped in the heat. They are warm in the mountains of Afghanistan tho;)

 

Hope this adds something posative to your post Sir.

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  • 7 years later...

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