M-65 Field Jacket - Classic Oversized Military Field Coat

Want an M-65 that is as good or better than your service issue? ....... then just buy this ...... I wanted a jacket for everyday, outside wear .... I already have and love my Arcteryx, Mountain Hardwear, and Patagonia jackets and inner layers ..... I wear them to work, bicycling, and hiking .... I needed a jacket to shovel snow with, to wear to the HD and L's DIY stores, to wear out 'checking the fence line' ..... and maybe something to wear during the Zombie Apocalypse .....this is that jacket ....... I loved my USAF issued M-65's .... They fit well, was VERY comfortable, and seemed practically indestructible ..... any snags or scuffs it did receive, just added to its character ...... after retiring from the Air Force, my only issue with the jackets was they were OD and Woodland Camo ...... In the Civilian world, I didn't want to look TactiCool, homeless, or a "prepper"...... so I purchased this Alpha M-65 in Black ...... Side-by-side, the touch, feel, and weight of this Alpha is identical to my service issues ..... the placement of 'most' of the buttons ..... identical .... the buttons inside the cuff for the liner ... identical ....... the length, placement, and material of the zippers, both the front and hood .... identical ...... aside from the color now being Black, I could have sewn rank on this and worn it during muster ...... There are a couple of differences though ..... but are not apparent from the outside ...... the manufacturer has added two inner chest high pockets ..... one being square with a Velcro closure and one with a diagonal zipper closure ...... neither being very largo, but convenient for a cell phone or passport and such ...... the second difference is the placement of the lowest set of interior buttons .... they are spaced to attach the Alpha ALS liner vs. the GI version ..... you can still attach a genuine GI version, but you will need to sew in a couple new button holes in the liner, evenly spaced from the upper two button holes ..... the Alpha ALS liner has been redesigned and meant to be worn by itself as well as used as a liner ..... the Alpha ALS liner won't handle the lower set of buttons as on the original M-65 without looking 'goofy' in appearance when worn by itself ...... Sizing is as expected ...... 'as expected' meaning that you are aware that military sizing for the M-65 runs big ...... I am 5' 8" and 200lbs ...... and I have a bit of a beer belly since leaving the service .... the 'medium' fits perfect .... it doesn't look like I am swimming in it ...... yet I have plenty of room for the matching Alpha liner, or the original service issue liner ..... I can also wear my fancy inner layers such as the Mountain Hardwear Monkey fleece or the Arcteryx LT hoody and still feel comfortable ..... snugger, but still comfortable and warm ..... I will probably still purchase the matching Alpha liner or a genuine issue liner as again, this is an everyday jacket ..... I have seen the reviews complaining about the material, workmanship, button placement, and sizing ...... but seriously, I don't know where they are coming from ...... did they mistake their purchase for this Alpha version? ..... there are other M-65's being sold on Amazon .... some are advertised as being identical to a GI jacket ..... but none are as close to the original as Alpha Industries ...... Google the web forums for 'the best M-65' and Alpha ranks the best for your money ....... heck, Alpha was one of the original makers of the M-65 back in the day ...... One more thing on sizing .... as much as you want to order your typical size in jackets, trust me and order one size smaller ...... if you typicall wear a Large and your order a Large, yes it will fit ..... but it will 'hang' on you .... the shoulder seams will have dropped down to your upper biceps .... you will be able to wear 'lots' of layers underneath ..... and the arm cuffs will be to your finger tips ....... remember, at least, one size smaller .... if you don't plan on wearing ANY inner layers .... two sizes smaller will give you a good looking, snug fit ...... This is a great jacket ..... and I love it in the color Black .......

Excellent jacket and about as close to my old Government Issue M-65 field jacket as possible. Should withstand many, many years of hard use. While not a "fashion statement", this coat has utilitarian good looks and will never go out of "style". A warm, durable coat, with four large pockets and a built-in wind hood will always be practicality defined, at least as far as cool/cold weather coats go. The material is 50% nylon and 50% cotton and feels like it would be warm enough without the liner down into the low 40's for a long time outdoors. In winter, I spend a fair bit of time in Northern Arizona and it can get very cold/snowy there at 7,000 to 9,500 feet and with the liner this coat should keep me warm well below the 30's, and even lower still if coupled with a good wool or heavy flannel shirt (wool being the better choice). The main zipper appears to be very tough and the snaps require a relatively firm push to get them to engage so they won't pop open unintentionally. The hood zipper is similarly well constructed. Stitching is very close together - first thing I looked at. Quality job there. There are actually two drawstrings inside the coat.... one inside at waist and one lower at the bottom hem of the jacket. (Regarding the drawstring at the bottom of the coat, make sure you tie several knots into the tag end (it is elasticized/stretchable, as opposed to the upper waist drawstring which isn't. I didn't tie those knots and during washing/drying process one side worked it's way into the coat. Took a LONG while to work it back though to the other side). The two drawstrings should keep out even the worst wind. Nice touch. All in all, this jacket is very well made and worth every penny. I bought the O.D. green but may even get another in khaki. Now, onto size - Alpha Industries needs to accurately redefine the sizes of their M-65 coats. These coats, as mentioned by nearly everyone, do run LARGE. I'm 5'9", 42-44" chest, 36-38" waist and weigh 181 pounds. I wear a size large in nearly everything. I bought the medium size and after trying it on for the first time, thought I *might* have been better off getting a size small. I decided to take a chance and wash it in hot water it to see if I could shrink it up a bit seeing as it's 50% cotton. With it being 50% nylon, as expected, it didn't shrink a lot, but it did shrink enough to make it pretty much a perfect fit either with or without the liner. Unlike some reviewers, I do not think using a liner would require increasing the size field jacket one should purchase - the sizes run that large. Coats like this, designed for cool/cold weather should be worn a bit loose, to allow for layering and trapping warm the air inside the coat. Had I bought a size small, I suspect it might have proven to be too small and tight. Tight fitting field jackets, with liner or not, won't keep you as warm as a looser fit will. That said, if you're 5'9", weigh 150-160 pounds and have a 32" waist, a medium will be too large. The sleeves, like everything about this coat, run long as well. There is a Velcro tab that allows a portion of the sleeve to be rolled into the the end of the sleeve and attached to it's Velco mating tab, but it is still a just bit long, which to my mind is better than too short. Sometimes an item comes along that is just a really high quality product... like the Yeti cooler or the Nikon D-810 camera... and I expect the Alpha Industries Men's M-65 Field Coat is one of them. Generally speaking, I don't review products that I haven't used for several weeks/months. In the case of this jacket, after careful inspection, I'm comfortable in giving coat this five stars having having received it just today.

It’s the real deal. Quality feel and quality stitching. If you want a jacket with ruggedness and some utility, this is one those jackets; it will take a beating. At 245lbs, 5’11”, slight athletic build, I normally where XXL, because I like clothes a little loose, to allow for ease of movement. Because this is supposedly “ovetsisized “, to err on side of caution, I got an XL and glad I did. Perfect fit for what I wanted. Fantastic jacket.

Great product

This product is exactly what you'd expect from something that was designed for military use. It is heavy, rugged, versatile and well constructed. It has all kinds of practical details that allow for adjustments, comfort and ease of movement. I'm delighted with my purchase and expect that this will be one of those pieces that just gets better as it ages. It will develop its own character like a good pair of boots or jeans. As mentioned by numerous other posters, this jacket runs very large. I'm 6'3 / 250 pounds and I normally wear a XXL. I bought an LT and it fits perfectly over a sweater. So be careful how you pick your size. All in all, I'm delighted with my purchase and would recommend this product for those who are looking for the real deal and not some faux / fitted military chic look.

Excelente calidad.

well made

La chamarra me fascina. Ten cuidado con las tallas viene bastante amplia. Mido 1.80 y usualmente yo soy talla L, pero revisando los comentarios opté por pedir la talla M y me quedó bastante bien. Ojo: existen dos razones por las que no le doy la quinta estrella: 1. La chamarra por dentro no se siente tan cómoda, aunque puedes comprarle un forro de la misma marca. 2. No me gustó la altura del cierre, siento que el cierre está muy corto ( llega justo a la cintura). Tal vez se deba a que es talla M, pero siento que no debería afectar tanto, ya que la chamarra es muy larga.