Miltec kit carry smock first trip out.

[bigzee]

So - I did actually go and spend the grand sum of 40 pounds (plus postage) for the SAS kit carry smock, from the Bushcraft store, and took it on it's first trip out.

Being a 12.5 stone 5' 7" chap with a 40" chest - I was intending to order the medium, but when I started to order, instead of "add to cart", I was shown "email me when back in stock", so realized there was only large available in that colour (and only small available in DPM). I'm verging on large - and not on any diets - so ordered that.

It arrived and as expected it is generously sized - which would allow room for fleece etc. underneath. Just my luck it's the warmest day of the year so far, but it does have the excellent advantage of two-way underarm ventilation zips. These run from waist to elbow pretty much and the breeze can drift through when going uphill. Also this is made from very lighweight (but quiet) ripstop poly/cotton fabric) which meant I could roll up the sleeves comfortably too. I was hoping to get my one cup brew kit in one of the pockets, but as this has a fixed handle - it didn't quite fit, so also took my drawstring gym bag type sack for this and a couple of other items.

Had I wanted, my sandwich and pack-up bits would have gone easily in one of the outer pockets, and also I could have put my fold-up sit mat in the rear pocket (maybe I could have just sat straight down on it !) The 0.8L water bottle fits fairly easily into a side pocket, and If expecting rain I could have taken my small roll up poncho and found somewhere to put it. All things considered, I'm quite impressed with this item, and for spring/autumn/winter use it should be an ideal general use coat, and the hood is lined and wired, for those blowy drizzly days.

All items shown on the parcel shelf went into the garment - including the trekking pole, which sat in one of the side pockets, restrained at the top by a karabiner attached to one of the many useful loops provided.

[LoneWalker]

I like that. My missus always gives me grief about having too many jackets, but for £40 I fancy one.

[garethw]

I have a Coyote one... a large fitting jacket, which for me had sleeves way too long..I used iron on stuff to shorten them...
Otherwise very partical jacket, load sof pockets... looks to be double stitched at all the stress points..;

Could do with being tidier on the stitching though.. I had to spend some time getting rid of all the loose threads.
I sewed in a few buttons and it takes my Alpha M65 liner perfectly to make it a warm mid season jacket... but with a decent hood and more pockets than the M65.
All in all not bad for the money.

cheers
Gareth

[bigzee]

Good tip with sewing on buttons, as I was thinking of utilizing the same liner. The sleeves on mine are long too - so I have the velcro set snugly on the cuffs. Good coat though, and I've used it in the woods, walking and cycling. I weighs a ton when picked up fully loaded, but its comfier than a rucksack once it's on.

[garethw]

Good tip with sewing on buttons, as I was thinking of utilizing the same liner. The sleeves on mine are long too - so I have the velcro set snugly on the cuffs. Good coat though, and I've used it in the woods, walking and cycling. I weighs a ton when picked up fully loaded, but its comfier than a rucksack once it's on.

Yeah for the price a good coat... I did couple of other mods too.. One was to carefully unpick the stitching (with a stitch ripper) of that silly bulbous pocket on the sleeve. Done carefully so not to tear the fabric, it barely shows when ironed. The other thing was to add a paracord loop tot he zip...

cheers
Gareth