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Coats & Jackets

Thats a pretty sweet deal Toby!

Fronty, I couldnt tell you how to tell the difference.
 
Just ordered the 5.11 Saber (first gen) from LAPoliceGear.com. They had them on Closeout for $99.99 since the Saber 2.0 is out. I'll let you know how I like it when I get it.

LAPoliceGear.com: 5.11 Saber Jacket
policestuff_2174_347005125
 
Rothco Special Operations Soft Shell Jacket

Recently, I came across the Condor Summit Soft Shell Jacket on another forum. Several members had purchased the jacket and were quite happy with it. One member mentioned that Rothco made a similar jacket at a slightly lower price point, but no one was sure if the two were identical or just similar.

Always up for a reason to buy new gear and in need of a new fall jacket ... I decided to order one of the Rothco's.

As it turns out, the two appear to be identical with the exception of the brand tag inside the jacket. Both jackets are knock-offs of Triple Aught Design's Stealth Hoodie (MSRP $355 - $359). The Rothco jacket was $74.49 on Amazon. The Condor runs $85.00 on Amazon.

Initially, I ordered the Rothco jacket in men's medium (my usual size). It arrived quickly and I tried it on. The jacket was too large and the sleeves were too long (see photos, below).

TooBig.jpg


SleeveLength.jpg


So, back to Amazon the jacket went in exchange for a men's small. The small is a MUCH better fit. So, be warned, if you're looking to purchase one of these jackets, order a size smaller than you usually buy.

The jacket is made of a 100% waterproof polyester fabric and lined with a lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking fleece. The collar has a zippered pouch that hides the hood when it is not in use. The hood is large enough to fit over most helmets.

There are two internal, zippered pockets, two zippered pockets on the left arm, one zippered pocket on the right arm, two zippered pockets on the chest and a single, wide pocket on the back with two zippered openings. If this was a hunting jacket, the pocket on the back would be where I would stuff my upland game birds.

In addition to the zippered pockets, each armpit has a zippered opening to allow heat to escape in warmer weather.

Here are a few pictures.

Front of Jacket
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Back of Jacket
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Interior of Jacket
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Zippered Sleeve Pockets on Both Sides with Loop Field for Morale Patches
IMG_0365.jpg


Small Zippered Sleeve Pocket on Left Sleeve
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Chest Pocket
IMG_0362.jpg


You'll notice that each of the two larger sleeve pockets and the chest pockets has a square, rubber tab with an X on it. These tabs provide an opening through which you can run the cord for a set of earphones or anything similar.

I do have a couple complaints.

First, it seems that the hood would route water down into the zippered compartment in the collar drenching the wearer. I haven't proven this, but there are no storm flaps on any of the zippers to prevent water ingress (another complaint).

Additionally, the zippers are not of the highest quality and don't slide very easily. This isn't a big deal on the check pockets where you can use both hands, but it does make utilizing the sleeve pockets a bit of a hassle.

Finally, the drawstrings for the hood came with absolutely no toggle of any kind. They were simply tied in a square knot to keep them from pulling back through the grommets.

Of course, I can't leave anything alone so I've added a few improvements.

Toggles for the Hood Drawstrings
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ITW ZipLine Alpha Zipper Pulls
IMG_0376.jpg


I also added a Fastex Aerowave Cord Lock to the main zipper that opens and closes the jacket. The Aerowave incorporates an emergency whistle into the cord lock (pretty nifty idea).

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to wear the jacket out in some fairly crummy weather. The temps were in the 40's, the wind was howling with 35-40 MPH gusts and there was a light, steady rain falling. The jacket kept me warm and dry for about 15-20 minutes out in the weather.

All-in-all, for a $75.00 jacket, I'm pretty happy. I didn't purchase the jacket with the expectation that it would be a truly "hard core" piece of outerwear so I'm not overly disappointed in the lack of storm flaps on the pocket openings. I'm also not much of a hood wearer so I may never find out if the hood routes water down into the zippered opening in the collar.
 
Re: Rothco Special Operations Soft Shell Jacket

You could wear it in the shower to check the route.....
;)
 
Did you find out how the water drains off?
 
I switch between 2 coats in the winter a carhartt and a thick craftsman coat my carhartr I've had for more then 10 years its beaten up but can't seem to part with it!
 
I like a standard issue OD M65. It takes literally decades to wear one out.
 
I bought a Barbour International jacket a couple of years back that I really like.

It is a waxed cotton jacket, very heavy duty.

Here is a picture of Steve McQueen wearing one. He wore it during his Motorcycle Trail races.

 
I have a couple of M65 OD's.

One, I have almost worn it slick out. The other was my Dads and it still looks almost new because he seldom wore it.

I too wore mine from about my Sophomore year in high school more than 20 years ago, but I have finally outgrown it.

And I don't mean upwards.

I mean I can't get it zipped anymore, so I'm on the hunt for a bigger one to replace it with.
 
Picked up a Bodi Triclimate Jacket by The North Face a couple months ago...



http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/men-8217-s-bodi-triclimate-0174-jacket.html?cm_vc=Search

It's really only been cold enough to wear it here for about a week, but damn this thing is toasty. The watetproofing works like a charm too. I like that it converts and can be worn three different ways. Definitely worth the money for me so far.

I'll post back after the season's over and I've worn it enough to put together a more comprehensive review...
 
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