- Joined
- May 16, 2010
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- 9,347
Ive spent a lot time around camp/cooking fires and have accumulated quite a collection of outdoor jackets, of which most now have holes from embers/sparks.
Few fleece or layer jackets have escaped unscathed.
Having grown tired of this, I wanted a jacket to take the brunt of potential flying sparks. A jacket, which I didnt care too much about, if it got a few holes in it from fire or from walking through brush.
My main objective was to have a light jacket as protection for layered clothing underneath - shell or fleece in the summer and my Buffalo shirt in the winter.
The later also being a great piece of gear, I wont do without. Its light weight and very warm.
I didnt want a super heavy winter jacket, as the Buffalo is plenty warm without a jacket and anyway I often walk around without a jacket and just the Buffallo as top layer on the upper body when not too close to a fire from a fire pit or stove (yes, I also tend to wear pants).
I remembered a single layer British desert DPM windproof smock, which I got in a trade in Astan.
Jacket is/was as new.
I dont wear camo when hiking/camping or strolling in the woods, so a dye job was in order.
I dyed the smock a dark earth color in the washing machine (remember to run the machine after the dye job or you might get in trouble) and it came out very well IMO.
Faint outline of the desert camo prints through the (two packets of) dye. Looks quite good and wont be reqognized as a MIL smock by most civilians.
Zippers, velcro and various tabs didnt take the dye, they being synthetic - I think this looks pretty good and quite like it.
Desert tan buttons strangely all turned a VERY dark purple hue. m fine with that.
Chuffed with the result of the dye job.
As it oftens rains hard, I added an all homemade rain proof layer over the shoulders (smock had a thin inner liner layer over the shoulders).
The smock itself as is, is waterproof to a degree but needs the occasional waterproofing.
The homemade rain cover is synthetic fabric (bought from a camping tarp supply store online) and with canvas sewn underneath, so the very thin outer ayer doesnt flap about.
The rain cover is fastened to the button on the back of the smock (also used for securing the hood when rolled up), I added two straps under the arms and snap buttons in the front.
I modelled the rain cover after an old road maintenance crew workers jacket, which had the same rain proof layer over the shoulders.
I thought, Id only use the jacket occasionally but it has pretty much taken over, as its comfortable, windproof, rain proof to a degree and has an insane amount of room in the pockets.
I use it often for a stroll in the woods or hiking, bushcraft and what have you.
There are to big lower pockets with large secure buttons, two big slanted chest pockets and best of all - two ginormeous Napoleon pockets.
Combined, these pockets can hold a lot - A LOT - of gear.
The intention behind the smock was to hold a lot of gear - or kit for the British - without the need for a load bearing system.
How much can the smock hold?
Below is the gear, which I sometimes carry in the four top pockets alone - there is room for more, believe it or not;
- Ti water bottle
- Ti bottle, milk
- knife
- lighter
- seat
- poncho, compact
- emergency reflective foil blanket
- Ti Emberlit Fireant (resides permanently in chest pocket. Its very compact and weighs nothing)
- Instant noodles
- alcohol for stove
- Ti cup with lid and containing Vargo stove, primer, smaller alcohol bottle, Ti spork, Ti wind foil.
This is just the content of the upper four (4) pockets.
Should I so desire, I can carry more by using the two big lower pockets.
For freedom of movement, I tend to not overstuff the lower pockets. Currently, they only contain a length of paracord and a few compressed squares/blocks (for starting a fire when very wet).
In short, the jacket can hold a 'carp' load!
The concept of the smock harks back to the Denison smock of WWII and has been a fixture in the British Army ever since.
Here some of the features of the excellent smock:
Wired hood with drawstrings. Toggles are at the end of the drawstrings and these toggles can be clipped together thus lessening the chance of them flicking into your chin or eyes. Hood is BIG and offers excellent protection be it dawn over the head or merely rolled back as protection for your neck against the wind.
• Main zip is two way chunky type. Good quality zippers.
• Storm flap over the zip is held in place by Velcro tabs
• slanted pockets - easy access.
o Underneath the flaps are sewn tape to hold pens in place.
• Underneath the chest pockets are more chest pockets accessed by vertical zips.
o Inside the zip pockets are pen pockets
• Below the chest pockets are lower pockets. These two and the two outer chest pockets are covered by flaps and secured by large buttons. The buttons are held in place by strong tape.
• Small pocket on arm.
• There are drawstrings for the waist and lower hem
• Velcro to close the sleeves to prevent heat loss.
Size;
Im 6.4 and still the jacket is plenty big and of generous cut, which is what you want for movement.
The smock is long, which is a distinct advantage.
I have a long upper body and this is one of the very few jackets, where I dont get a cold draft on the midriff.
I can also squat when prepping a fire with no cold draft and I can sit on the hem of the jacket, so there is no gap to let the cold in.
Draw strings both at both bottom, middle and top further prevents heat loss.
I dont mind the occasional tear, whrn moving through brush or brambles, thst is to be expected but the smock is very rugged and has held up very well.
No holes nor tears after having used the smock quite a lot.
I can not recommend this gear enough.
This is one of my favorite jackets to wear when in the woods.
I of course didnt shell out any cash for mine, as I picked it up in the desert but they can be purchased in surplus stores/online/eflay etc.
They cost is next to nothing and it is some of the best gear/kit around.
They are cheap as chips most places.
For my use - be it a short stroll in the woods or hard use through brush when hiking - the smock cant be beat.
Light weight and breathable as a stand alone jacket in the summer and excellent as a top layer in the winter.
Ohh, and it helps protect your other clothes from flying sparks ...and your private parts, if you wear the smock ONLY ;-)
Buy one - you wont regret it.
Thx for reading the litany on the awesome SMOCK.
All questions/comments/jackets/smocks welcome.
