US Military issued Gore tex shells….

[Flyrod]

I know there are allot of Rocksliders here who serve or have served.
Whats the opinion on the issued Goretex parkas I see up for sale on at various sites and ebay.
Good kit?…. heavy?…. worst shell you ever had?
How are they laid out for when wearing a pack?… i.e. are the pockets well thought out?

Price wise… they are very attractive…
….and Marpat looks like it should perform admirably…

Thanks for your opinions…. and thanks for serving!

 

[NEhunter]

I have one that I was issued. IMO it is a nice jacket but very heavy. However, the thing is bomb proof.

 

[Poser]

My FIL gave me a bunch of his Army gear thinking I would put it to use. I appreciate the gesture, but the gear is HEAVY. Durable, though.

 

[Flyrod]

ok… copy that… Heavy stuff. Not what I'm looking for….

Thanks

 

[duchntr]

It depends what shell you are talking about. If your taking about the ECWCS gen 3 level VI jacket, that is just a gore-tex shell and not that heavy at all,I think its gore-tex pac-lite but not 100% sure. I use to use the multi cam and digi versions a lot can't really remember how awesome it was as I was usually cold/wet and miserable no matter what. I think they are a good choice for someone who wants a camo shell and doesn't want spend a lot of coin. Check out Ebay should be some deals on there.

 

[justinspicher]

Just remember that 90% of military gear is made by the lowest bidder.......

 

[jtw]

My impression of the gen 3 was that it was okay but for the price there are much nicer shells out there. The gore tex is the lowest quality possible according to water tests and most of the cheap ones are poorly taken care of used jackets that are not 100% functional. If someone gave it to me for free Id use it but Im not paying 200 for it.

 

[sodak]

In my experience, the Army stuff gets heavy with rain and will start to leak after a few days. It is also loud when moving around (vs. my kryptek stuff).

 

[inupiat1]

I used the Army gen III on a moose hunt in Alaska, super lightweight as it is just a shell, however when it rained it was loud. Not a problem hunting moose, however it affected my ability to listen for movement when a shower would come through. The other thing that sucked was there are no pit zips, just pocket access zippers on the front which don't let much air in, but allow water in.

I now have the USMC Apex, which has pit zips. It has a softer outer layer and is much quieter, something the Marines wanted, no swishing while walking. It is somewhat heavy, however and you will probably want to refresh the DWR coating as most of the ones on the market were made 6-7 years ago (even if NWT, it's mostly oldstock). The outer will get soaked if you don't, but you'll still be dry. The thing is bombproof. I find it great for cooler weather, not so much for more than 70 degrees, but that's my personal preference. I like it better than the Cabela's waterproof fleece, which is heavier and louder than the Marpat gore-tex. I wouldn't pay full price, and I didn't. You can usually get the jacket for around $99+ new and the pants for $50+ in Woodland Marpat (I got mine for $99 and $29). It just depends on who bought the latest lots, the size that you're looking for and when you look. The Desert Marpat tends to go for 25-40 percent less.

Technically made in the USA if you consider US territories like P.R. the USA. They might actually be made in the lower 48 but you can't always be sure.

I say get one if you get the lower price ranges.