After Action Review: M65 Field Coat

Guest post by Joe Houser

It’s November and we are starting to get a chill in the air in the Midwest. It’s football, pumpkin, and jacket weather. I’m a little more excited about this than normal as I get to don the new M65 Field Coat from Propper.

Now the M65’s design isn’t new. It’s the third upgrade of a design which began during WWII as the M43 and later, during the Korean War, as the M51. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps adopted it in 1965. It was popular with the troops. The M65 incorporated several new design features that made it a success: the 50/50 NYCO sateen fabric provided superior weather protection, the integrated and storable hood was revolutionary at the time, and the removable quilted liner helped to make it a versatile piece for all climates.

So, why wear a jacket designed in 1965? Because it’s cool, that’s why. It looks good on everyone from a sixty-year-old farmer to a downtown twenty-something. You are wearing an American icon. It’s been seen on TV and movies for years including Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver,” Al Pacino in “Serpico,” and Sylvester Stallone in “First Blood.”

Enough about the aura that is the M65 – now on to what makes the coat work. The outer fabric is a 50% nylon / 50% cotton sateen. It has the old military look and feel without the old military smell. This is a new century after all. So the folks at Propper added a modern DWR (durable water repellent) finish to the coat. It looks classic but repels stains and liquids.

Keeping with old school cool, the removable polyester liner buttons in. A packable hood stows in the collar. The elements are kept out by a zippered front with storm flap and hook and loop adjustable cuffs. The M-65’s fit can be customized with an adjustable drawstring waist and hem.

Construction looks great. I expect this coat to last for many years. Why shouldn’t it? As a Department of Defense supplier for almost 50 years, Propper knows a thing or two about making tough, dependable gear for the U.S. military.

Propper's M65 Field Coat is available in the classic olive as well as black and woodland camo. Sizes run from small up to 4XL. A note on sizing, I found the jacket to run a full size large. I normally wear a 2XL and found the XL to be fine in this jacket. So, if in doubt, I’d order down a size.

Okay, so, you are probably thinking that this is a $200-$300 coat. Not so fast. This bad boy runs just $89.99. Crazy, right?

I’ll be starting out this fall without the liner. Then the liner will go in once it turns really cold. Either way, I plan to run this coat hard from now until April. Maybe not John Rambo hard, but hard nonetheless.

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Joe Houser is a former marketing executive with SureFire, Viridian, and several marketing firms. His passion lies in firearms and firearm training, and he has trained across the country with some of the top names in tactical training. He teaches defensive pistol and CCW in his home state of Minnesota, enjoys shooting competitively, and is a Master Class IDPA shooter.