Alpha Industries M65 Field Jacket

Received 1974 OG 107 M65 Vietnam Era jacket today. No patches with minor discoloration from wear behind right sleeve but otherwise great condition.

Size medium regular fits smaller than an Alpha Medium. I'd say original fits more true to size and Alpha one size large maybe a tad more. Size medium on me 5' 11" 210lbs 46 chest is tight and form fitting ...only for a t shirt. It works but JUST Works.... pushing the limits.

Color compared to Cockpit USA version is more military jungle green. Cockpit is richer in dark almost forest green.

Quality of vintage is fantastic much better than Alpha....Comparable to Cockpit minus color....but obviously older vintage fabric.

Will bring this to do a few hand sewing touch ups but love the fit on me...just below the waist almost mid hip.

Thank You for pushing me to look for second hand items.

I hope this post helps.

Interesting to hear the Alpha quality may have dropped. As I said earlier, my ten year old Alpha is heavy and solid and as well made as any military garment I have owned. Also interesting to read about the cockpit quality, not sure I could do a strong green.

Seb Lucas said:

Interesting to hear the Alpha quality may have dropped. As I said earlier, my ten year old Alpha is heavy and solid and as well made as any military garment I have owned. Also interesting to read about the cockpit quality.

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The Alpha is a decent workwear twill but the liner buttons are very cheap and barely sewed on. The snaps are too strong for the fabric, hence complaints of them ripping off.
Its an ok jacket but for $225 plus another $80 for the liner only having to pay more to reinforce buttons......we used to say in NYC.....YOU BUGGIN YO!
The Cockpit is the luxury version. The one to wear with dark jeans and wingtips.

My canadian one in large with liner. Love It. Looks like a Ralph Lauren.
Size large with liner. Liner feels a tad constricting but chest is nice.
Looks brand new!

Sonero said:

My canadian one in large with liner. Love It. Looks like a Ralph Lauren.

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The other way around. That jacket is from the 1960s or 1970s. The model after had larger hip pockets and a corduroy collar, as I recall (or maybe that was the previous model).

Doctor Damage said:

The other way around. That jacket is from the 1960s or 1970s. The model after had larger hip pockets and a corduroy collar, as I recall (or maybe that was the previous model).

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I was referring more to the slant pockets. RL copies that big time with their jackets and yes I believe some of their versions have corduroy collars. They go for a cross between a British Field jacket and a military field coat.

The quality of the liner is also very nice. He has a few left. I seriously recommend these. They are a really nice.

Sonero said:

I was referring more to the slant pockets. RL copies that big time with their jackets and yes I believe some of their versions have corduroy collars. They go for a cross between a British Field jacket and a military field coat.

The quality of the liner is also very nice. He has a few left. I seriously recommend these. They are a really nice.

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Ralph is copying the US airborne jacket from WWII, which is a different animal altogether, although obviously the pockets from those were adopted by a wide variety of nations in the post-war period. Later Canadian combat gear evolved almost in isolation and is unique in many ways. The slanted chest pockets were designed to carry two cartridges each for the FN rifle, the standard NATO rifle for a couple decades. I know this sounds like nitpicking, but I've never ever seen any retailers copy Canadian military clothing, other than the old RCMP overcoats.

Probably a stupid question by myself:

I bought a nice new classic fieldjacket in navyblue, yesterday. Nothing special, just a simple storebrand one, similar to M65-design. And it got a typical drawstring, inside.
But the endings of the drawstring got none of these parts to fix the endings after adjusting, as I got on another fieldjacket.

So, what to do? Do you just knot the endings of the drawstring together, if you like it more tight??

Trenchfriend said:

Probably a stupid question by myself:

I bought a nice new classic fieldjacket in navyblue, yesterday. Nothing special, just a simple storebrand one, similar to M65-design. And it got a typical drawstring, inside.
But the endings of the drawstring got none of these parts to fix the endings after adjusting, as I got on another fieldjacket.

So, what to do? Do you just knot the endings of the drawstring together, if you like it more tight??

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You can buy those endings on a tactical website like Mil Spec Monkey or Tactical Tailor. Ebay also has them. You just need to figure out the size .

Trenchfriend said:

Probably a stupid question by myself:

I bought a nice new classic fieldjacket in navyblue, yesterday. Nothing special, just a simple storebrand one, similar to M65-design. And it got a typical drawstring, inside.
But the endings of the drawstring got none of these parts to fix the endings after adjusting, as I got on another fieldjacket.

So, what to do? Do you just knot the endings of the drawstring together, if you like it more tight??

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I did these knots in 1973 when it was new. No complaints...so far.
B

Thanks!

Sonero said:

My canadian one in large with liner. Love It. Looks like a Ralph Lauren.
Size large with liner. Liner feels a tad constricting but chest is nice.
Looks brand new!

View attachment 153985

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I like those Canadian field jackets. Lots of cool field jackets from around the globe, and that is indeed one of them.

I bet Ralph Lauren/Polo makes higher quality military-inspired field jackets than many of the old names in the business. I'd have no qualms with wearing a Polo M-65.

Sonero said:

I keep seeing horrible reviews for the Alphas. How recent is yours ? Things like snaps breaking off.

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Just my 2 cents. I have 1 from the 80's. Made in USA. Fit is exact and as designed. I am able to layer under it, and wear it over layers. I am not fixated with wanting my clothes to fit tight. I need to be able to move around, reach my arms out, et cetera.

Fast forward to today, there are now holes worn into it. I've lost the liner. Unexplained stains. Like a lot of other people, I have put the jacket in the washer and dryer, even though the label says "dry clean only". I now wear an XL instead of L. I'm too big to layer any clothing under it. The coat feels tight and snug across the shoulder and back, which is how some people like it.

Not that I need another jacket in any way, shape or form. But I am considering replacing it, as I really do enjoy the function of the BDU style with 4 big pockets. Drawback is the 60's technology of "water resistant" doesn't really compare to today's waterproofing technology. Back in those days, this really wasn't meant to be "waterproof". If it was really raining, you were suppose to use a poncho.

I took a look at the local surplus store. First thing I had to keep in mind, was don't look at the prices. But of course, pricing is a consideration. In my area, the store had Rothco, Propper, and Alpha. Old guy at the store said, "you get what you pay for". Pricing was also in that order. According to the store owner, everything from material, to thread in stitching, sort of fell into the pricing. Good, better, and best.

My untrained naked eye could not tell the difference. But I was assured that even though the Rothco was not bad, Propper was better, and Alpha was best; out of his inventory. All 3 fit the same on me. L was tight & snug. XL was just right, generous room for layering, and I could move my arms freely. Store owner said that he remembers when everything was better, but that these days, nothing is as good. I guess even if I bought the low price Rothco, it would still be as durable; because of the thick, heavy nylon-cotton blend, the liner would probably be just about as warm once I've dressed in appropriate layers, and it will be fine for me to wear in The City as I'm out riding the bus and eating burritos.

We can rule out jungle fighting, which is what the M-65 was made for. There is no armed force, public or private, which is sending me to a jungle and requiring that I provide my own uniform. Despite owning several cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, I still ride the bus. I live in The City. Bus, light rail train, and subway are the best transportation. I go through bad neighborhoods, at all hours, so the longer length and looser fit is ideal for concealing a pistol. All of those pockets are handy, if I should pickup a pound of roast pork along my travels. Although not really waterproof, the concealed hood does come in handy when the wind blows a little harder. Cans of beer fit in the chest level pockets. The lower pockets actually fit a small tablet computer (not that they had them in 1965 Vietnam), and a MoraKniv which I always keep handy for cutting pieces of roast pork.

As you can all imagine by now: I am riding a subway, face down in a tablet computer watching a movie, carving off pieces of greasy roast pork, washing it down with a can of beer......using the back of the sleeve extension to wipe my mouth, and wiping my hands and knife blade off on the hem of my M-65 field coat.

Just something to consider. Is an Alpha jacket really worth 3X as much? Will that Rothco or Propper last for 30 years, taking all of the pork grease & beer suds, like the Alpha I have now?

Late 70's XL Alpha M-65 was the jacket I practically lived in for 5 years. It was my only jacket back when I weighted twice as much as I do now and I loved it. Still do. After I lost weight, I gave the jacket to a friend and that was some, uh, 8 years ago I think? He's still wearing it to this day and the jacket looks pretty much the same as it did when I got it. So as far as my experience with Alpha M-65 goes, I can only say that they're quality jackets.

As for the sizing, I've tried on several Alphas from different eras and concluded that at 6'1", 185 lbs, I am a size Small for the jacket to fit the way I want! Sounds crazy, I know, but the S just fits me best while being just as comfortable as a larger size and there's still some room for layering.

And the jacket does fit me very good. Only jacket my girlfriend will always happily say looks good on me.

The obvious question to me is: have you considered buying second hand on ebay? The price consideration will also obviously get shaved significantly. If in my heart of hearts I preferred the Alpha, that route would be the most appetizing one.

Can someone comment on what the foldaway hoods are like? Are they made from the same material as the jacket shell, or are they thin nylon? I prefer the former, not suprisingly, and tend to avoid thin, fimsy "rain hoods". Thanks.

Monitor said:

As for the sizing, I've tried on several Alphas from different eras and concluded that at 6'1", 185 lbs, I am a size Small for the jacket to fit the way I want! Sounds crazy, I know, but the S just fits me best while being just as comfortable as a larger size and there's still some room for layering.

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I'm the same size as you it seems and in my ignorance I would have bought a M or L.

Doctor Damage said:

I'm the same size as you it seems and in my ignorance I would have bought a M or L.

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Maybe S wouldn't work for you, I'm not saying it's the right size for me either but I just find it to fit best out of all the other sizes I've tried. M was too roomy, L I can't even wear anymore. S fits me just right.

Doctor Damage said:

Can someone comment on what the foldaway hoods are like?

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The hood is a thin, single layer of the same fabric as the jacket. The jacket is 2 layers of the same thin fabric as the hood. The jacket body feels heavy and thick, because there are 2 layers of fabric.

Monitor said:

Maybe S wouldn't work for you, I'm not saying it's the right size for me either but I just find it to fit best out of all the other sizes I've tried. M was too roomy, L I can't even wear anymore. S fits me

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Sizing measurements mean nothing in relation to weight. You have to measure. 2 guys with the same height and weight could have different weight distribution. At 210, my chest is 50". Broad shoulder. Wide back. Thick neck. XL & XXL in some generic sizes. For some people, 210 pounds can be all midsection with narrow shoulder and no muscle mass on chest and back. That guy can wear a medium in generic sizes.