good surplus waterproof jacket?

[teef]

after years without -- last time was back in my hard-core mountain biking days -- it feels like it's time to break down and get a proper waterproof jacket.
generally speaking i'm not much of a fan of the look of "modern" gear as i'd much rather blend into the woods than stand out like a randy peacock.
needless to say that has me looking at surplus jackets like these two:

Dutch Gore-Tex* Camo Parka

This Dutch army Gore-Tex* jacket is genuine Netherlands military surplus so you can be sure you are getting top quality at a great price. This waterproof jacket is made from Gore-Tex like material which allows sweat in the form of water vapour to escape while keeping rain and wind out. This...

forcesuniformandkit.co.uk

German Police BGS Surplus Goretex Coat Parka with Removable Liner GRADE 1 - Surplus & Lost

German BGS Police Surplus Genuine Goretex Construction Waterproof Coat/Parka Has removable liner These are in excellent grade 1 condition Some have a reflective ‘POLIZEI’ printed on the back Upper : 65% Polyethylene 35% Cotton

www.surplusandlost.co.uk

(of course i'd black out the reflective tape on the latter)

anyone have applicable recommendations?
i've heard the Royal Marines (?) jacket is a good one but they appear to be pretty scarce.

 

[saxonaxe]

Teef, I use a current issue...Here we go full title...Lightweight waterproof jacket..MVP, MTP.
NSN (That's Nato stock number)...8415-99-738-0650

It is purely a 'Shell' unlined garment, very lightweight, 2 small arm pockets none on body, Zip front, no hood. I have been in torrential rain wearing it and stayed dry, it breathes better than any Goretex or similar that I've owned in the past. I got mine from Strikeforce Army Supplies UK | Bath and Somerset genuine issue military clothing and army surplus | webbing rucksacks survival surplus | bcb and webtex
I see they are £50 now but they are brand new at least..They are not warm wear, just a waterproof shell but I found it breathable and just what I wanted for wearing over my normal kit, fleece etc:

 

[Madriverrob]

Plus one for the lightweight MVP jacket , I have the trousers too

 

[teef]

excellent info! thanks guys.
a shell suits me just fine. i run a pretty warm body temp as a matter of course so often avoid lined jackets anyway.

 

[38thfoot]

They’re very good; roll up to fit into an issue water bottle pouch so no excuse for not having it with you.

The lack of good causes massive consternation amongst all the REMFs who want Ed to use it for walking the dog but as an infantryman they were a leap forward.

38

 

[teef]

ordered and on it's way. it'll be nice to have a waterproof in the pack again. the poncho has its moments but it tends to be one of those things you only go digging for if you really, really need it.

 

[Bam]

ordered and on it's way. it'll be nice to have a waterproof in the pack again. the poncho has its moments but it tends to be one of those things you only go digging for if you really, really need it.

I've got a pretty good copy of the '58 poncho that I only really use for dog walking when its pissing down but warm. Lets more air in than a jacket but the missus rips the piss for my 'Phantom of the Opera' look.

 

[38thfoot]

Never been a fan of ponchos in that I think the circumstances of them being useful, hot and raining with no wind, are rare in the UK and a lightweight waterproof jacket is simply more useful and ultimately better!

38

 

[teef]

i used to work in the film business back when i was living in the Pacific NorthWest. the nature of that work was lots of time out in the pissing rain, especially during the winter months, and often it was cold and windy enough to turn you blue faster than you could gulp down your warm beverage of choice. i tried every type of wet weather gear imaginable to try and turn those soggy hours into something tolerable. not much worked, especially over the long term (as in hour after hour in the rain).

Goretex was great for about 30 minutes or so but once it wetted out -- or you got stuck into some manual labour -- it was hopeless: usually wetter inside than out and it was WAY too susceptible to dirt and oil.

PVC was great -- actually waterPROOF -- as long as you basically remained virtually stationary (not practical on location) and had a decent liner layer.

Oilskin was great for an hour or two but once it got good and soggy it was like wearing an oily dishrag.

about the only thing that worked reasonably well in those conditions was a poncho because it was waterproof -- at least the bits that it covered, you could usually get enough ventilation to keep the bathtub effect to a tolerable minimum as long as you weren't exerting yourself too much, and when it got a little windy (which it often did) a bit of bank line and gaffer tape would help pin down the flappy bits. the problem was that they were pretty much banned when you were anywhere near where they were shooting because they were so damn noisy, especially in the wind-driven rain.

i started mountain biking seriously around this time and pretty much gave up on waterproofs: if you kept yourself active enough you could (mostly) burn off the wet anyway. carry a safety layer of merino and/or polar fleece and you were pretty much good to go.

these days things are different: time in the woods is considerably different that either of my previous outdoor activities and i am game to give the waterproofs another go. that and the 20-odd years that's passed. hopefully the recent gear is more effective for the task at hand. outer layer treatments weren't much of a thing back in the day and i see that they certainly are now. it all bodes well.

 

[teef]

ok, got the goods today. one British MTP MVP Lightweight Jacket and one British Royal Navy Goretex Jacket for the winter months.

the Lightweight certainly is that, feels like little more than nylon shell jackets from back in the day. a bit of a wash and the Granger's treatment and out in the back garden for a spray and splash test. so far so good! looking forward to having it along in the woods for those "summer" showers we keep getting.

the Navy Gortex is a whole different beast. thicker material, longer cut, storm flaps all over the place, quilted liner, etc. that'll probably have to wait a bit to get a proper trial. but hey, winter is coming.

 

[Bam]

ok, got the goods today. one British MTP MVP Lightweight Jacket and one British Royal Navy Goretex Jacket for the winter months.

the Lightweight certainly is that, feels like little more than nylon shell jackets from back in the day. a bit of a wash and the Granger's treatment and out in the back garden for a spray and splash test. so far so good! looking forward to having it along in the woods for those "summer" showers we keep getting.

the Navy Gortex is a whole different beast. thicker material, longer cut, storm flaps all over the place, quilted liner, etc. that'll probably have to wait a bit to get a proper trial. but hey, winter is coming.

It must be newer than the ones I have, no lining in mine but the goretex is thicker than my civvy ones, they still need reproofed from time to time and in mine the pockets aren't really waterproof but mine were free so I can't complain.