Czech Army Poncho

Czech Army Rain Cape

This is the hooded rain cape issued to the Czech Army, cut long and loose so it hangs over a uniform or jacket and sheds rain off the shoulders and torso. It buttons down the front, has slits for the arms, and carries a shoulder cape and a deep drawstring hood. Soldiers wore it on foot in wet weather. It suits campers, hikers, reenactors and collectors of Central European kit just as well.

Features

• Deep Drawstring Hood — A roomy hood with a cord at the neck pulls in around the face to keep rain off the head and collar.
• Shoulder Cape — A second short layer of fabric sits over the shoulders, where rain hits hardest, and sends water outward and away.
• Button Front Closure — The cape opens fully down the front and fastens with buttons, so you can put it on or vent it without pulling it over your head.
• Covered Placket — A fabric strip runs behind the front opening to keep wind-driven rain from getting through between the buttons.
• Side Arm Slits — Vertical openings on each side let your arms come out to work, carry or hold a map while the cape still covers your body.
• Long, Loose Cut — The cape falls to around knee length on an adult frame and has room to wear over a jacket or extra layers.
• Coated Inner Face — The inside of the fabric has a smooth, glossy finish, visible in the hood, that helps the cape shed water.
• Olive Green Finish — A plain military olive shade that blends into woodland and field settings and matches other Czech issue kit.
• Maker's Label — Units carry a sewn-in label from the contract maker, such as the ASTONA Přečkovice 1993 label shown in the photographs.

Original Czech Issue

This cape was made for the Czech armed forces under a government contract, and the labelled example pictured was produced by Astona of Přečkovice in 1993, the year the Czech Republic became an independent state. You get the cut, hardware and fabric the army specified, and the inside carries the usual stamped and handwritten markings of issued kit. Collectors and reenactors of the post-Cold War Czech Army look for exactly that kind of provenance.