German Flecktarn Parka

I know the description says "Surplus Used" but mine had to be brand new. Colors were rich and bright and displayed zero fading. I could tell the fabric had never seen the inside of a washer or dryer, as the tag on the inside was bright white, flat, and stiff - not wrinkled or discolored (if you buy a lot of surplus you know what I am talking about). The parka I received was dated 2001 and therefore was the brighter pre-2005 Bund Flecktarn pattern. The ones issued post-2005 have a more muted tone, apparently. I'm 6'2"and 170#, kinda lanky with long arms, and the German size 12 was a perfect fit. I have had issues with European surplus stuff having sleeves that were too short for me but not with the size 12. I give it a 10/10 would buy again status.

I was amazed at the high quality of this parka considering the low price. A commercially-made parka with these features would cost 3 to 4 times more in most stores.

The parka arrived in original plastic wrap and appeared to be brand-new as described. The colors were very vibrant with no fading. There were no visible defects to the parka. The parka is made from a canvas-like material and appears to be very durable yet light-weight. It can be easily folded-up for traveling. It has many outer storage pockets and a nice large, inner pocket. It fits a little larger than the stated size but this allows room for layering underneath. I plan to use this for hunting and hiking.

You can't go wrong in buying this parka for under $20.00. I hope to purchase the insulated liner when they are available to make this an even better cold-weather parka.

For those of us who like a coat a bit longer than the US field jacket, this is a great choice. At the sale price, it was time to buy for friends! Well made but can use some additional water-resistant treatment. That's not hard to do. Size chart is accurate. The liner listed elsewhere is a worthwhile addition.

I bought two of the Gr. 12 ones, which is for 37" chest and about 5'11" to 6'2". I have a 36" chest and am only 5'7", and this is very long on me (which I expected), but the sleeves are long enough for my long arms, which is always a concern. I'm planning to cut the jacket off at the waist and re-hem it there with a drawstring with cordlocks, then treat the jacket with wax waterproofing to have a cheaper-and-better rain jacket to wear while cycling around town. All that to say I don't care that it's too long. The material is very tightly knit and is pretty water-repellent as is.

The jacket is HUGE in the body. I'm sure it was made for layering over a lot of clothes, but I'll probably end up taking it in at the side seams, since for my use I'd prefer something a lot more form-fitting. The hood on this jacket is the most well-designed and ergonomic one I've ever tried. I didn't know anyone could MAKE a hood this good. It cinches down nice and snug and turns with your head and never blocks your vision. I'm really looking forward to using this as a rain jacket. I never cared for Gore-Tex that ALWAYS delaminates, I've been interested in waxed cotton or poly/cotton as a solution, but those jackets cost $200 and I don't have that kind of money. Here at KS I can buy two new jackets of superlative quality for $31, have a fun project making a jacket that will last the rest of my life, and have enough material left over to use for repairs or, I don't know, a throw pillow?

Excellent quality parka, and $15 for a NEW one? You can't touch that price anywhere on the internet.