Bushcraft USA Silnylon MEST Poncho

Last week I noticed the Bushcraft Outfitters got some more of their silnylon MEST (Multipurpose Emergency Survival Tarp) ponchos in stock. I ordered one of Friday and it came yesterday.

Along with the poncho I ordered a tube of McNett seam sealer to prevent leaks on the hood seams. I sealed the seams last night. The sealant was a little tacky, so per the instructions on the packaging I dusted them with some talcum powder, which can be seen in the pictures below.

I took some pictures of the MEST poncho with the Chinese-made USGI-style poncho that I've been carrying strapped to the bottom of my HPG Tarahumara day pack.

The MEST is about 1.5" longer and 1.5" narrower than the old poncho.

Notice that the MEST has nylon webbing loops sewn on, rather than grommets. This allows you to make field repairs with a needle and thread.

The old poncho came with a stuff sack but I generally rolled it up. I took pics of it both ways to show how much smaller the MEST is when stowed.

Aside from being much smaller, the MEST is maybe half the weight of the rubberized nylon GI-style poncho. The MEST could easily be carried in a cargo pocket. Combined with some utility cord or 550 cord, and some lightweight tent stakes, it'll make for a light, compact shelter.

Now all I need is some rain to test it out.

Winter Storm Jonas Gear Report

Thankfully, the impact of Winter Storm Jonas on my area was limited to a crapload of snow. We got about 2 feet, plus or minus. (It's hard to get an accurate measure due to the drifting.) This was the 4th biggest snowstorm to hit the Philadelphia area since they began keeping records.

High winds were predicted for this storm but they didn't hit our area, and our power never went out. Because of the predictions I charged all the batteries for things like drills, radios, lanterns, and cell phone power banks. I also filled a Dietz hurricane lantern with lamp oil, but we didn't need either it or our kerosene heater.

A few things performed well during the cleanup:

1. Troy-Bilt Storm 2410 snow blower. I bought this in the Fall of 2014 as an upgrade from the smaller Troy-Bilt 5524 that I got in 2004. The extra size was very welcome with the amount of snow we got, especially when it came to clearing my driveway apron after the township's plow came through. The 179cc engine started easily even after sitting outside under a tarp in sub-freezing weather, and had plenty of power.

I am going to look into putting chains on the snow blower tires, however. The additional traction would be helpful.

2. ORC PCU Level 5 softshell pants. These remain one of the best items I've ever bought. They kept my legs warm and dry even when I had to wade through snow up to my thighs.

3. Arc'Teryx LEAF Atom SV Hoody + French Army MVP* CCE** surplus parka. The Atom SV provided plenty of insulation down into the teens and twenties when worn under the French parka, which blocked the wind and kept me dry, even when getting drenched with windblown snow from the blower. The French parka is available for $35 from keepshooting.com. If they have it in your size it's one of the best buys you can make. I'd rate it up there with any of the high end civilian GoreTex parks I've owned from Mountain Hardwear and Arc'Teryx, which cost A LOT more.

A few fails:

1. My father's vintage-2000 MTD snow blower (basically an older version of my Troy-Bilt) kept stalling due to a mix of old gas and new gas. Once it warmed up enough it was able to handle the mix.

2. However, to get to that point it had to be restarted. This was a problem when it stalled at the bottom of the driveway and the pull cord for the recoil starter broke when my brother tried to restart it. I had to drive over with a 100 foot extension cord so that it could be restarted. (My parents live around the block, so it was a short trip.) He'll be buying a suitably long extension cord, and replacing the starter rope.

3. I managed to get my Xterra stuck in front of their house when I pulled as far to the side of the street as I could. However, I remembered to toss a collapsible snow shovel in the back of the truck before I went over, so I was able to dig myself out in a couple minutes.


Notes:
* MVP = Moisture Vapor Permeable, like Gore-Tex.
* CCE = The French central European camo pattern, similar to US woodland but with more tan.

French Parka in the Snow

This afternoon I took a walk with my daughter Amanda and had her take this picture of me wearing the French surplus parka that I wrote about last week.

The conditions were about 25 degrees F. with some wind and snow. Underneath the parka I had on a long sleeve T-shirt, a cotton flannel shirt, a Cabela’s Primaloft 100 jacket, and a knit cap. I was quite comfortable. The French surplus jacket kept out the wind and protected most of my face even when I was walking into the wind. This parka definitely gets two thumbs up from me.

French Surplus Gore Tex Parka

The  German surplus flecktarn camoflage Sympatex parka with a that I’ve used for several years as a rough-use waterproof outer layer was in need of replacement.  The last time I wore it I got wet. While I might be able to revive its water repellency, a few weeks ago I ordered a French surplus Gore-Tex parka in the “CCE” camo pattern from CTD to replace it.

Note: The parka isn’t, as far as I know, made with actual Gore-Tex. Rather, it’s a similar moisture vapor permeable membrane.

The parka I received was made in 2005 and is in unissued condition.

The French CCE camo is obviously based on the American Woodland camo pattern, which in turn was based on the earlier M-1948 ERDL camo. Compared with Woodland, it a bit lighter, due to a large amount of a tan in the pattern.

The parka has several nice features:

• Sealed seams.
• A large, oversized hood. It looks like it’s meant so you can fit it over a helmet. This means you can fit it over pretty much any warm hat you might wear. The hood can be cinched down using elastic shock cords and an adjustment tab on the back. The hood can roll up into the collar, but it’s lumpy if you do so. I’m just going to leave it unrolled.
• High collar that comes up about to your nose.
• Two-way zipper covered by dual storm flaps.
• Pit zips with two-way zippers.
• Two large cargo pockets with zips and storm flaps.
• Two Napoleon breast pockets that are protected by the the same storm flaps that cover the main zipper.
• Elastic cinch cord at the lower hem.
• Velcro-adjustable cuffs.

Click here for the gallery with full size pics.

Overall, the quality of workmanship appears very good. Between the high collar and huge hood, you can really button up for foul weather.

The parka is consists of three layers – the outer camo layer, the breathable membrane, and the inner layer with taped seams.

All the zippers are plastic but feel like they are high quality. The snaps are secure but easy to snap and unsnap. The adjustment bungees on the hood, collar, and hem all have cord locks.

On each upper arm there is Velcro patch about 1.75” x 2.5”, and 2” square Velcro patch on the front. Presumably, the shoulder patches are for flags or unit patches while the front Velcro is for rank insignia.

Sizing is a bit weird. For reference, I am 5’4” tall and weigh about 185 lbs. (damn gut), and have broad shoulders for my height. I wear a 33” sleeve. The XL parka fits me very well. There’s plenty of room for layering -- with a Polartec 300 SPEAR fleece it’s comfortable without feeling like I’m wearing a tent, without being binding.  The sleeves are about 34”, which isn’t too long for me. The lower hem reaches down to my mid-thigh. Normally, an American garment in XL would have sleeves a bit too long for me.

My first test of the parka was on one of my nightly walks around my subdivision. The temp was about 30*F with some wind and freezing rain. I was out for 36 minutes. (Thankfully, I made my circuit without falling and breaking my neck.)

With the SPEAR fleece for insulation, the French parka kept me dry and kept the wind out. The pit zips were easily worked once I started to warm up, and I was able to adjust the hood over my ball cap to keep out the rain. After getting back inside I noticed that there was actual ice frozen onto the outside of the parka.

I tried the parka again the following day. It was in the upper 30s but with gusts up to 10 MPH. Worn over a sweater it provided ample wind blocking.

Compared to the German Sympatex parka the French parka is much nicer. The pit zips help with temperature regulation and the hood allows for bulkier headwear underneath. The French parka’s cargo pockets are larger and it also has the two chest pockets. The French coat has a two-way zip while the German parka does not. Both jackets have Euro zippers, which are backwards compared with the zips used on American men’s clothing. A bit annoying, but c’est la vie.

As for the two parkas’ camo patterns, which one is better depends on where you are. Flecktarn is one of the best camo patterns available for wooded terrain. It works very well in the Pennsylvania hard woods. The French CCE camo hasn’t been available in the US for as long as flecktarn, so we’ll need to test it in the field.

I don’t know how the French parka would compare with a USGI Gore-Tex ECWCS parka, since I’ve never owner or used one. If a reader has experience with both, please post your impressions in a comment.

For $40 plus about $12 to $20 shipping, the French CCE parka is a good deal, if the sizing works for you. It’s well designed, well made, and should be rugged. I’m looking forward to using it as a shell for camping, hiking,shooting, and hunting in cooler weather.