Tru-SpecMen's H20 Proof Gen2 ECWCS Parka

EDITED AFTER FIELD TEST: Increased rating by one star.Note, this is the outermost layer of a “system”, so civilians not familiar with the ECWCS might be disappointed. It has little, to no insulation value, but is wind and rainproof. You must layer it with base and/or insulation layers for warmth.As others have noted, the collar is quite large to accommodate the substantial hood. With the hood rolled into the collar, the collar is quite bulky and stiff.It is somewhat noisy. With Velcro closures and a plasticky (nylon) material, it’s a noisy garment. If extreme, close range stealth is a requirement, this may betray your location. However, in a field test last night in light rain - it was not as noisy as I'd feared.It is bulky. It was very warm last night - and I took this in my pack instead of my usual poncho. It took up most of my ruck space whereas my poncho consumes less than half the volume. However - it is a structured garment that will provide radically better protection than a poncho in cold weather.It is heavier than a poncho - 1035 grams vs 788g for a standard waterproof poncho.The inner layer is gray/blue which may be an issue for some. I’d prefer it be one of the marpat colours.It is not/cannot be true USMC MARPAT, no logo in pattern. But the pattern appears to be a near perfect copy.Mine is branded, in OD green thread, very sublty on the back, below the collar. This may or may not be a problem. It is very subtle and hardly noticeable. This may be an intentional tactic to distinguish the garment from issued Gen II ECWCS shells.It is nylon, so will be very vulnerable to sparks, embers, hot surfaces, barrels etc. Use with caution.Mine is XL-R, and is very roomy, I am 5’10 and 200 lbs, and fit. (VO2 max = 48). I can layer a lot under it. It works properly with rucks and tact vests.Not having yet tested in this in its intended environment, I can't say how well it will work in the cold - but I suspect I'll be appreciating it's bulk and substantial construction when the weather gets really nasty.Recommend if it fits your requirements.

This is an excellent and durable rain jacket. It is not quite as heavy as first gen ecwcs jacket. This works well for work and I have the matching pants. Fit is oversized like ecwcs so there is plenty of room to add a fleece liner and layer underneath..

Could not call this a parka it's only an outer shell rain jacket without a liner, not the thin tent like liner between the shell inside. It should have some sort of liner or insulation if it was a "parka" that mine did not come with. Speaking of which it forces you to buy a tru-spec fleece with small zipper as you cannot install a ECWS gen III fleece that truspec recommends and they remove and sell that separately this should not to confused with the actual liner. Other than that the outer shell is pretty high quality; but only worth about $50, I think you should price around. There are thousands of rain jacket shells made in USA by tactical outfitters in multicam for around $50 online as well. The fleeces are also worthless but go for more than the shells online. Shipping was way slow coming from chinese warehouse in USA.If you cannot find these for cheap for some reason, you can get some much higher quality ones with or without insulation and also better specs to go with actual fatigues:tennierindustries.com Gen III Layer 5 Soft Shell Jacket (OCP) same price $199 usd5.11 MULTICAM TAC DRY RAIN SHELL multicam discontinued $199 usdWild things gear $299 usd

This is a reproduction of the U.S.G.I. Extended Cold Weather Clothing System Level 6 Parka. I also own the government issued version and I like it so much I bought this to have another one in a different colour. Generally I am quite pleased and the quality is good. I like that they have replaced the hook and loop (Velcro) from the chest pockets and used zippers instead. There are also zippers inside paralleling the main zipper to attach a liner and both of these are improvements over my other version of this parka. My complaint is with the liner, which is sold separately. First, it's sold separately and that is weak! Second, it has a metal snap is the back of the neck that does not line up with any attachment on the parka and metal on your neck in the winter is unpleasant. Third, it is lined with nylon and no winter coat should ever be lined with nylon. Fourth, it is very thin and not very warm. If this liner is Tru-Spec's version of the ECWCS Level 3 Fleece they totally failed. The government issued/surplus fleece is vastly superior and less expensive.

So I picked up the tan Tru-Spec parka this past weekend, and I love it. It’s about half the packing size and less weight of a similar jacket I had, but it’s a great weight and size for above freezing temps. Totally waterproof, hood rolls up into the collar, and it has pockets everywhere. Nice goretex-type material for durability and weather resistance. Rolled up into a nice compact size and fit in my 72 hour pack perfectly without sacrificing much space. I like the parka length because even the regular length went below my beltline. That with my rain pants should be a good combo, and with a pullover layer on underneath, I would sleep in it. It’s not insulated with padding, but it has a reflective layer inside. Good mobility in it, and it was plenty warm with just a t-shirt on but light enough that I won’t sweat in it. A t shirt, pullover jacket, and this jacket over that would be a great light winter setup for staying plenty warm and dry.