The CS95 Windproof Smock

Rain coat, windbreaker, fall jacket, Bag of Holding. The British CS95 Windproof Smock is all of these things and more. Derived from a popular design from the Second World War, the windproof smock still sees military service today, and remains extremely popular in civilian circles. The smock is a product of the dismal weather of the British Isles and is as much of a symbol of its homeland as the L85 or Aston Martin.

Breakdown

Gear Type: Weather resistant outer shell

Pattern: DPM, Desert DPM, MTP

Value at Time of Writing: $30-50 USD, depending on pattern

Manufacturer: Cooneen Watts & Stone, Armour Products, and other contractors

Primary Users: British Armed Forces

First Use: 1942, modern version introduced in 1963

Practical Use

The CS95 Windproof Smock, or the Combat Soldier 1995 program update to the “Smock, Combat, Windproof” is a windproof and rain resistant outer shell jacket with an insane amount of pocket space and magical drying capabilities. It comes in the original forest variant of Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM), Desert DPM, and the newest examples come in the more recent Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) which is the UK nomenclature for MultiCam. The desert patterned examples are expectedly more subdued, which makes for more subtle daily attire than the quite loud and busy DPM and MTP. The hood is a monstrous one, and is plenty large enough to pull up over the user’s head and guard against wind and rain even with a large ballistic helmet on. The hood also comes with a “brim” of sorts that extends forward from the leading edge by about two to three inches to further protect the head and face from the environment. This brim section comes with brass wire inserted into the seam to allow shaping of the hood to meet environmental needs. British squaddies will commonly remove this wire to make it easier to roll up and stow the hood, however the newest fashion trend is to remove the wire and iron the hood down as flat as possible to the back of the smock.

The jacket itself is long, about thigh length, and comes with double zippers to leave some open space on the lower end. There are also a few strips of velcro on the front closure to help keep water and cold air out. The velcro is also adequate for keeping the jacket closed on its own in a pinch. The true strength of the windproof smock comes in its two most mysterious and mythical properties: pocket space and self-drying. The 50-50 cotton polyester blend will eventually start to soak up water in the rain (although waterproofing with commercial applications is easy and works well), but the fabric will dry extremely quickly, far more quickly than would be expected. It’s possible that each smock has been imbued with a shard of The Queen’s perpetual undying power, but that rumor is unsubstantiated. The pocket space available to the wearer is unmatched by any garment short of a backpack or load bearing rig like a Pattern 83 vest. In the usual places there are four 8” by 10” pockets, two breast pockets and two lower pockets. The real Bag of Holding effect comes into play with the interior pockets. Two zippers next to the breast pockets open to reveal two massive 13” by 12” expanses that can hold everything from maps and sidearms to hats and sandwiches. Assuming a one inch depth, that’s 632 cubic inches of space! And that one inch depth is very conservative; each outer pocket can easily fit a five pound bag of flour.

Why so much space? The secret sauce lies within the garment’s origins as an outer layer for airborne troops. Called the “Denison smock” when it was first introduced in 1942, it was used as a way for paratroopers (or parachutists as the Brits call them) to carry extra equipment and ammunition on their jumps. At the time, load bearing items like vests and chest rigs were experimental at best, and ample pocket space was a great way to make up for the limited space offered by the pistol belts of the day. The large additional pockets are also seen on US airborne infantry blouses and pants at this time. The smock was incredibly popular, and regular troops would routinely trade for, buy, or steal them anytime they could. After achieving such legendary status, the blouse was re-introduced as the “Smock, Windproof, Parachutists” or more simply “windproof smock” in the new DPM pattern in 1963. The jacket has seen widespread use and iteration ever since.

A E S T H E T I C

The windproof smock is a tested and proven garment that has seen combat and other vigorous use all over the world, and will be well at home in any situation that can be thrown at it. The modern iteration of the smock has seen action in two major conflicts: The Falklands and The Global War on Terror. The Falkland Islands are a temperate-cold oceanic climate, lashed by cold Antarctic winds and sea spray. The British troops in the GWOT saw action in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. These are hot, arid, desert environments with blisteringly cold nights and blazing hot days due to the fact that neither clouds nor the ozone layer have been invented yet there. It’s a testament to the versatility of the windproof smock that it was both issued and well-loved in both of these theaters. Only the Brits, in their miserably cold, damp, sunless climate could make such a perfect jacket. The windproof smock makes a fantastic outer layer in any season in a temperate climate and can be made warmer or cooler depending on circumstances. Desert DPM is a light, subdued pattern that fits well enough with any casual outfit and can be easily dyed with black Dylon for a unique style that looks straight out of an Urban Outfitters (but in a good way). The pattern stays readable, fading into a dark grey and rich brown color. The best part is, the salt-based dye won’t alter plastics like acrylic, so the Union Jack on the sleeve and the zippers stay their original color. The DPM and MTP patterns blend in well to forest or grassland areas and these days DPM is a bright attention-grabber and conversation starter elsewhere. Wearing MTP out and about is not advisable because it is functionally the same pattern as MultiCam, which is the current issue pattern for US Armed Forces. With the numerous variants and uses, there is justification somewhere for anyone to acquire and love one of these fantastic jackets. The windproof smock will go anywhere its wearer can go and will carry any weight with no complaints and no compromises.