A Good Fall Coat

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

It's December, and while for most of the country that means freezing temperatures, for those of us in Central Florida it means that it's sufficiently cool in the mornings and evenings to need a jacket -- in other words, fall weather. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a store which sells a proper "fall coat" which protects against wind and rain without also being so insulated that I start sweating after a while.

However, there's a solution to this dilemma and it's form an unlikely source. My fall coat is actually a military surplus German army field jacket which, despite being called a parka, is simply a water resistant shell. By itself it keeps me warm and dry down to the mid-60s, and past that I layer up with a sweatshirt or other thermal fleece underneath it. These layers keep me warm until the temperatures hit the 40s, at which point I break out my true winter coat.

While anyone can make a fall coat by pairing a waterproof windbreaker with a fleece, I am particularly enamored of my flecktarn (that's German for "mottled camouflage") jacket because of the other options it has:

• zippered vents under the armpits to allow for ventilation and reduce sweating;
• drawstrings at the hood, midline, and hem;
• and most importantly, a double zipper which allows me to zip my jacket closed up to my neck, then unzip it from the bottom to my hips. This allows me to quickly and easily access my concealed pistol if I need to defend myself, while at the same time keeping me warm. 

If you're looking for a lightweight coat to keep you warm and dry during the fall, I highly recommend a field jacket like this. You'll get many years of use out of it and won't regret the investment.

Available at Amazon with Prime shipping for $40.