Planet Earth Jacket

Name: Planet Earth Jacket. Dark Navy edition
Brand: Vollebak
SKU: JKT038NVYXSM
Price: 347 GBP
Availability: InStock

Comes with a wax outer shell, 9 storm pockets, and a violent past.

£695 £347

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Model is 6ft 2 / 188cm with a 39 inch / 99cm chest, and wears size Large.

Outer material is 100% waxed cotton by Halley Stevensons
Wax made from a base of olive, linseed and flax oils
6 external pockets and 3 internal pockets

Field jackets have a violent past. Born in WWII and Vietnam they were worn by De Niro in Taxi Driver, then Rambo. The Terminator even ripped a guy’s heart out to get one. With storage pockets large enough to replace backpacks, and the ability to see you through freezing winters, heatwaves and rainstorms all at the same time, the original field jackets emerged from the idea that your enemy could be anywhere on Earth – from cold European cities to stormy Pacific islands.

By the 1960s US soldiers were fighting in the dense tropical jungles of Vietnam. The new climate and terrain meant the field jacket had to adapt again. And it was here that the most iconic field jacket was born – the M65. In the face of torrential rain and wind, it stood out as the most versatile and functional jacket ever built. So when we decided to build a jacket that could work anywhere on the planet, this was our starting point.

Technical Details

Outer material is 100% waxed cotton, made in Scotland by Halley Stevensons

Cordura lining

Water resistant

Wind resistant

2 fleece-lined zipped side pockets

2 giant front bellows pockets with angled storm flaps

2 zipped upper chest pockets concealed behind storm flaps

Giant internal mesh pocket with cord fastener

2 zipped, layered, internal mesh pockets

Fleece-lined high collar with metal snap fastener belt closure

Heavy-duty two-way metal front zipper with storm flap and metal press studs

All metal zippers by Riri

Fleece-lined cuffs with metal snap fastener adjusters

Articulated sleeves

Spot clean

Re-wax the jacket every 2 to 3 years

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The first jackets designed for anywhere on Earth

Whatever way you look at it, field jackets would never have been invented if human beings were more peaceful. But as the technology of warfare evolved in the early 20th century with the invention of radar and ballistic missiles, wars could now be fought anytime and anywhere. So military clothing had to adapt at the same time. With their large storage pockets, and ability to see you through the cold, heat, wind and rain, the original field jackets were born out of the idea that your enemy could be anywhere on Earth.

The origins of the field jacket

With the US preparing for war on two fronts in 1941 – in Europe and the Pacific – soldiers needed uniforms that could handle freezing winters, heatwaves and rainstorms all at the same time. The new M41 field jacket was the versatile and practical answer. Followed up by the M43 and M51, these jackets were built to never feel too light or too heavy, and critically they let you layer up underneath.

Field jackets have a violent past. Born in WWII and Vietnam they were worn by De Niro in Taxi Driver, then Rambo. The Terminator even ripped a guy’s heart out to get one.

The M65 was made for jungle warfare

By the 1960s US soldiers were fighting in the dense tropical jungles of Vietnam. The new climate and terrain meant the field jacket had to adapt again. And it was here that the most iconic field jacket was born – the M65. While almost any jacket would have been too hot and heavy for combat in the jungle, the M65 worked perfectly in the post-monsoon months when temperatures cooled. In the face of torrential rain and wind, it stood out as the most versatile and functional jacket ever built. So when we decided to build a jacket that could work anywhere on the planet, this was our starting point.

Adopted by Hollywood

As the war rumbled on, the M65 made its way back home to the US. Vietnam vets wore them as an everyday jacket, but also as a sign of who they were and what they’d been through. Hollywood followed. Rambo wore one, as did Rocky. De Niro wore a green M65 in Taxi Driver. And having travelled through time, The Terminator ripped a guy apart with his bare hands just to steal one.

Constructed with waxed cotton

To build the Planet Earth Jacket we started with a material that’s been travelling the planet for hundreds of years. Waxed cotton is possibly the first performance fabric ever invented. And it’s still widely used today because no other material can match its unique combination of properties. To build the jacket’s outer shell we worked with one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious waxed cotton manufacturers, Hally Stevensons. Made in Scotland, the birthplace of waxed cotton, the material is water resistant, wind resistant and ages better the more it’s worn.

Invented 600 years ago on the North Sea

Covering materials in wax dates back to 15th century Scotland. As sailors travelled on the trade routes to the Baltics, they found that the linen sails on their boats were better at catching the wind when they were wet. So they started coating them in fish oil and linseed oil to catch the rain and spray. It not only made them less porous, but it accidentally made them weatherproof at the same time. Having fixed their sails, these same sailors went on to invent the first wax jackets by stitching together scraps of old sails to protect themselves from the torrential rain and wind at sea.
The birth of waxed cotton

By the 19th century heavy linen sails had been replaced by lightweight Egyptian cotton picked up by the tea clippers on their way back from China. But the oil coatings that worked on linen didn’t work on cotton. They cracked in the cold and melted in the heat. It wasn’t until the 1930s that a solution was invented. Tested across the world from Scotland to New Zealand, cotton coated in paraffin wax outperformed everything that had come before, and set a new standard for weatherproof clothing,

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Weather resistant, comfortable and durable

Founded in 1864 in Dundee, Halley Stevensons have been pioneering some of the world’s best waxed fabrics for generations. The outside of the Planet Earth Jacket uses a combination of olive oil, linseed oil, flax oil and paraffin wax to create a soft and weather resistant finish. The finish is applied by hand so no two jackets will look the same. And the inside of the jacket is lined with an ultra-tough Cordura. It’s highly durable and abrasion resistant, but smooth to the touch and feels soft next to your skin.

An adjustable collar for harsh weather

You can fasten the collar across your throat when the weather turns bad, and there are two metal press studs to let you adjust the tightness. When you’re not using it, you can secure the fastening belt behind a loop that sits to the side of the collar. The entire inside of the collar is lined with fleece to keep your neck and chin comfortable.

Two hidden chest pockets

While the original field jackets came with four pockets, the Planet Earth Jacket comes with nine. It starts with two concealed pockets on either side of the chest. They’re built with metal zippers and are hidden behind storm flaps. Inside they’re fleece-lined and large enough for your phone, wallet or keys.

Four large layered front pockets

You’ll find two more large fleece-lined side pockets that fasten with heavy-duty metal zippers on the sides of the jacket. Then layered over these pockets are two giant bellows pockets that can expand to fit more gear. The bellows pockets are protected by angled storm flaps and fasten shut with metal snap fasteners.

Giant storage pockets inside the jacket

If you open up the jacket, you’ll find a giant storage pocket on the inside left which can hold anything from a flask to an iPad. It’s built from an elastic mesh that expands the more you put inside it and is welded to the Cordura lining. The pocket closes with a cord fastener which allows you to adjust the tightness. On the inside right of the jacket you’ll find two smaller versions of this layered mesh pocket welded on.

Designed to keep the elements out

The jacket is fitted with a heavy-duty, two-way metal front zipper. It’s covered by a large external storm flap with tough metal snap fasteners, and underneath there’s an internal storm flap to protect you from wind and rain. You’ll find the same metal snap fasteners at the cuffs, and two settings for how tight you want them. The cuffs are lined with fleece for warmth and comfort.

Engineered for movement

Even though it’s a waxed jacket, we’ve engineered the Planet Earth Jacket to cope with extreme movement. Articulated sleeves follow the natural shape of your arm whatever way you stretch. We’ve built in a long back vent at the hem to keep air flowing around your body and make sure you never feel restricted. And the more you wear it, the more the waxed cotton will mould to the contours of your body.