I bought this for personal use and to see what kind of quality the jacket is. I had seen them around, but always wondered about that. Our department's parkas/3 in one jackets are not that good in my opinion. So I bought this for myself, hoping to show it to them as well to see if we couldn't get something that might be better.
It is very good quality, and better than what our department issues. Both the inner and outer jacket can be worn separately (3-in-1 of couse it can) but by that I mean they are both very functional and good looking on their own. I wore the inner jacket to a ball game with high wind, cold, and a bit of rain. It kept me warm, blocked the wind, and I didn't get wet. I could have worn the outer shell instead; it would have done just as good a job and been not too warm.
I work in Canada on the prairies, and have to be outside a fair bit. If I could have this as a duty jacket/parka, I would be very happy with it. You won't go wrong with this 3-in-1. And it is professional looking, designed for law-enforcement yet can be worn casually if that's what you choose. Just my 2 cents worth....
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Bought this jacket about a week ago from a Police/Uniform Dealer here in Colorado. It decided to snow this weekend so I got to find out how well this jacket would do in the wet snow and the high winds that came with the snow. Kept me very warm, and very dry; It did its job, and that's all I was looking for. Speaking of looking for, I keep finding new pockets hidden here and there. Let me tell you, there are plenty of pockets, and several are spacious enough for a pistol (well after all that's one of the highlights of this jacket) or even a small village. With the concealable Backup Belt System holster (also by 5.11) a handgun of nearly any appropriate size can be safely concealed in one of several pockets. This is a great Coat for those who are Peace Officers, Security, or EMS (and 5.11 has dedicated EMS coats and parkas as well).
I must caution: This jacket may not really for those who intend to travel light, as this jacket weighs at least double what my last 3-in-1 jacket weighed (Marmot brand). This jacket will keep you warm, and it has nearly every feature you'd want in a duty/patrol/everyday jacket. I highly recommend it.
I was able to test on the 5.11 #48017 5-in-1 Jacket while in the store, and the differences between the two I noticed were mostly how they wore. The 5-in-1 feels considerably bulkier, and then the 5-in-1 was a shorter cut. I wanted a longer cut and so opted against the 5-in-1.
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I love 5.11 products (except for the price) but I've never found I jacket from them I like. This jacket is cut extremely short and while some people may like that it doesn't account for the super bulkiness. I bought an XL (which all the 3-in-1 jackets I've ever bought or tried on are) and it fit like an XXXL and its length ended at my belly button; not exaggerating. These things are built for 600lb midgets. I tried L and XL with both the 5-in-1 and 3-in-1, same issue. For the price, I expect perfection. I'll stick with North Face for my jackets; if you care the velcro holster made for these jackets still works in my North Face 3-in-1 and that was the main reason I wanted the 5.11 jacket. Functionally these jackets are awesome but I cannot figure out who they are cutting these for.
Honest reviews on 5.11 #48001 3-in-1 Parka
I am 5'9 155lbs, muscular, and normally wear a 38 or medium jacket, but followed the advice of others on the 5.11 site and ordered a small. The medium would have drowned me, so my advice is to order one size down since this may be a trait of the jacket's sizing. I have slightly longer arms than others my build and even so, the sleeve length is perfect . So far I have worn a t-shirt and a medium weight sweater underneath this jacket, and it still fits well with plenty of room for movement. Given it has a built in fleece which can be worn independently of the shell, I can't imagine one would need many more layers than this.
For those wanting to wear this over a blazer, sport coat or suit jacket, I have done so and it leaves about two inches of my suit jacket exposed. I wear a 38S suit jacket. Given this exposure, I do not wear it in the rain with a suit.
It is very warm, and very dry. I live in the Northeast and have worn it during very heavy rain and not even a drip of rain has penetrated.
The coat is very well constructed of high quality materials. Zippers feel like they would take significant effort to break, and the fabric is strong. It is heavy, so consider what you layer underneath. It is no fun carrying it when indoors due to its bulk and weight, both of which are reassuring when the mercury falls below freezing.
My only criticisms are as follows. There are two buttons on the collar at one's throat which are designed to be fastened to keep the hood secured close to the head and neck during wet conditions. During light rain, when simply pulling the hood up, the front of the hood falls at or slightly below my eyebrows and therefore obscures peripheral vision. However, during heavier rain, when buttoning the hood at the neck area too (as intended), the hood sits fine. In short, the hood is designed to be worn properly buttoned at the neck during all rain conditions, not just casually pulled up on the head. It looks a little foolish to be so tightly wrapped in the hood during light rain, simply to avoid this issue however. This said, you can't have it both ways, so at least it performs as intended in significantly wet weather.
My final criticism is minor, and relates to the front waist pockets. There is a drawstring inside them which I cannot understand the functionality of, and serves to confuse me when looking for small items (lip balm, bluetooth headset and so on).
Overall, an exceptionally good jacket, warmer, drier and better quality than any other I have purchased.
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I love this jacket, it's very warm and has all the gadgets for any duty jacket. Very nice quality as well. I'd buy this jacket over and over again.
