SADF Field Jacket, Nutria, Unissued

Unused Nutria Brown field jacket of the South African Defence Force. We don’t come across these original ones that often, and especially not in unissued condition. As of now, this is a one-off batch, and we have no idea whether we can ever get more. So, if you want a very unique yet versatile jacket for your collection or wardrobe, grab this while you can.

History

Originally, the South African Defence Force (SADF) used old British khakis, but in the early 1970s, they switched to the classic Nutria Brown uniforms. Initially, the field shirts had long sleeves, which people kept rolling up. At some point in the 1980s, the SADF realized that it might be smart to also make short-sleeved shirts to get rid of rolling those sleeves. For a bit colder weather, well, Finnish summer cold weather, they also had these field jackets. These jackets saw less use than the standard shirt. They were used as an additional layer when it was colder, at dawn and dusk, and in wintertime

The color choice may seem a bit strange, but it works reasonably well in South African bush. Nutria Brown was used on all sorts of clothes and gear and by all kinds of troops.

These uniforms were taken out of use in 1994, pretty much at the same time as Apartheid was terminated. So, this color scheme represents the darker side of South African history. SADF was replaced by SANDF (South African National Defence Force) and the Nutria Brown color scheme was replaced by the Soldier 2000 camouflage pattern, which is still in use in South Africa.

Features

This is a pretty straightforward field jacket without any weird and unnecessary features. The fabric is a bit thicker than the one found on field shirts, but there is no lining. From the Finnish standpoint, this is a relatively warm weather jacket. However, with suitable mid-layers, it will work in colder seasons as well.

The jacket features a button closure, soft collar, and epaulets on the shoulders. Inside, you’ll find a pretty exotic buttoned waist adjustment system, but it works. The cuffs cannot be adjusted. There are two breast pockets and two pockets at the hem.

Condition

Unused South African military surplus. There are jackets from at least 1991 in this batch, but there may well be other years in the mix, too. The condition is excellent for their age, and most of these are wrapped in plastic. However, since they have been lying in the warehouse for decades, and not all of them are in plastic, there can be some warehouse dust and such on some of them. Nothing that will affect usability though