Please read our Sizing Guide to eliminate unnecessary returns. Sleeves on these run a little short, so please size up if you prefer longer sleeves that may cover parts of your hand.
Looking for a superbly utilitarian and practical jacket? We think we've got you covered! The Alpenflage field jacket is the most pocket-heavy piece of surplus we've ever seen.
Swiss military surplus is also famously durable. Heavy cotton canvas fabric, heavy stitching. You can beat up Swiss surplus, it’s made to take lots of punishment and be easily repairable.
TAZ 57 Alpenflage Camo & Its History
TAZ 57 "Alpenflage" is a Swiss variety of German Leibermuster. Some sources say that the Swiss obtained the pattern directly from WWII-era German uniform textile manufacturing lines from Czechoslovakia sometime postwar.
The Alpenflage Field Jacket
These field jackets were issued to combat troops of the Swiss army. After 1970 these uniforms were issued alongside a daypack that buckled onto the jacket itself, taking the place of traditional load bearing gear in use by other militaries at the time. The remainder of the combat loadout was stored in the jacket's TEN pockets. Yes, we said ten.
This jacket was used to carry the complete combat loadout of the average infantryman, from ammunition and anti-tank grenades to blankets and rations. See attached video for more uniform history and details.
Lovingly named the Vierfruchtpyama (four fruit pajamas) by Swiss troops, we think you'll find the Alpenflage field jacket to be wanting in neither drip nor pockets.
This is technically not the official designation for these jackets. They were made in at least two types during mass production: the Kampfanzug 61 and Kampfanzug 70.
The Short & Sweet:
- Genuine Schweizer Armee surplus
- Three condition grades
- Most jackets date from between 1961 and 1975
- Heavyweight cotton/polyester canvas blend
- Reinforced elbows
- 10 usable pockets, snap cap closure
- Two zip-up pockets on bottom interior
- Zip-up and snap cap front
- Stowable hood that fits over helmet
- May or may not include infrared veil
- Elastic zip-up cuffs
- Button-up shoulder epaulets
- Rings on front for attaching the integrated rucksack
Sizing Guide:
Swiss sizing uses pit-to-pit measurements in centimeters to denote sizes.
To find your pit-to-pit size, take a well-fitting shirt and lay it flat on the ground. Measure it from armpit to armpit. This number is your pit-to-pit size measurement.
For example, a medium (48) measures 19" from pit to pit.
A large (52) measures 20.5" from pit to pit.
An extra large (56) measures 22" from pit to pit.