Hello! I'm Mack, and this is a Blog post in which I will describe the various pieces of Military Surplus I own, where I got it, and a brief look at its history! 

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Today we are looking at the Swiss M70 "Alpenflage" Jacket

These combat jackets were fielded by Switzerland in the early 70s, however, this particular style of jacket dates back to 1957 and was used all the way until 1983 with small revisions being made throughout its service period. This camouflage pattern, known widely as Alpenflage, seems quite noticeable at first, but there is a purpose behind its coloration. Seeing as the Swiss hold a neutral foreign policy, their camouflage patterns were designed with defense in mind. The bright reds might seem foolish for blending in, but in reality, this camouflage pattern is perfect for blending in with the Swiss Alps in the fall. 

Here is a picture of a man in an Alpenflage kit in a similar environment.

 In 1983, a new style of combat jacket in a more modern battle dress uniform style was adopted. Several things about this jacket set it apart from the jackets and kits worn by soldiers of other countries during the period. The first thing one may notice when putting this jacket on is how big and numerous the pockets are. These pockets were used as an integrated load-bearing system. Within these pockets, a Swiss soldier would store all of his necessary equipment, from ammunition and grenades to his helmet and mess kit. This item was a Christmas gift from my dad (as was the matching swiss belt) from Kruschiki Supply Company. The belt was from Americana Pipedream Apparel.

Below is a diagram of each pocket with a label of its intended purpose. (these photos were found thanks to a Blogspot user named Sharky)

56) Magazine pouches for the Swiss standard issue rifle, the Stgw 57

57) A pouch for a Blank or "white" magazine for firing rifle grenades, an ABC-Protection sheet (information on chemical and biological weapons and how to protect oneself), and a reflecting leg band

58) Food and toilet paper

59) Army knife, hearing protection, and personal items

60) First aid kit (conveniently stowed on the sleeve for easy access)

61) Weapon cleaning kits

62) Cooking utensils

63) Canteen with a cup and cutlery

The clip on the chest (pictured more clearly below) is for hanging the Swiss helmet when not in use. I really wish I owned this helmet (and the matching pants,) but I do not, unfortunately. Even a replica helmet would be neat. 

An extra view of the pockets that can be seen from the side. the ones on the back are just as massive as pictured in the diagram.

Another interesting thing to note is the rubberized elbow reinforcement along the darker portion of the sleeves. Why these sleeves are darker I'm not actually 100% sure.

Now what else stands out about this jacket? Well, once you feel around the hood, you come upon a pleasant surprise: a netted face mask. This kind of netted facemask is not usual with military jackets, so to have it as standard issue is pretty neat.

Alright, now that's pretty neat. Surely this jacket doesn't have any more in store for us?

Wrong!

The Swiss designed this jacket to have an integrated backpack that could attach via the high-waisted belt and the rectangular clips above the breast pockets. While I do not own this backpack, it's pretty cheap so I should buy one soon. Here is a photo of said backpack.

On it's own...

And mounted to the jacket!

Thanks for reading this blog post! I'll be sure to make more posts about surplus soon!