Trench Coats

[Xanatos]

The idea of opping in a trench coat or similar long garment is a romanticised one; being a formless black silhouette in the night, elegantly drifting behind you in the wind like a cape or just appealing to that 'Batman' effect. While opping in a trench coat or cloak isn't entirely unrealistic, there are several perks and flaws to consider when deciding to wear one. This short guide will cover the pros and cons of trench coats, great coats, duster coats, cloaks, rain coats, ponchos and (to some extent) even ghillie suits, as well as other similarly 'free hanging' apparel.

Pros:
- First and foremost, wearing a loose garment such as a trench coat breaks up the easily distinguishable figure of an operative and thus making them harder to spot. This is why cloaks and long coats have for centuries been associated with spies, assassins and thieves as it allowed them to blend in with the shadows and disguised any movement. Hooded garments in particular go a step further and break up the outline of the head and neck, which is probably the most distinguishable part of the body.
- On the subject of silhouette distortion, they also make it harder to identify individuals who get caught trespassing. Any witnesses would not be able to tell if the operative in question was thick or thin, scrawny or muscular, male or female or even give a good height estimation.
- Wearing a long outer garment conceals any suspicious camouflage or incriminating gear you may be wearing, allowing you to travel to your AO in plain sight 'fully geared up' without risking getting stopped by the authorities. Of course trench coats and the like are also sometimes associated with shady business, but it's far more common to see a person in a long coat than one in full tactical attire.
- Many coats give you extra pockets and other carrying options for gear and/or loot.
- They make it possible to wear two different shades of camouflage at once. Need to cross through bright snow or greenery to get to a darker urban target? Wear a cloak, coat or ghillie suit matching the terrain en route to your objective, then take it off and leave it somewhere so you can proceed stealthily in your darker coloured BDUs/undergarments.
- Since 'loose garments' aren't worn so close to the body, they don't absorb as much of your body odour and thus can hide your scent better from canines and other animals (depending on the material and how well it blocks odour). This is particularly the case with well-seasoned ghillie suits, which are hardly if ever washed and are designed to have an 'earthy' smell about them.
- They help keep the operative warm by insulating exothermic heat close to the body, which is always handy for cold weather. And in the case of raincoats, they keep the operative's body and gear dry.

Cons:
- On the subject of heat, they can also become incredibly hot and burdensome in warmer weather depending on the make of the garment. Thankfully most trench coats can be opened down the front for better ventilation, but heat may still be an issue.
- Perhaps the most obvious flaw (especially with ghillie suits) is that such garments tend to snag rather easily, especially when dealing with barbed wire fences, travelling through thick vegetation, etc.
- Long garments may inhibit movement, especially ones that extend below the knee. When running, rolling or crouch walking the lower part of the garment can get caught up in your legs and feet, which reduces overall speed and fluidity of movement.
- They tend to make more noise than clothing that's closer to the body. Even if the material itself doesn't rustle it can still scrape along the ground or walls & furniture, which can be an issue when absolute silence is a must.
- Depending on where you carry your kit, long coats and other garments may make it difficult to access gear easily.

Tips:
- Most coats and cloaks are typically fancy, expensive garments, so when choosing an opping coat make sure you're okay with getting it scratched & dirty.
- When choosing materials, treat coats like you would regular op clothing and make sure to get soft, quiet materials such as cotton (preferably unlined) in dark shades (brown, black, grey, etc). Try to avoid heavier materials that make a lot of noise and weigh you down like leather or oilskin duster coats - unless you happen to be moving through a rough environment with lots of broken glass & gravel & stuff, in which case the thicker material will offer some protection.
- On the subject of heavier materials, if your coat is thick enough you can use it to do the old 'Fight Club' trick to get over barbed wire fences easily. Throw your coat directly over the wire and use the thick material to protect your hands from the barbs.
- In terms of length, never go below the knee. Knee-length is optimal as it's long enough to cover most of your body (and gear), gives your legs ample room to move even when running or crouched and it breaks up your silhouette nicely, especially when crouched or sticking close to the ground.
- You can travel to your AO all geared up and discreetly by wearing a trench coat over your incriminating attire. Take it off when you reach the perimeter of the AO, perform the op and pick it up again on your way out. This means you don't have to carry all your gear in a bag separately and then gear up when you reach the AO.
- It's important to know how to wear your coat properly; ideally you should be wearing it open/unbuttoned/unzipped so it flares out and breaks up your outline as much as possible and also makes it easier to access any gear you've got underneath. If the coat seems to be getting in your way too much then just have the top button fastened as if wearing a cape; this will still allow you to access your gear easily while letting you move easier since the coat isn't sliding off your shoulders or otherwise moving about unnecessarily.
- When hiding in a long garment, distort your body and spread out the loose material as much as possible to break up the outline and make yourself appear as a formless mass. From a distance - or even up close - you'll be indistinguishable from the human form. Preferably, try pressing up against something to make yourself appear as part of the object you're hiding against.
- As mentioned previously, some coats and cloaks have hoods attached. These help to hide your face and break up the outline of your head, but they also restrict your FOV and impair your hearing. Use as necessary.
- When scaling barbed wire fences, either take your coat off and throw it over before climbing or wrap the loose ends around your waist/arms/shoulders before climbing.


Any other tips or tricks would be appreciated.

[Roxas]

i like the idea very much.....now you got me thinking xanatos

[Xanatos]

I wear a trench coat sometimes on my ops, for the benefits mentioned above (good view of it in my Wolf Whistler 2.0 dare). So far I haven't had any difficulties with snagging or getting in the way of anything.

[II CraftyCommando II]

is there a difference betweena duster and a trenchcoat? is there a tactical duster out there? A tactical trenchcoat?

[Teutoni]

Isn't there always a tactical version of everything?

[Xanatos]

is there a difference betweena duster and a trenchcoat?

A duster coat is a loose-fitting long garment typically worn by cowboys and people out in the country. As the name implies, it was worn to keep the 'dust of travel' off the wearer's underlayers; say if they're going to a dinner party and wanted to keep the dust off their new suit. They also typically feature lining, shoulder capes and have large collars to protect the user from the sun and rain, and are usually made from some sort of waterproof material such as oilskin canvas.

A trench coat is your general long coat developed, obviously, for trench warfare as an officer's garment. It's typically tighter-fitting and not as long as the earlier greatcoats so they could move about in tight quarters with greater ease. Their main purpose was warmth and keeping the officer's uniform clean of any mud or other stains in order to retain a respectable visage in front of his superiors. Nowadays though 'trench coat' has become the standard term for any coat extending to the knees or lower.

is there a tactical duster out there? A tactical trenchcoat?

I... don't even know what that would look like. You mean a trench coat in a multicam pattern or something?

[Roxas]

is there a tactical duster out there? A tactical trenchcoat?

I... don't even know what that would look like. You mean a trench coat in a multicam pattern or something?[/quote]


no one with subdued urban camo and flame retardant lining paracchute cutaway bladed pepperspray coat

[Roxas]

Isn't there always a tactical version of everything?

i remember when i was looking for a tactical broom handle.....

[Neurotic Anomaly]

They exist.

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplu ... ts_id=2650

[Teutoni]

I had found that too but couldn't really see it being "tactical".

[Xanatos]

Doesn't look very manoeuvrable and you'd get quite hot in that thing. Has lots of other cool features for social stealth ops though, but not very applicable to NO.

[Teutoni]

I really don't see any benefits of doing an op in a trench coat to begin with though.

[aaronderuiter]

I'm not a fan of it either. The only real advantage I see is the less recognizable body shape, for the rest I'd just hate jumping and climbing around in such a long coat. If I were to use them at all, it'd be for operations that are half hiding in plain sight and half sneaky-peaky like, but half-half is not Night Ops, that's more like Spec Ops or something. Oh, and I'd walk around in them when idle because they look bad-ass, but that's personal preference, not tactical planning or anything.