5.11 Tactical Men's Responder's High Visibility Performance Parka, Style# 48073, Dark Navy, Large

As a fire/rescue volunteer for my local departments, I have specific needs in outerwear. Most important to me is being able to go home at the end of a call, so scene safety is always a high priority. This coat meets ANSI standards and exceeded my expectation for both day/night visibility. It's eye-catching for sure! Most times I've worn it I've been asked about it. The coat needed to be a barrier to blood-born pathogens and the membrane built into the jacket should provide that when needed. So with my primary needs met, I'll give you some overall impressions. It's pretty comfortable in all of it's configurations. I received it at the end of our Maine winter. Wearing the fleece liner and shell together kept me warm directing traffic around a MVA for three hours at below 10 degrees, as an example. It's dry and warm and the built-in hood is perfectly shaped for wear with a ball cap. Now that summer is here the liner is out and it provides ample wind and rain protection over duty wear.I appreciated 511's attention to detail. The stitching and construction are tops. Our sewing person was pleased to find a zipper on the upper back that allowed for access to the shoulders for flag/department patch stitching. Good thinking there because it prevents the protective membrane from being punctured. The radio pocket is perfectly sized for my handheld and has a clever, bi-directional side zipper to allow two fingers inside the radio pocket for frequency and volume changes, as well as providing a great seal for the mic cord. There are two mic/speaker attachment points which are very handy. I also like how pockets have been sectioned with mesh to allow easy access to multiple items in the same pocket, like the EMS guidebook and spare gloves in the same breast pocket. I like the built in pen holders in the waist pockets too. The hand-warming pockets are a bit tough to find in a hurry, but I'm used to it by now.I've found this to be the perfect 1st responder jacket for my needs. If you have similar needs then you won't second guess this if purchased.

I originally ordered this jacket through Amazon, but my size was back ordered so I ordered it directly from the manufacturer. It is such a great jacket I wanted to write a review on Amazon anyway.Sizing - I am 6'-1" tall 190 lbs. (I wear a 42R suit coat) I ordered a medium based on other reviews and I am glad I did. It fits exactly how I wanted it to. It is a good fit without a bunch of extra material. If you want a looser fit, order your regular size - if you want a more fitted fit, order one size smaller.Quality - the quality of the jacket is outstanding. I can't find anything that made me think 'I wish they had done something different here'.Warmth - I live in Dallas and we just came through an ice storm with fairly cold temperatures. I wore this jacket with two fairly thin layers underneath in 18 degree weather with the wind blowing and I was never cold. The green hi-vis parts of the jacket do stiffen up just a bit in the cold but not anything that effects anything negatively.Style - I have only had the jacket a few days and I have already received 5 compliments on it. Two of those from perfect strangers.In summary, you can't go wrong with this jacket! Looks great, fits great, very well put together.

5.11 has done it again. Another superior product. This jacket is so warm and very bright, making you visible when you need it most. There are so many pockets, you could carry half of your ems bag in your pockets if you needed to. The radio pocket is very well setup, however I still chose to use my radio strap most of the time because of being able to switch to my turnout jacket easily.The blood borne barrier is a great safety feature, making this best suited for ems uses. The sleeve pockets are great for keeping medical gloves in an easily accessible place. The main pockets provide easy storage for shears, pens, penlight and more. There is even room in the pocket to keep your stethoscope and not feel bulky or in the way. The red color looks phenomenal. The shoulders have a textured pad that helps keep backpack or bag straps in place without sliding off your shoulder. This feature goes great with the 5.11 Responder ALS backpack that we have at the station in our rescue truck.This jacket is a must for any first responder, and would make a great incentive for depts to give out to its dedicated members.

This is a very good 3 in one jacket. It has the outer hard shell, and then a soft removable inner fleece. Our winter in Seattle has not yet been cold enough to warrant using the fleece and shell at the same time, but I have used both hard shell and soft shell separately. The fleece is quite warm, but the man reason I have this jacket is for night time visibility. The jacket really does stand out and I keep it in the truck all the time. I have used it on numerous occasions despite only having it a short time. A police office even commented on how well I stood out when he was responding to an accident I was already out on. On another quick note I am finding new pockets every time i put this jacket on. Pockets are everywhere.The only reason I did not give this jacket 5 stars was the cost. It is steep, and there are other jackets out there the come pretty close to this level of warmth and visibility, but I went with the 5.11 jacket because of their reputation. I personally think its work the money.