If you are a soldier or civilian looking for army apparel, your best alternative is to check out a few online stores; there are many websites that sell and ship army apparel to persons even without military IDs and the selection online will no doubt be greater than it would be in a physical store since you can browse through a variety of stores around the world by going online, that you would not be able to physically visit.

There are a lot of different army uniforms for various activities and ranks in the army and each has their own specialized t-shirts, shirts, pants and jackets with various features built into each one so they can efficiently serve the purpose they are intended for. We’ll be looking at the various army jackets and their purpose and features.

First, there are army combat uniform (ACU) jackets and ACU Gore-Tex parkas. The ACU jacket is intended to be worn with the ACU shirt and serve as an extra layer of protection; the shirt is breathable and moisture-wicking – which means that it draws moisture away from the body, but the jacket has none of these additional features. The ACU Gore-Tex parka however is waterproof, windproof, and breathable with reinforced elbows.

There are as well 5 Advanced Protective Combat Uniform (APCU) jackets – the level IV wind-shirt, the pullover, the soft-shell jacket, the level VI rain jacket, and the level VII insulated parka, each with a different purpose; the wind-shirt is incredibly resistant to high winds and retains heat, it is sometimes worn under other layers of clothing to help with heat retention. It is also water resistant.

The pullover is noted for keeping in heat despite being extremely lightweight; it is very breathable and moisture-wicking, and also has ‘touch points’ on the inside to help with moisture management. It is used in a wide variety of temperature conditions.

The soft-shell is dirt resistant and outstandingly repellant to water and wind, while being breathable and moisture wicking also; it is intended for use in extremely harsh situations. The rain jacket (as suggested by the name) is also used for protection in rainfall despite being very thin and lightweight – weighing less than 1 lb.

Finally, the insulated parka’s layers make it the most effective army jacket against colder weather; it is water-proof, has two pockets with hand warmers for added comfort and has an X-Static lining which increases its thermal efficiency while eliminating static charge and odors.