I recently bought this kit:http://www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com/Safariland-SPEAR-Equipment-Load-Carrying-Subsystem-p/763.htm  Long story short, easily USGI-issue/SDS quality level, and free shipping.  Sized to wear over Interceptor vests, so smaller people will find it huge unless wearing stuff underneath. Mine was lightly used, and complete with very detailed instruction manual.

No, I don't.  If there's anything you're uncertain about, post it in a separate thread, and we can discuss. Perhaps someone has found an on-line set of instructions.

Perfect.  Thank you.

I can't tell if they are, in fact USGI, or something made for the civvy market by a gov't contract mfr.

I would think that an M-65 field jacket, with button-in liner, plus a lightweight fleece jacket, with a heavy fleece beanie would be more versatile, and lend itself to layering better.  Synthetic fur-trimmed/ersatz wool-lined OD hoods are available for the M-65, and will button-on to the collar, epaulet buttons, and that single, mysterious button on the front of the jacket, not to mention the equally mysterious button holes on the tips of the collar, and the two button holes on the back of the collar.  They're all there to allow the Parka hood to attach to the M-65 field jacket.

If you are really lucky, you just might find an old Parka hood with real coyote fur trim, which is [b]vastly[/I]] superior to the fake fur.

The reason for the fur is many-fold.  The hood [I]should[/I] have a bendable wire insert at the base of the fur, which can be shaped to suit the user's face and eyes--or allows the fur to be rolled back out of the way, if conditions dictate.  The fur allows vision, but obstructs wind-blown snow if the opening is small enough.  Typically, the blizzard configuration was a "T" shape, with the top of the "T" positioned for the user's eyes, and the vertical part for exhaled breath.  The [i]real[/i] fur had enough oil on it to prevent the user's exhaled breath from collecting and then freezing.

Agreed on the coat.  I had a 1950's version one, with real fur ruff on the hood, and stitch marks on the shoulders and chest from removed patches, and it was a warm sucker, to be sure.  Tried out a much later genuine USGI version, and it was junk for insulation, and that is apart from the fake fur.  The more I think about it, the early versions, like mind, did NOT have a zipper down the middle of the hood, but I can't speak as to later USGI versions.  

Even if this article is really USGI, I suspect it's not worth the money-- at least not compared to definite, USGI alternatives like an M-65 with some augmentation, or your outfit, which, with pit-zips and all is a much better rig,

I've been looking into the possibility of rubbing-in some lanolin onto the synthetic fur ruff that I have for my ECWCS, same as you have..

Might help it from getting all tangled/matted into a useless mess like all the used ones I've seen.

Please report back.

There's Woodland stuff on the EE.