My only complaint is that the tanker jacket is very hard to zip up because of how the zipper is located under a fold on the front? I ordered the size 38R and seems tight at the bottom but shoulders and sleeve are great. Should I wash this jacket to see if that helps loosen up the zipper. I have your M51 field jacket and the tanker to big wear under it as ordered the 38 R in that as well

Hayes - US

I bought this jacket a year back right before my battle of the bulge event where the real feel was 38 degrees + wind chill and I can say with 100% certainty this jacket kept me warm and as snug as a bug in a rug. I unfortunately don’t have many winter events I go too and my unit isn’t an armored unit so tankers arnt impossible but are less common but I pulled it out of the closet for my last event and at said event my M41 got soaked by the downpour that happened the entire morning and I brought my tanker as a backup jacket and to sleep in (we were hoofing it in foxholes and fighting positions) but switching into dry socks, fresh shirt and a warm and dry jacket made the end of the event so much more enjoyable. The Only Minor complaint is not one of my own but from a elder in my unit who is knowledgeable in everything GI related, in his opinion and in truth the pockets are lower on this repro than originals which makes it a pain to get to them when you have a WEB belt or Cartridge belt on. My combat to this was having my WEB belt and no suspenders or pack around my waist tight and leaving the jacket under the belt and periodically pulling it up a bit so I could reach my belt, ammo, canteen etc. All in all this jacket is a Great and more importantly Affordable, for entry level or casual reenactors who don’t have $100+ to spend on ATF or WW2 IMP’s jackets this will last you as long as you need it. I’ve had no complaints or issues with mine besides the small pocket issue.
TL;DR Great jacket, worth the money, pocket location a bit of a pain with WEB gear on but manageable.

Connor - New York, U.S.

Thought I would say a few words about WPG tanker jackets. Got mine the other day and first impressions were excellent. Now anyone with any knowledge of GI gear knows that a variety of of shades were used depending on on the manufacturer. Some repros sadly are a hard pass but the shell and knits are absolutely in the zone for authenticity. The shell is of the correct weight and weave. The lining being 100% wool competes very favourably with other repros offering a mix or fully synthetic lining. There seems to be some strong elastication in the waist and cuff knits which make for a very snug cosy fit.
The zip is marked talon and is bright nickel or chrome looking. Id love to see a bell shaped pull rather than rectangular but that tiny preference of mine is no real detractor at all as Im certain rectangular types were used just as frequently.
Having researched the available options I am firmly of the opinion that this is the best value available on the market at the moment because of price and materials used.
If you would prefer a 100% wool liner as the WPG offering is then a pike brothers would be €279, a Ww2 impression $269.99, a BuzzRickson ££304.79, Toys McCoy £254.57, QMI €125, ATF$199.9
ATF also do a handy fleec lined version with lots of advantages I can see and still authentic looking for $99.99.
Where a wool/polyester blend is fine for you Bob Dong at 70/30 ( fairly typical) is £139.99, SoF at £69.99, Epic at £89.99 with pale knits and Sturm at €65.29 again with very pale knits.

WPG come in as the most affordable Authentically made option and either compares or undercuts less authentically made offerings.

Parker - GB