Constructed from Heer "splinter/marsh" pattern cloth, with tan/brown/green "spring" colors on one side and a striped white "winter" color on the reverse, this short waisted camouflage anorak does not correspond to the regulation patterns. Such custom items, both made by professional tailors and worked out by the soldiers in the field, were not uncommon, meriting entire chapters in both "Camouflage Uniforms of the Waffen-SS" and "Camouflage Uniforms of the German Wehrmacht". These were made by altering pre-existing camouflage uniforms (hemming up one-size-fits-all parkas for a better fit being popular) or by repurposing shelter quarters or captured Italian fabric. This example shares features of the "anorak" parkas issued to the Heer Gebirgsjaegers (mountain troopers) and the parkas issued to the Waffen-SS. A prominent rectangular pocket runs across the chest just below the button neck closures, with a set of SS-style foliage hanging straps arranged around the chest, back and shoulders, a hand-tied internal chest adjustment, and a pair of hip pockets. The parka is semi-reversible, with the hip pockets and cuff adjustments being interchangeable and the chest pocket being on one side only. No information is available on the exact history of this item, though the rougher lower edge suggests field modification, and the blending of features between branches suggests someone with a knowledge of both SS and Gebirgsjaeger hardware, like a member of one of the limited number of Waffen-SS Mountain Divisions.

Good, with some wear on the lower edge and adjustment strap, along with a few small areas of lost stitching and minor stains. A button is absent from the left hip pocket.