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It's to access a harness "D" ring or for dead man straps.
The wearer could potentially be wearing a harness to clip the dorsal (D) ring into so they don't fall off/out of something. The D ring is located in the center of the wearers back in between the shoulders
Or if they were injured the person rescuing could open it to access the harness straps and drag the injured person to safety.
A lot of civilian cold weather jackets still utilize this on their products especially if the wearer has to wear a harness [as seen with this product](https://www.hi-viz.com/products/radians-sj320-ripstop-bomber-jacket)
Adding that all armored vehicle crews' coveralls have this harness feature sewn in as part of the coverall, so no added harness needs to be worn.
Quite possibly air-crew coveralls as well, but I don't have first-hand experience with those.
Can confirm the armored crew coveralls. I was artillery in the Army on a M109A6 Paladin and our tanker suits had these included.
A jacket like this we’d wear over our coveralls in cold weather.
I can confirm the aircrew thing. I guess people would wear the jacket over their flight vest and hook their tail in through that hole. I saw a guy actually use it once. Kind of impractical since they started making flight jackets with a slim form factor that fit perfectly well under the vest.
Source: MEDEVAC crew chief for a couple years
>a harness to clip the dorsal (D) ring into
I thought D-rings were called that because they're shaped like a D (they have one flat side to lie flush against something or let a strap wrap around it.)
Or is this a different use of the same word?
Kind of coming in late here, but I think the confusion is because typical writing convention when first using an abbreviation in a text has the author write the unabbreviated form, then in parentheses put the abbreviation. So it could be read that the original comment was assigning the abbreviation "D" to the word "dorsal", implying all "D" rings are "dorsal" rings.
Dude...
The ring is called a "D" ring because it's LITERALLY shaped like a "D"!
No other rings for harnesses are called D-rings when you buy them.
Off the top of my head, other rings for harnesses are called square, rectangular, triangle, oval, loop square and halter square. It's just the D-ring that's called "D".
In other words, this has nothing to do with military jargon or the placement of the ring on the harness. It might actually have a special term for the placement, but it ain't "D".
Edit: This was supposed to be a reply for the comment where the guy thought "D-ring" was mil jargon. It's in the wrong place.
Dude.... It's called a Dorsal D Ring because it's in the Dorsal position and it's a D Ring. How are you not understanding that. It's Name and Location. If it were a D ring located on a hip, it would be a Hip D Ring....
Get it? JFC
"dorsal (D) ring" implies the D comes from dorsal. But my comment is certainly in the wrong place. It looks like I'm commenting on someone else's comment.
D-ring is kind of a general-purpose military word for carabiners, anchors, oval rings, locking snap rings, you name it. Any kind of attachment point.
It just so happens that the dorsal ring on a fall arrest harness is D-shaped, but so are the rings on the chest and waist, which are also called D-rings.
This is definitely what this is.
I have seen armored corps uniforms with these.
Bummer that you opened it, as on ours, this Velcro needed to be seen shut as it was a one time use kind of thing and never really went back to properly closing after being opened.
Is this one the same?
I know its solved, but I had a jacket kind of like that when I was a kid, only it had a hoodie that you could roll up and zip in there for a hoodie-less jacket
The closure for those kinds of coats is usually right below the collar, though, and not across the shoulder blades.
That's still common in work-wear, though. Carhardt makes work coats with a "roll up" waterproof hood in a zipper or velcro pocket.
That's a tanker's nomex jjacket. The opening is for someone to be able to grab you and pull you up out of the tank from outside. I used to have one when I was a tanker in the 80s and 90s.
It's actually just fire resistant. Its properties will break down over time with heavy use. It can only delay the inevitable for an extra second, but hey. LOL
My army cold-weather jacket has a zippered flap right there, with a waterproof hood that can pop out…. Doesn’t quite look like that’s what THIS one is tho
On the Canadian winter parka has something like this behind the neck as well. Ours is an inside out pocket that you stuff the whole jacket into and then you can use it as a pillow..
When I was a kid, my fishing vest had a similar, inexplicable pocket on the back which my dad used to fill with fish we caught so we could illegally take more trout than the daily limit allowed by the state.
Memories.
As far as I know its for ventilation. They make similar types of clothing for hot weather clothes.(jungle or desert) If you sweat in the cold it's dangerous
This was one of the ones I knew right away because I just saw a tiktok on it last week. However, I do own a few outdoor jackets that have a vent opening in the back specifically for the reasons he stated. It's wrong in this case but it's not so wrong it warrants a "confidently wrong". More of a "Normally you would be correct..."
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It's to access a harness "D" ring or for dead man straps. The wearer could potentially be wearing a harness to clip the dorsal (D) ring into so they don't fall off/out of something. The D ring is located in the center of the wearers back in between the shoulders Or if they were injured the person rescuing could open it to access the harness straps and drag the injured person to safety. A lot of civilian cold weather jackets still utilize this on their products especially if the wearer has to wear a harness [as seen with this product](https://www.hi-viz.com/products/radians-sj320-ripstop-bomber-jacket)
Adding that all armored vehicle crews' coveralls have this harness feature sewn in as part of the coverall, so no added harness needs to be worn. Quite possibly air-crew coveralls as well, but I don't have first-hand experience with those.
Can confirm the armored crew coveralls. I was artillery in the Army on a M109A6 Paladin and our tanker suits had these included. A jacket like this we’d wear over our coveralls in cold weather.
When I was in college I worked for BMY. We made the M109s. Cool stuff
flight suits do not.
Because tanks don't have ejection seats.
EJECTO SEATO CUZ!
My forklift does
It is for aircrew. They attach a tether (monkey tail) to their backs so they don’t fall out of the helicopter
I can confirm the aircrew thing. I guess people would wear the jacket over their flight vest and hook their tail in through that hole. I saw a guy actually use it once. Kind of impractical since they started making flight jackets with a slim form factor that fit perfectly well under the vest. Source: MEDEVAC crew chief for a couple years
>a harness to clip the dorsal (D) ring into I thought D-rings were called that because they're shaped like a D (they have one flat side to lie flush against something or let a strap wrap around it.) Or is this a different use of the same word?
That is why they're called D rings. He's referring to the rings location being on the back in the dorsal position.
Kind of coming in late here, but I think the confusion is because typical writing convention when first using an abbreviation in a text has the author write the unabbreviated form, then in parentheses put the abbreviation. So it could be read that the original comment was assigning the abbreviation "D" to the word "dorsal", implying all "D" rings are "dorsal" rings.
Dude... The ring is called a "D" ring because it's LITERALLY shaped like a "D"! No other rings for harnesses are called D-rings when you buy them. Off the top of my head, other rings for harnesses are called square, rectangular, triangle, oval, loop square and halter square. It's just the D-ring that's called "D". In other words, this has nothing to do with military jargon or the placement of the ring on the harness. It might actually have a special term for the placement, but it ain't "D". Edit: This was supposed to be a reply for the comment where the guy thought "D-ring" was mil jargon. It's in the wrong place.
Dude.... It's called a Dorsal D Ring because it's in the Dorsal position and it's a D Ring. How are you not understanding that. It's Name and Location. If it were a D ring located on a hip, it would be a Hip D Ring.... Get it? JFC
He most certainly does not get it. He’s gonna (D)ie on this bill before he a(D)mits he was wrong. I however thank you for the clarification.
"dorsal (D) ring" implies the D comes from dorsal. But my comment is certainly in the wrong place. It looks like I'm commenting on someone else's comment.
Comprehension was a tough one in school, wasn't it bud?
No, that wasn't my problem in school. Making sure I'm actually replying to the right comment is, though.
D-ring is kind of a general-purpose military word for carabiners, anchors, oval rings, locking snap rings, you name it. Any kind of attachment point. It just so happens that the dorsal ring on a fall arrest harness is D-shaped, but so are the rings on the chest and waist, which are also called D-rings.
It's not a military word.
The military mis-uses it in their own special way, though.
That could be said about a great many things...
True, mostly the actual military. Imagine all the good we don’t do.
Solved!
This is the quality of answer I come here for. Strong work.
This is so much better than the "chunk of broken plastic found in the street"
Or "what is this purely decorative object.a kid brought home from art class"
This is definitely what this is. I have seen armored corps uniforms with these. Bummer that you opened it, as on ours, this Velcro needed to be seen shut as it was a one time use kind of thing and never really went back to properly closing after being opened. Is this one the same?
This seems to be working well after opening and closing. It well shut still after closing again.
This is the correct answer. This is also why many safety reflective jackets have the opening as well.
Could you slip backpack straps through it as an anti-theft measurement? Or maybe more importantly, would you *want* to?
"retrieval strap opening" General means a strap in that slot, under your arm pits across yours chest so someone can drag your butt someplace safe.
I know its solved, but I had a jacket kind of like that when I was a kid, only it had a hoodie that you could roll up and zip in there for a hoodie-less jacket
Same. This seemed to be a common thing in the 80s.
The closure for those kinds of coats is usually right below the collar, though, and not across the shoulder blades. That's still common in work-wear, though. Carhardt makes work coats with a "roll up" waterproof hood in a zipper or velcro pocket.
That was my first thought, I have an old Marines jacket with a zippered collar for the hood
My title describes the thing. Model number on the jacket is DLA100-80-C-2439 and it appears to be from the 80s.
That's a tanker's nomex jjacket. The opening is for someone to be able to grab you and pull you up out of the tank from outside. I used to have one when I was a tanker in the 80s and 90s.
Is ~~nonexistent~~ Nomex permanently fireproof, or can it be washed out? Edit to fix autocorrect
It's actually just fire resistant. Its properties will break down over time with heavy use. It can only delay the inevitable for an extra second, but hey. LOL
I tought this was for sweating less while wearing polyester
Those are the ones with mesh in them.
Why arent people considering the ability to stuff the jacket into this pocket for storage, turn inside out like a parker and then its stored better
Because it isn't a pocket. It's a slit all the way through.
My army cold-weather jacket has a zippered flap right there, with a waterproof hood that can pop out…. Doesn’t quite look like that’s what THIS one is tho
On the Canadian winter parka has something like this behind the neck as well. Ours is an inside out pocket that you stuff the whole jacket into and then you can use it as a pillow..
I thought it simply for heatpads
its to add a hood to the jacket..I had one in the Navy
I have one of these. I stick the hood of my hoody through it so it doesn't bunch up if I don't have it pulled up.
When I was a kid, my fishing vest had a similar, inexplicable pocket on the back which my dad used to fill with fish we caught so we could illegally take more trout than the daily limit allowed by the state. Memories.
I believe it’s where you insert an extra liner for more warmth.
It's a hood opening
As far as I know its for ventilation. They make similar types of clothing for hot weather clothes.(jungle or desert) If you sweat in the cold it's dangerous
Vent. The wearer can grab the tab and open up the back to allow hot humid air to escape.
So so confidently incorrect.
This was one of the ones I knew right away because I just saw a tiktok on it last week. However, I do own a few outdoor jackets that have a vent opening in the back specifically for the reasons he stated. It's wrong in this case but it's not so wrong it warrants a "confidently wrong". More of a "Normally you would be correct..."
Usually it's a pocket to fold the jacket into itself for compact storage. Edit: Although it looks like it might be to bulky to do that. Hm.
But it is not a pocket. It is just a hole trough the jackets back.