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Okay, I've got a friend in Missouri that's good at sewing stuff. She does requests for things like costumes for cosplays and stuff like that, but I'm getting her to make a custom trench coat for me. Problem is, I don't know what it should be made of exactly. Some kind of weather-treated fabric, but I've had little luck finding anything suitable online. It would have to be water-proof or water-resistant and fairly tough. Quiet when rubbed together is a plus. Cheap is a big plus. I have no idea why any of you guys would know where to find something like this, but I figure, hey, why not ask?

Color should be cloud gray or dark gray or gun-metal gray or some variation of that. I would settle for a lighter gray, but not black.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I live in Louisiana, so nothing really hot.

Perhaps cotton duck, treated with linseed oil? You'd have to dye it, as duck is generally a natural-cotton cream color, or maybe you can buy it pre-dyed, I dunno. Either way, I think that cotton duck treated with linseed oil would be perfectly waterproof, lightweight, and snappy-looking. And cotton duck was what the army used to use for rugged s**t before Cordura was invented (like WW2), so it's gotta be tough.

Canvas could work, but wouldn't that be a hotter material?

Keeps ya dry, keeps ya from burnin alive. Get your canvas trench coat today!

Unfortunately, wool is really hot.

I'm sure the cotton can be treated to be fire retardant as well. biggrin

Lol, glad someone realized this. I suppose being fire retardant would be a pluss, but so would being bulletproof. Doesn't mean I actually need either.

A deerskin, fur-lined trench coat with bone buttons. I don't know if that would be a pimp coat or a woodsman's coat for Alsaskan woodlands.

I'm this close to just telling her to use regular cotton. It shouldn't be so hard to find weather treated fabric online. I mean it's the Internet. You can find anything there!

EDIT: What about Goretex or Ultrex? I'm finding things like that here ( http://www.seattlefabrics.com/outerwear.html ) but are fairly expensive at $20 a yard.

EDIT Again: Avast, it's all in primary colors. No gray to be seen...

EDIT Three!:

What about "WeatherMax 65"? It's reported as:

"This 100% solution dyed polyester incorporates UV resistant characteristics for long-term color and strength retention along with excellent breathablity and abrasion resistance. The HydroMAX finish raises the bar of hydrostatic performance and delivers unsurpassed water repellency, mildew and oil resistance without relying on environmentally unfriendly coating compounds. WeatherMAX 65 has anti-microbial properties and a minimum UV resistance of 1000 hours but only weighs 6.5 oz./sq. yard due to the use of a filament rather than a spun yarn like acrylic fabrics. Excellent for anything from horse blankets to tough outerwear to marine grade tarps."

Unsurpassed water repellancy, excellent breathability, abrasion resistence? And it's available in charcoal gray at $13 a yard.

Does it seem like it would be shiny? I want a more subdued, sophisticated look like a classic trench.

EDIT... Again:
DWR Supplex?

"100% nylon tightly woven fabric made from a very fine filament. It has a durable water-resistant (DWR) finish to repel rain. It has wicking capabilities to keep you cool in the summer. This fabric travels well and is excellent for all outerwear projects. This state of the art fabric is wind and water resistant. The stout weave of this versatile fabric makes it useful for anything from skiwear and windshirts to hiking and surfing shorts."

Cheaper than the WeatherMAX, but not by a lot. I don't know which would be better.

You know, when my current hoodie finally dies, I'm buying a Kevlar-lined one. Dunno why, I just like the shade of brown and the fact that I can't be slashed. Freddy Krueger, do your worst.