Military Sleeping System

lerch

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Nov 15, 2004
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1,497
Location
El Reno, OK
I had a bad experince with a mummy bag last year. Granted it was to short for me, im 6ft 4, but either way i pushed my feet against the end of the bag and feel asleep, temp got to about 10deg and when i woke up you couldnt convince me i had feet any more!!!! it took about 20min for me to regain feeling and by then i was mad at the whole world.

Well this october me and my cousin were working at the big Tulsa gun show and we ran across a dealer selling military supplies. He had some 3 part military sleeping systems for sale. My cousin is a recent Iraqi war vet and lived out of this bag for 65days straight so if he endorsed them who was i to argue. We both bought one and looked forward to giving them a try. now the sleeping system consist of a down filled inner bag, a gore tex liner, and a exterior bivy if im not mistaken.

We headed down to the wichita mountains of OK 2 weeks ago for deer rifle season, yes OK does have a couple of mountains or hills. We headed up to a spot on the mt that i had hunted the year before but we had always spooked deer while walking in during the morning. we figured by staying the nite we could get the drop on them. we decided to leave the tent and use only the sleeping systems for a little test. we headed out with the bag and cabelas sleeping pad sinched to the back of my Gunslinger pack and a mountain house meal for a little dinner. By the way after 10days of mountain house in WY i gotta say they are good but **** im gettin sick of them!!! Anyway we hunted that nite and retreated back to where we decided to sleep.

Temps were only gonna get to the mid 30's so we didnt build any shelter and relied on only the bags. A little campfire, mountain house meals, and a little crown and coke later by the fire and we decided to call her in for the nite. Now ryan, the marine cousin, was well used to sleeping in these packs but i was a little nervous since i hadnt tested mine out yet. he assured me that the trick was not to sleep in my warming layers and instead use my body heat to warm up the bag.

NOW before the jokes start let me tell you we had sperate bags!!!!! this aint broke back mountain okay!!!:D:D:D

Anyway i snuggled in just me and my boxer shorts and settled in for the night. My concern was with fitting since i am 6ft 4 and while not very heavy i have wide shoulders and in my past mummy bag experince this was a problem. Not in the sleeping system, i was snug as could be and was very warm all nite, warm enough in fact that i had to open it up around 3am to cool me down some! and the bivy portion would still secure over my head as well. Also i was able to move around in the bag and even bring my legs up for more comfort which is rare for someone of my length in a mummy style bag.

overall if you have a chance to pick up one of these bags I definantly recommend them,especially for tall guys!!

steve
 
I would vouch for these all day long. Our missions consist of being outside the wire for several days at a time. The temps are getting in the high 30's at night at the moment and I have never been cold enough to use all three layers. If we are outside the wire we sleep "Ready TO GO!", boots and all, and your cousin is right you actually get hotter with no clothes on. Team this up with the new shelters and you could withstand some pretty bad weather in comfort. With it's compression bag and you have a compact do it all sleep system.

By the way, our LT is 6-7 and has no problem with it.
 
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One thing that will help almost any seeping bag system is a pair of loose fitting very thick socks. The socks cannot be tight anywhere or they will restrict blood flow which is how the feet stay warm. Secondly, the socks must be thick to provide insulation. The socks have no other use other than sleeping and must be kept clean (no walking around camp in them) in order to retain their insulating value.

REI and otther camping stores sell sleeping bag liners. These are light weight and can be carried when temperatures mandate extra insulation or left at home. during warmer hunts. Sometimes, I just use the liner and not the bag. This avoids the need to buy two or three different sleeping bags.
 
I'm trying to find the 3 bag system.

I used them during my time in the USMC. Like having a minature tent. Never needed all three bags.

Does anyone knows where I can find these online?
 
Wow! Good info to hear; being 6' 5" and a bit on the 'husky' side... finding a decent sleeping bag has always been kind of a PITA.

On the flip side... are these systems any good in warmer weather, say for summer camp outs and such? I'm not familiar w/ what all comes in the system (never had much use for such things on a nuclear submarine... ;) ) so bear with me!

Thanks,

Monte
 
Found it!

TENNIER MODULAR SLEEP SYSTEM (MSS) COMPLETE 4 PART -30°F SYSTEM
US Army and Marine Corps Standard Issue MSS consists of four components for sleeping in up to -30° F temperatures:

• 30° to 50° F Patrol Sleeping Bag
• 30° to -10° F Intermediate Cold Weather Sleeping Bag
• Bivy Bag Cover
• Compression Stuff Sack.
This item may be unavailable for 120 days or more due to Defense Priority orders. Production is not available from the prime contractor.
Click on an image to enlarge.


Completely integrated system rated to -30°F when the user wears the expedition weight polypropylene shirt, drawers and issue cushion sole woolen socks. To obtain lower ratings, additional layers of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing articles are required. NSN 8465-01-445-6274.

Link: Military Gear and Surplus Store
 
thats the beast!!! i am by far not a expert on backpacking or sleeping bags but so far i am MORE than happy with this system. I am still very surprised a guy as tall as me can fit in it so comfortably. I would be willing to bet you could find one at a gun show sometime like i did, if nothing else that guy will be back at the Wanemacher Gun Show in Tulsa, OK next spring.

take it easy
steve
 
size

What is the overall size and weight of the system ? Is it small enough to backpack with ?
Tim G
 
I would say you can compress it into a roughly 1ft long by1ft wide tube. It weighs around 12lbs but like i said i have been using it without a tent so the extra weight doesnt really bother me.

steve
 
I'll agree that these sleeping systems are worth their weight in gold! I used one while in the service and I bought one for myself as soon as I got out.

They pack up the size of a basketball, or you can use the black bag with tightening straps to configure it any way you'd like. Some guys like to make a log out of their sleeping gear and others like to make a ball. In any event, if you're thinking about it, just get one!
 
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