Army Sleeping Bag

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sunburyboy93

Member
Feb 10, 2013
17
0
Sunbury
Need some quick help here Chaps,

i am very new to all of this, i have a selection of gear, only thing i didn't have was a sleeping bag, but i had a regatta bag from years ago i used it when i stayed out a couple nights ago in the tent just in the garden to test it and was freezing !!!

i have ordered a Czech Army bed Roll from Military Mart, i have also ordered an Army Arctic Sleeping Bag with Compression Sack, that stated it can be used in temps up to -30, now i know i won't need to worry about being in those conditions, but need to know if the bag was a good choice:

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garethw

Settler
Don't know if you got the down or synthetic version of the army bag..

but I had the down version for years and it is a very warm bag. As I sleep out dressed I like the nylon lining, and the fact it has a central zip. Mine had press studs to close the flap over the zip, which was not easy to close.

It's main draw back is it's a big, heavy bag.. mine went over 2.8kg I believe. It will take up the whole main compartment of a rucksack. Eventually the zip went, and its not viable to get it changed. I've used it as a very warm hammock top quilt since.
Like most military gear it does the job without finess.

cheers
Gareth
 

northumbrian

Settler
Dec 25, 2009
937
0
newcastle upon tyne
yeah you've bought a bombproof bag there mate ! ive got the synthetic one which also weighs a bit but you'l never have to worry about it damping out or you getting cold. ive also got the compression bag but some ex mil lads sugggest just stuffing the bag in the bottom of yor rucksac like it is !
anyway you'll never be able to buy a bag as good as that for the price !


cheers andrew.
 
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Phaestos

Full Member
Sep 8, 2012
374
0
Manchester
I've been lugging the army bag round for a few months now. They are very good. Since using it, the thought of going back to a side zip seems horrible. I find that it is very much a case of bulking it out though. Its so spacious that it leaves lots of cold spots, but then again, im a skinny sod!

As for weight, it is heavy. Incredibly so. As a starter bag though, not an issue. As you get smarter and more experienced, you'll notice to drop in bulk and weight more when you finally get another one. Another good point is the compression sack. Bombproof. I can significantly reduce the bags bulk simply because I can go wild on the compressing of it.

A final thought, invest in a wool blanket, or at least a fleece one, to go inside the bag with you as a secondary quilt. Really makes a difference.

Squaddie gear is always bombproof and does the job, but as I learnt recently, is made by the lowest bidder. This a big reason there are other companies out there that supply military gear, because squaddies want that wasn't picked for general use because it looked best on an accounting report. Luckily, the Arctic bag actually does its job. I'm skeptical about its sub zero temperature ability, but hopefully should get to test that out this weekend. You got a grand bag there mate, at least until you can afford a down one :p (I am never gonna have that kind of money!)
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
You'll have the synthetic, great bag, will deal with any temperatures the UK can offer, it is bulky, takes up the bottom half of a Bergan but for what they cost you can't wrong. I've used mine to around -10c and was lovely and warm.
 

Stringmaker

Native
Sep 6, 2010
1,891
1
UK
I too have one of the synthetic bags but didn't find it that warm on its own. It is quite large and there is a fair bit of air space to try and warm up.

I use a lighter bag inside it as a liner, then the whole lot goes in my ex-army goretex bivvy bag to block the wind.

It is excellent value I agree and the centre zip is so obvious I don't know why all bags aren't made that way.
 

Gray

Full Member
Sep 18, 2008
2,091
10
Scouser living in Salford South UK
As Rik said, it'll handle any temps the Uk will throw at you. I use mine with a cheap fleece liner I got from Tescos, makes it dead cosy. I never want to get out of mine :) I dont use the stuff sack as it crushes the loft, I just stuff it loosely into a 120 ltr bergen.Afterwoods i wash it on a cool wash, dry in tumbler on low heat with a couple of tennis balls. Comes out lovely, big and lofty.
 
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Mulloch

Member
Mar 24, 2019
45
7
55
UK
The synthetic bag has a webbing/nylon strap across the bottom. Its debateable as to what this was for. Some use it for tucking any spare length through, therefore you are making the bag smaller and retaining the heat. Suitable for shorter people and cadets. It can also be used to hang the bag up when not in use rather than leaving it stored compressed, which some say can damage the insulation properties. There were various versions of the Sbag, one had a full length zip the other had a mid length zip. I think the military currently issue a summer and winter version along with the liner, a compression sack and a bivi bag, combined they call it a "sleeping system"

As for the feather old style with the broken zip, I would suggest contacting a seamstress or one of these high street shops who offer clothing alteration services and getting a new zip fitted. A domestic sewing machine will cope easily with that.

A liner is always a benefit as it is easier to wash than the whole bag and it can keep you that wee bit warmer depending on what its made from, a sheet, fleece or a lightweight silk version.
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
Rather carry this bag than any other seriously don’t Care about the size or the weight but I do care about a good night sleep and during my time in the army and after with a lot of long distance walks I took this.

I carry it loose in a bivi bag using my foot to push it in ever corner of the bottom of my rucksac (ready to use and in a waterproof bivi bag already.
 
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tiger stacker

Native
Dec 30, 2009
1,178
40
Glasgow
Rather carry this bag than any other seriously don’t Care about the size or the weight but I do care about a good night sleep and during my time in the army and after with a lot of long distance walks I took this.

I carry it loose in a bivi bag using my foot to push it in ever corner of the bottom of my rucksac (ready to use and in a waterproof bivi bag already.

Waking up to find your bivvy bag surrounded by snow, your basha doing its job is character building. Explains why boots were better left on inside;)
 

Geek

Member
Dec 20, 2018
29
12
North West
I used an army Arctic Sleeping Bag with bivvy bag (and inflatable mattress) on my Trueways survival course (March 2019 in Yorkshire) and there was ice on the cars in the morning and I didn't feel cold, although I did sleep in my thermal base layer.

As said above, it's a big old lump and I gave up trying to use the stuff sack and just stuffed it in the dry sack in my rucksack.

In the summer I have an army lightweight sleeping bag (which is much smaller), which I will try.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
2,864
W.Sussex
Car camping bag only for me, generally hammocking when a bit more insulation is needed. As you get in and zip it you just know you’re not going to wake with a cold bum, ankles, elbows, or shoulders.

The only thing that niggles is the Velcro baffle on the inside. Mine is folded in on itself because I couldn’t be bothered to muck about trying to get it sealed. So it means my zip could vent a bit of cold air, but I’m never out in the zeros anyway.

Is it the Carinthia, or another type of army bag I’ve seen recently on here that has the baffle outside? And a hood cord too? I think it’s part of a modular sleep system, but I can’t remember the name. I’d like one of those. I’d easily sell my DD Jura 2 XL and Brit army bag for one.
 
Apr 8, 2009
1,165
144
Ashdown Forest
Is it the Carinthia, or another type of army bag I’ve seen recently on here that has the baffle outside? And a hood cord too? I think it’s part of a modular sleep system, but I can’t remember the name. I’d like one of those. I’d easily sell my DD Jura 2 XL and Brit army bag for one.

The Carinthia Defence 4 - which was issued to the British army for a while before the modular sleep system became widespread issue has an insulated baffle on the inside of the zip (which is held in place with its own rigidity, and an external non insulated flap over the zip which has velcro. Yes, it has a hood cord, but to be honest, I've never used the cord on mine because the hood is a design that creates a face shaped hole when the bag is fully zipped up. For me, that's the only downside to the bag - it is very warm, and certainly more compressible than the old army issue bags referenced above, but the 'face hole' does take some getting used to.

The current issue modular sleep system uses two bags that are based on the Carinthia originals, but manufactured by others. The lightweight summer bag is essentially the same as the Carinthia Tropen, but the warmer winter bag differs from the Carinthia Defence 4 in that it is not as warm and uses a standard nylon outer fabric (the original Carinthia uses a waterproof, breathable coated fabric - which makes getting it into its stuff sack quickly a little fun!).
 
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