British Army Sleeping Bag (1965)

[Pandabean]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me the temp rating & number of seasons for the following sleeping bag that I have. It is ex-army, used to belong to an uncle. The label inside sawys "Chelsea Quilt Company Ltd." and the date 1965.

I can't seem to find much on Google, just a few e-bay sales but no descriptions.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Has it a central long zip and waterproof base with a built in waterproof bag that it rolls into?
If so it's a 58 patt chicken feather filled army bag.

Rating is impossible to tell really as they were designed to be used by a fully clothed soldier, often wearing a quilted undersuit himself.

This sounds like my first sleeping bag. God it was awefull. Great in summer, however in winter it was full of cold spots where the "down" clumped up and where the stitching was to quilt it. The hood wasn't much better.

I think they may have come in heavier fill weights as many folk n here say they are fantastic bags and I've seen some that are heavier in weight than mine was (I had tow and both were made in the 70's and were v cold in the winter). I've used these when I was a young lad and homeless and travelled all over Scotland using it and it wasn't nice. In the winter the bag wouldn't insulate well as the down got easily damp. I found it really cold below 5 degrees above freezing.

Try it and see for yourself, each is an individual and we all have different comfort temps.

WS

 

[Doc]

Agree could well be a 58 pattern - if so it will have: waterproof base, feather and down filling, rolls into an integral waterproof cover, toggles everywhere.

More than any other bit of kit, sleeping bags cause different opinions. One man's meat, etc, etc.

FWIW, I like the 58 pattern. I used one for 6 years in the TA and never once had a cold night, despite sleeping under a poncho in various bits of northeast Scotland. So I actually deliberately bought a new unissued one (curiously it is Dutch not British issue, but is otherwise identical to my old one). Have been out at minus 7 in a hammock, no problems at all.

Issued '58s are very cheap but usually are standard length (ie, too small - anyone over 5'7" or so needs a long), smell of ripe squaddie, and may have matted filling due to being stored compressed. But if you have a good one it is good kit. A modern bag may be a bit lighter and have smaller pack size, but the waterproof base is a bonus - with a good sized tarp and a little caution, you do not need a bivi bag.

 

[Singeblister]

all the feathers tend to come out of these mine is almost empty works I was in it at the last middlewood meet it was quite cold and I was fine , I always take a wool blanket to chuck over the top as well if I wake up cold

 

[crazydave]

get it cleaned and restuffed and it could be a reasonable bag, problem with the early ones was deterioration of the waterproof base where it goes all crumbly.

they can smell though - we called em growbags and swiched to buffalo bags asap

 

[Mastino]

I had the dutch version ages ago but it was eaten, I guess, by a fox