I can take some photos of the British army arctic sleeping bag shoved in a sting if you want? The Arctic bag is massive so pribably smaller than the modular thing (which I don’t have)
Large medium weight British army modular sleeping system size?
- Thread starter Scottieoutdoors
- Start date
If you anyway think about to get a smaller pack for the summer and your wife needs a rucksack too, you probably should get also the Sting from Me Ed if he thinks that it would fit to your back as well as to the back of your wife.
For a smaller person that is a quiet large rucksack, but that doesn't really matter as long as it is mainly filled with fleece jacket, padded clothing and sleeping bag.
Empty the Sting weighs only 2 kg inclusive side pouches, without just 1.500g.
Food, water, tent, tools, kitchen and cotton clothing are heavy. (And a stupidly packed wash bag could become heavy too, by the way. That's a common female beginners fault.)
So if she would carry mainly her sleeping bag, fleece jacket, spare socks, padded clothing, roll mat, and the dogs blanket, (that's cut out of an old sleeping bag), her rucksack would be pretty full but still comfortably portable.
She also could carry empty plastic bottles from the supermarket, to have additional capacity for water and would fill them at the last tab before the camp. A few metres she surely can carry it, just not all the day.
No, she can, but probably will not find it really recreational.
For a smaller person that is a quiet large rucksack, but that doesn't really matter as long as it is mainly filled with fleece jacket, padded clothing and sleeping bag.
Empty the Sting weighs only 2 kg inclusive side pouches, without just 1.500g.
Food, water, tent, tools, kitchen and cotton clothing are heavy. (And a stupidly packed wash bag could become heavy too, by the way. That's a common female beginners fault.)
So if she would carry mainly her sleeping bag, fleece jacket, spare socks, padded clothing, roll mat, and the dogs blanket, (that's cut out of an old sleeping bag), her rucksack would be pretty full but still comfortably portable.
She also could carry empty plastic bottles from the supermarket, to have additional capacity for water and would fill them at the last tab before the camp. A few metres she surely can carry it, just not all the day.
No, she can, but probably will not find it really recreational.
As I now have the sleeping bag and the saracen, I shall update this in due course for anyone else who is daft enough to wonder like me.
Hows the fit in the sleep bag? Those saracen do look good for the price. I just need to convince myself I don't need another rucksack which is very difficult. look forward to the pics.
And a question on the Saracen, Cant quite see on internet photos,
Does it have small side pockets on the sides towards the bottom of the bag? the sting had them and are nice for an axe to sit in.
Does it have small side pockets on the sides towards the bottom of the bag? the sting had them and are nice for an axe to sit in.
@lostplanet
Another one eh! haha.
So it's a Large sleeping bag, I have only taken it for a test drive on the sitting room floor for about 5 mins. I was wearing jeans, t-shirt and a thick ish shirt and it was quite snug... to the point where I nearly panicked when I thought I couldn't reach the zip again! I'm 6'6" tall, about 105kg (down a little since first lockdown!!) - Round my shoulders with a metal measuring tape just now was something like 56" ish, my stomach is smaller than my chest which is 45"ish, so the main feelings of restriction were around my shoulders and arms as they were down by my side, but I still had enough room to sort of rotate a little inside, it was more unfamiliarity than anything else!
Wife and doggo tried it and they loved it, so ordered another large for them to sleep in!
As for the bag, yup it has the little pouches at the bottom on each side. The one I ordered was not the Grade A + it was just Grade A and so the shoulder straps look like they have some mileage to them, but really it suits me, I really don't want to be that guy with the brightest newest looking stuff...
Best thing I could find about the saracen pre buy, was some of the videos on youtube, this guys video was helpful to me:
I'm guessing his might be a slightly newer version as there are a few extra straps around the place and I noticed that the protective flaps for the zips on the side (where the side pouches go) have a-erm...."cut" stiched into where one of the compression straps go through, mine doesn't. Unless that was a mod?
I'll take a horde of pictures and upload them in a bit.
Another one eh! haha.
So it's a Large sleeping bag, I have only taken it for a test drive on the sitting room floor for about 5 mins. I was wearing jeans, t-shirt and a thick ish shirt and it was quite snug... to the point where I nearly panicked when I thought I couldn't reach the zip again! I'm 6'6" tall, about 105kg (down a little since first lockdown!!) - Round my shoulders with a metal measuring tape just now was something like 56" ish, my stomach is smaller than my chest which is 45"ish, so the main feelings of restriction were around my shoulders and arms as they were down by my side, but I still had enough room to sort of rotate a little inside, it was more unfamiliarity than anything else!
Wife and doggo tried it and they loved it, so ordered another large for them to sleep in!
As for the bag, yup it has the little pouches at the bottom on each side. The one I ordered was not the Grade A + it was just Grade A and so the shoulder straps look like they have some mileage to them, but really it suits me, I really don't want to be that guy with the brightest newest looking stuff...
Best thing I could find about the saracen pre buy, was some of the videos on youtube, this guys video was helpful to me:
I'm guessing his might be a slightly newer version as there are a few extra straps around the place and I noticed that the protective flaps for the zips on the side (where the side pouches go) have a-erm...."cut" stiched into where one of the compression straps go through, mine doesn't. Unless that was a mod?
I'll take a horde of pictures and upload them in a bit.
@lostplanet
Another one eh! haha.
So it's a Large sleeping bag, I have only taken it for a test drive on the sitting room floor for about 5 mins. I was wearing jeans, t-shirt and a thick ish shirt and it was quite snug... to the point where I nearly panicked when I thought I couldn't reach the zip again! I'm 6'6" tall, about 105kg (down a little since first lockdown!!) - Round my shoulders with a metal measuring tape just now was something like 56" ish, my stomach is smaller than my chest which is 45"ish, so the main feelings of restriction were around my shoulders and arms as they were down by my side, but I still had enough room to sort of rotate a little inside, it was more unfamiliarity than anything else!
Wife and doggo tried it and they loved it, so ordered another large for them to sleep in!
As for the bag, yup it has the little pouches at the bottom on each side. The one I ordered was not the Grade A + it was just Grade A and so the shoulder straps look like they have some mileage to them, but really it suits me, I really don't want to be that guy with the brightest newest looking stuff...
Best thing I could find about the saracen pre buy, was some of the videos on youtube, this guys video was helpful to me:
I'm guessing his might be a slightly newer version as there are a few extra straps around the place and I noticed that the protective flaps for the zips on the side (where the side pouches go) have a-erm...."cut" stiched into where one of the compression straps go through, mine doesn't. Unless that was a mod?
I'll take a horde of pictures and upload them in a bit.
same as the sting pribably, I have one with those cuts and one without.
it’s worth getting the back system adjusted right makes a hell of a difference, I just measured with a tape measure.
I am 6ft2 and needed the back adjustment on ‘17’
the lowest one is 15 and the highest is 20
Thanks @MrEd I'll give that a watch!
Unfortunately I'm going to have to leave pictures for now... It's all been wrapped up and chucked under the tree
So I'll get them under soon!
Unfortunately I'm going to have to leave pictures for now... It's all been wrapped up and chucked under the tree
So I'll get them under soon!
You have such an intelligent wife!
These Rucksacks and sleeping bags really belong under trees!
These Rucksacks and sleeping bags really belong under trees!
Ok, hopefully things will translate here!
I got the sleeping bag and I hand rolled it relatively tightly, also kneeled on it etc, but keep in mind there was no stuff sacks or anything similar involved. I tried to lay a tape measure out to give you guys an idea of size.
I then took the sort of rolled bag, stuffed it in the Saracen and took a photo inside (naturally it started swelling in size!!) in an attempt to show the room left...
I measured from the top of the rolled sleeping bag to the lip before the snow hood(?is it called?) And that was approx 13". When I took the sleeping bag out and measure from the bottom of the Saracen to the same point, it was approx 27", so uncompressed it takes up about half the space.
I got the sleeping bag and I hand rolled it relatively tightly, also kneeled on it etc, but keep in mind there was no stuff sacks or anything similar involved. I tried to lay a tape measure out to give you guys an idea of size.
I then took the sort of rolled bag, stuffed it in the Saracen and took a photo inside (naturally it started swelling in size!!) in an attempt to show the room left...
I measured from the top of the rolled sleeping bag to the lip before the snow hood(?is it called?) And that was approx 13". When I took the sleeping bag out and measure from the bottom of the Saracen to the same point, it was approx 27", so uncompressed it takes up about half the space.
Some general piccies showing the Saracen including the side pockets @lostplanet asked about.
The pack only contains the sleeping bag and it's got a lot fatter between photos, so without any form of compression it just grows and grows!!! I think I'll need to maybe use some bungees unless I buy a compression bag.
The pack only contains the sleeping bag and it's got a lot fatter between photos, so without any form of compression it just grows and grows!!! I think I'll need to maybe use some bungees unless I buy a compression bag.
Yeh I can see what you're getting at, especially as when a few weighted bits go on top it'll soon squish down. I think maybe a few straps to keep it holding a relatively wrapped shape, might not go amiss.
Not sure how picky the forum is on off-topicness...
Maybe if anyone feels like I should separate threads then I'd be happy to do it or someone move it??
One thing I've found as a complete novice is the saracen (perhaps like many) is very good and being one giant bag, it's got quite a few areas, but it's still a big void. So I think I'll probably pick up a multitude of dry bags (we love kayaking anyway so they're always handy), to organise the void into useful areas.
@Erbswurst has been really helpful in advising me of certain products and weights and I think various pouches will be necessary, especially as he mentioned, I'll most likely be dragging doggo and wife along so I'll need first aid kit for "hoomans" and one for our fuzzy friend (already have these on account of kayaking...) Etc etc...
But I'm sure you variously experienced folks would most likely be transferring well organised gear if you did go down the Saracen route anyway
Maybe if anyone feels like I should separate threads then I'd be happy to do it or someone move it??
One thing I've found as a complete novice is the saracen (perhaps like many) is very good and being one giant bag, it's got quite a few areas, but it's still a big void. So I think I'll probably pick up a multitude of dry bags (we love kayaking anyway so they're always handy), to organise the void into useful areas.
@Erbswurst has been really helpful in advising me of certain products and weights and I think various pouches will be necessary, especially as he mentioned, I'll most likely be dragging doggo and wife along so I'll need first aid kit for "hoomans" and one for our fuzzy friend (already have these on account of kayaking...) Etc etc...
But I'm sure you variously experienced folks would most likely be transferring well organised gear if you did go down the Saracen route anyway
Yep I use different colour lightweight dry bags, or lightweight stuff sacks to seperate my stuff out in the big bag bit.
I do like a top loader like the Saracen, sting, berghaus offerings etc rather than a clamshell zip.
I also have a huge 100litres dry bag that I can put my whole pack in or use it inside my pack if the weather is awful, or when I am sleeping in bad weather so that everything stays dry
I do like a top loader like the Saracen, sting, berghaus offerings etc rather than a clamshell zip.
I also have a huge 100litres dry bag that I can put my whole pack in or use it inside my pack if the weather is awful, or when I am sleeping in bad weather so that everything stays dry
I watched a great YouTube vid of I guess a Scottish active duty soldier talking about how he packs his Bergen, was pretty funny, because he had dry bag in dry bag in dry bag...was Scottish I guess so used to bad weather!!
Me too, dry bags are essential as I don't think any Mil ruck is water proof, maybe water resistant. The exped ones i've got have shot up in price but there are so many roll top type out there now that will do a good job. I have different coloured lume tape on my clips to see whats what. You can use white tape too and mark them with different colour sharpies.
I can get away with the D4 in the compression sack just nipped up without becoming to solid and the comp bag is water resistant.
Being such a big bag too, if it doesn't have one, look at getting a ruck cover so it can be stashed out side of your tent/tarp/shelter and stay relatively dry if caught in the rain. I do that with my Longback if under a basha.
There are some nice exped comp sacks with purge valve i use for my merlin 3 and other sleeping bits to really squash down. I'm sure being a kayaker you know all this anyway.
Thanks for the pics, the Saracen is a scratch i need to itch one day.
I can get away with the D4 in the compression sack just nipped up without becoming to solid and the comp bag is water resistant.
Being such a big bag too, if it doesn't have one, look at getting a ruck cover so it can be stashed out side of your tent/tarp/shelter and stay relatively dry if caught in the rain. I do that with my Longback if under a basha.
There are some nice exped comp sacks with purge valve i use for my merlin 3 and other sleeping bits to really squash down. I'm sure being a kayaker you know all this anyway.
Thanks for the pics, the Saracen is a scratch i need to itch one day.
And use to movers dumping his kit in rivers/bogs/marsh or anywhere but dry by accident. you can never be too dry
