Ranger roll sleep system

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Crowe

Nomad
Jan 18, 2008
257
27
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Noewich. Now living in Limosin France
Interesting vid. Wasn't t particularly impressed with Dave Pearson's version.
If you want this idea to work. Use the tape at the bottom corners of the poncho liner to gather the liner to make a crude foot box.Tie the poncho liner into the poncho The same with the poncho and 'pop' the poncho side together.
You will need some sort of ground insulation and need to be fully clothed.Better still in a dense pine forest so you are better protected from falling cold Then,you may be able to rest or doze.. Yes I have done this in Wales
Perhaps an hour or two as you will get cold. A good night's sleep in the UK? Forget it.
In the semi tropical setting 10 to 15 degrees it works well enough to sleep. But so does a snugpak jungle bag
 

SaraR

Full Member
Mar 25, 2017
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Ceredigion
I thought the guy in the video made it very clear that what he was describing was how they'd do it without doing any modifications to kit they had to return afterwards. In those circumstances, it makes perfect sense to sandwich the wool blanket between the liner and poncho to keep it on place by tying their corners together.

I lost count of the number of times he stressed that this was how they made a warm weather system that they were allowed to carry slightly more comfortable at lower temperatures, instead of the much better system that they had been issued, but weren't allowed to use (!), in order to snatch some sleep/rest.

So yes there are much better options out there, but if you have the stuff and want to give it a go, then why not? But I strongly suggest having an exit strategy or backup option. Also, if translated the temperatures right, the poncho+ liner was meant for temperatures down to +12-15*C, which is more like summer temperatures in my mind, so perhaps this experiment is best saved for a spring or autumn outing.
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
No, it doesn't make any sense, @SaraR , because a wool blanket must be wrapped like this in cold conditions. And the wool belongs in such a layered system to the body.

 

IrishmanInNY

Member
Jan 22, 2021
15
13
30
New York
No, it doesn't make any sense, @SaraR , because a wool blanket must be wrapped like this in cold conditions. And the wool belongs in such a layered system to the body.

Well, when I did my test last night, I wrapped in the wool blanket as in that video. Over that was the reflective blanket, followed by the liner and poncho.
 
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TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
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Vantaa, Finland
What looks the strangest is the fact that he sleeps on bare ground. Below freezing that is just not done, almost anything dry underneath makes a huge difference. The traditional mat in Finland is spruce boughs, 15cm of those is enough on almost any ground (well not wet one).
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
In which temperatures wool blankets can be used of course also depends a bit on their thickness.


I admit that these guys here gave an a bit less tacticool impression in the video.
But it is surely worth to mention, that the old one who didn't speak half the video was surely the most reputated survival trainer in the world.

 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
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Exeter
Jerven

( A better option I think for what you seem to be wanting - although a more costly one )

 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
That's the point!

The poncho + liner system was made for jungle conditions and wasn't meant to replace the system of sleeping bag and sleeping bag case for cold weather.

The Italian army still issues poncho + liner. The German army, the Skandinavic armies, the Brits, the Austrians and Swiss, even the French don't issue it and most of them - if not all - never issued it.

You can guess why.

The Jerven Fjellduken seems to be sniper equipment, no generally issued equipment.

Yes, the Dutch issue such a system. But their youngest poncho liner version has a zipper.
No idea if they use it in the field or perhaps mainly in the barracks.
Might be a summer sleeping bag.
Why not?
 
Last edited:

Gray

Full Member
Sep 18, 2008
2,091
10
Scouser living in Salford South UK
That's the point!

The poncho + liner system was made for jungle conditions and wasn't meant to replace the system of sleeping bag and sleeping bag case for cold weather.

The Italian army still issues poncho + liner. The German army, the Skandinavic armies, the Brits, the Austrians and Swiss, even the French don't issue it and most of them - if not all - never issued it.

You can guess why.

The Jerven Fjellduken seems to be sniper equipment, no generally issued equipment.

Yes, the Dutch issue such a system. But their youngest poncho liner version has a zipper.
No idea if they use it in the field or perhaps mainly in the barracks.
Might be a summer sleeping bag.
Why not?
Yes sorry, i meant as a cold weather system with the other components added. Certainly as a spring/summer system its definitely an option
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
Summer perhaps.

That's the problem with YouTube videos from the USA.
Would someone speak with an Italian or Spanish accent about his sleep system a Brit surely would think twice about if the recommendation is good for him.

In Georgia they speak English. But they aren't your neighbours!
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
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Summer perhaps.

That's the problem with YouTube videos from the USA.
Would someone speak with an Italian or Spanish accent about his sleep system a Brit surely would think twice about if the recommendation is good for him.

In Georgia they speak English. But they aren't your neighbours!

Lot of that going on.










:)
 

Kav

Nomad
Mar 28, 2021
452
356
70
California
As a Vietnam vet, albeit on a river gunboat, I can state WOOBIE and the concept came from that war and not a pop term or invention of a Ranger unit later.
Dave is a personal friend and people would do well to watch more of his episodes and just maybe learn something. As to his southern Appalachian accent, a linguistic offshoot from the Scots and Scots Irish ;My So California Jeff Bridges THE DUDE accent and ear understand him just fine and vs a vs. I am not so parochial to find fault and can only imagine a Surrey On Thames expat friend's story about his welsh grandmother and spending a lifetime smiling as she spoke and never understanding one bloody word of it
Nobody is putting a Webley-Fosbury .455 to anyone's head forcing use of a wooby. Most of us have a garden and can suffer to try kit a few feet away from all the comforts of home if it fails OUR particular needs.
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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@Kav

As you obviously know the US army poncho liner pretty well:

Until which lowest temperature of the night can you sleep comfortably on a US army roll mat in a US army poncho + new issued US army poncho liner, wearing which clothing?

Does the night end after 6 hours because you get whet from inside or can you sleep comfortably 8 hours in it?
 

Kav

Nomad
Mar 28, 2021
452
356
70
California
I was USCG training the RSVN.I had a older RUBBER poncho for the rainy season. It is a temperate weather item and I'm not going to emerge from the water like some demigod Rambo gifting fire and temp ranges for Goretex fig leaves. Dave Pearson lives in Georgia and it works for him. I would point out those states have been hammered by storms lately and have known snowfall. Georgians know how to dress for cold weather too. For that matter, those untrusted Italian and Spanish sources have a couple minor mountain ranges on their northern borders. WW1 Italy faced the Austro Hungarian Army along the old bushcrafting range of Oetsi the ice mummy ( check out his Woobie) and seemed to favor sheepskin affairs and their woolens. The Spanish/French Basques gifted boinas of wool. A Brit army officer who hung out with Hemingway during the Spanish Civil War was discussing updated kit for tank crews and asked about headgear to keep oil off the crews and some warmth. He retrieved his black Boina and now everyone wears a beret emasculated from any usefulness. Bushcraft is to much fad. Just because you see kit, or a sword used in Never Never land by the Lost Boys doesn't mean you have to use it locally for the novelty.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Of course there are cold areas in Spain and Italy too. Nevertheless most of their areas are usually pretty warm...

I know Dave just from his very good videos and his good comments in the US forum. He obviously knows what he is talking about.

But doesn't he live somewhere in the south of Georgia? Can we really compare the weather conditions there with New York or Britain?
I have no idea about Georgia, I just see that it's next to Florida and has a middle temperature of 25 *C. England has 8*C. Italy 11*C.
 
Mar 30, 2021
6
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Georgia U.S.A.
Of course there are cold areas in Spain and Italy too. Nevertheless most of their areas are usually pretty warm...

I know Dave just from his very good videos and his good comments in the US forum. He obviously knows what he is talking about.

But doesn't he live somewhere in the south of Georgia? Can we really compare the weather conditions there with New York or Britain?
I have no idea about Georgia, I just see that it's next to Florida and has a middle temperature of 25 *C. England has 8*C. Italy 11*C.
Hello, Dave here. I live in Northwest Georgia where we don't have extremes of any weather types. Our winters usually go down to -6C but at times gets way way colder than that. Our summers are extremely humid with averages between 32C and 37C so we are a very warm temperate climate. Northeast Georgia is very mountainous and gets regular snow. Northwest rarely ever gets snow. South Georgia is like a oven. Extremely hot, never gets snow and is a haven for high humidity, black flies and mosquitoes. We can get by with mild sleep systems most winters.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,354
2,365
Bedfordshire
Hello Dave,
Was there a typo in that post? "....we don't have extremes of any weather types....down to -6C but (can get) way way colder....summers are extremely humid with averages between 32C and 37C..."
That sounds pretty extreme compared to this mild and temperate island across the Atlantic ;) :lmao:

Welcome to the forum! :bigok:

Chris
 

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