Posted: 8/30/2011 10:31:11 AM EDT
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http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_90/904762_WTS__LABOR_DAY_SALE_USGI_Modular_Sleep_System_MSS___109_99.html
Any opinions on these? Are these bags massive overkill for occasional use? I don't currently own a sleeping bag, so during deer season I just use my wool blankets for cold nights at my camp. I wouldn't mind having something more compact that I could potentially throw in the truck during the colder months as a backup plan. What says the hive about these MSS USGI bags? |
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I absolutely love them. I'm in the military and have one issued but also have a second set up just for my own BOB/camping bag. I use the green sleeping bag, bivy sack, my poncho liner, Big Agnes sleeping pad, and field tarp all smashed into the 9 strap compression sack. It smashes down to about the size of a basketball with all of them in there rolled tight and compressed. I keep the black bag separate because it's never cold enough to actually use the thing. I have the black bag, thermals, Gortex cold weather top and bottoms, and cold weather socks/gloves in a separate compression sack that will probably never get used because the stuff is so efficient, it would have to be around 0 for me to want to field any of it.
I will say the components probably aren't as good or as lightweight as some of the crazy set ups out there for artic weather and what not. But $120 shipped is a steal for great gear that works. The bivy will keep you dry and blocks the wind. The sleeping bags work well and work extremely well together. And the compression sack will take some abuse and not tear. |
| It's a good deal on a good bag. The only time the MSS did not do what I needed was during a tour in Afghanistan, and I used a personal Wiggy's FTRSS instead. But there is no comparison in cost, so unless you're going to need a bag for well into the negatives, the MSS will be fine. |
| I just saw this thread... the only compliant I have with the MSS , is its to damn small ! If I ( 6'1" 260 lbs ) try to actually fit into it, I'll rip the seams with my shoulders... needs to be about 6" longer and 8" wider overall. If you can find one local to try on for size... I'd do it. |
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Quoted: I just saw this thread... the only compliant I have with the MSS , is its to damn small ! If I ( 6'1" 260 lbs ) try to actually fit into it, I'll rip the seams with my shoulders... needs to be about 6" longer and 8" wider overall. If you can find one local to try on for size... I'd do it. im 6' 200lbs, and about at the limit of it myself |
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It's a pretty good system. If you throw in a lightweight mosquito net and a tarp/poncho, you will pretty much be covered for anything, barring extremely cold weather. In the summer we use the bivy sack only, and throw a mosquito net over our heads.. in the winter, all systems get used. As long as you don't beat the hell out of the bivy sack, it will keep out rain. If you sleep in a puddle, it probably wont. The challenge is keeping the rain off your face to sleep comfortable (Poncho). $109 is a good price. |
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Tried one sleeping on the ground about 2 years ago. Right at 30 degrees, ice on the bivy sack when I woke up. Completely dry, comfortable & snug. I think the -30 rating means you probably won't die of hypothermia, though you might lose some limbs to frostbite.
I like it, keep one in my car and one in my wife's during the winter. |
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I have two issued sets and use them a bit both for work and personal camping.
Pros: I have slept in them for an entire night in a full downpour and stayed dry You can add and remove pieces as necessary Cons: It's small, i'm 6'2 and stick out a couple inches from it It's heavy, there are commercial bags that are lighter and bag up more compact |
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I have one.
I love it, although it fits me pretty tight. and i'm not that big of a guy. 6' and 180lbs. lat time i used it I was freeeeeeeezing. I had the green bag, the bivy, a fleece blanket, a pair of warmup pants, a pair of liner socks, regular socks (forgot my woolies) and a pair of bdu pants on. way to flipping cold. if the weather report would have been accurate I would have brought the black bag. it had to have been low 20's that night. damned cold. but i love the bag. i want another couple |
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Quoted:
Tried one sleeping on the ground about 2 years ago. Right at 30 degrees, ice on the bivy sack when I woke up. Completely dry, comfortable & snug. I think the -30 rating means you probably won't die of hypothermia, though you might lose some limbs to frostbite. I like it, keep one in my car and one in my wife's during the winter. Don't quote me, but I believe that rating is for 4 hours of "restful" sleep for a fully clothed soldier. |
| I don't own one, so I speak from limited observations. The one thing that turns me off to the MSS is the WEIGHT. The whole thing weighs 13 lbs +/-. Yes, I know you can mix and match to suit you needs and you don't have to carry the whole thing. If I was to purchase one used, I'd buy it just for the bivy cover. Combine that with a quality commercial bag (warmer/lighter) and you're set. |
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last time i used it I was freeeeeeeezing. I had the green bag, the bivy, a fleece blanket, a pair of warmup pants, a pair of liner socks, regular socks (forgot my woolies) and a pair of bdu pants on. way to flipping cold.
if the weather report would have been accurate I would have brought the black bag. it had to have been low 20's that night. damned cold. Keep in mind there is no "standard" way of rating bags that everyone will agree to. Saying the green bag is good to 30° is fine for some folks, not for others. The vast majority will tell you that the MSS system (both bags) is good to go down zero or so- much lower and you will need something else. Some folks will say they need more or less at various temps. A ground pad (even flattened MRE boxes) will do way more for thermal performance and comfort than wearing stuff inside the bag. If you do wear things inside the bag, make sure they're sleeping clothes- not dirty things you've worn during the day. I never worn anything other than ECWCS base layers and a polypro cap in my bags, down to -40°. And those layers were kept in the bag, just for sleeping for they stayed clean and didn't get oils and dirt all in them. |
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i'm 6'2", #180 and it fits me comfortably.
i've used the light pack to sleep on in summer campouts in the south, both bags camping in the back of the truck in the teens when everyone else was "freezing" i was comfortable. IIRC, bag temp ratings are for the temp outside when you're dry and out of the wind inside a tent AND on a pad to insulate you from the ground. temp ratings are also subjective and not absoute because some people sleep "warmer" or "colder" than others. i've never needed the bivy, but i'm glad i have it. |