Posted: 4/15/2008 3:37:09 PM EDT
| Hey fellow campers-survivalists I just picked up a "used-excellent" condition 4 piece GI modular sleep system, from Armygear.net, for $134 plus $11 s&h...and I got it UPS ground in about 4 working days. I am totally pleased with the service and as described quality of the sleeping bag system. For my 3 day pack, it eliminates the bivy tent, cos the bivy bag is gen-u-ine Gore-tex. In the summer all I need is the intermediate bag, but in fall during deer season the whole set should keep me roasty toasty. My set looks brand new, never used. Even the paint on the zippers is unscratched, and I see no wear anywhere on any of the bags. Smells good too, no surplus store "musty smell"...all the reviews I've read on this system praises it, can't wait to try it out. Done freezing my butt off! Just the bivy and int. bag are quite light, maybe 4 lbs, if that, but like I said, no tent! The whole system together is about 8lbs. GEW |
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ouch...I put one together for $80 off ebay from citizen outfitters and one other vendor for the goretex bivy bag. The bags were used and in very good shape (had 2 small tears but I sewed them up, maybe 2in long) but the bivy is virtually new. I can't comment on it's versatility yet since I've not used it, but I think it will do the job quite well. The intermediate bag feels like my 15degree sleeping bag, and the lighter patrol bag will work very well for me as a lightweight bag for moderate temps when I don't think my fleece bag will do the trick. It's certainly not the lightest system out there but in my opinion I will probably only use the intermediate bag the most so overall it's fairly light if you look at it that way. I'm looking to find some compression sacks that will work well for just the intermediate and bivy as well as the patrol and bivy. |
| I used the USGI system when training in Norway several years back. It works great, kept me very warm and dry the entire time. Its drawbacks are that its so darn heavy and bulky even when compressed. I keep one in the truck during winter months though just because I know it will work if I need it. |
Ebay...got mine for $35. Just be sure to read all of the descriptions carefully, some vendors are selling biveys that are torn or not really working. I'm 6'1" and I fit fine in it with some room to spare. |
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wash at home just like any other bag. I even tossed mine into the big dryer and dried them with heat as it says on the care label. After sewing mine shut I got a good look at the insulation, there's no need to "beat" it by tossing in tennis balls since it's just a sheet type insulation material that is sewed in along the baffle lines to keep it from shifting can't tell you if the Wiggy's are the same |
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I like the bivy cover- heavy, not prone to tearing, and I have used it in thunderstorms without rigging a taj mahal or anything. As long as the water does not pool up underneath it, I have been dry. A mosquito net would be a good addition. I would shuck the green and black and inner bags for a lighter civilian bag. |
Dont put gore-tex in the dryer. The rest of it should be fine but the outer piece should not be put into the dryer. |
good price, most surplus outfits get wayyy more, but K1 got a great deal, too. Someone had been asking about these bags not long ago. someone else asked about the covers only, some surplus sellers do sell the pieces, try charleys surplus, or Colemans, or Maine military. |
ROFL anyone who puts gore-tex into a dryer deserves this  I tested out my system last nigh for maybe an hour or so before I started sweating my balls off. the 2 sleeping bags together are nice and cozy for cold temps for sure, I probably should have just used the patrol bag |
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I keep my MSS in my BoB at all times. I rotate the green or black depending on the season, but in my AO, it's a great system. Wish it were lighter, but for the money, especially the bivvy, it's hard to beat. In the dead of summer I just use the bivvy and make a bed of leaves about 18" high and I'm good to go. As was stated, a skeeter net is a must in my AO as well, particularly in the summer... not having to worry about making a lean to or worry about other shelter is a godsend if I ever have to walk 40 miles home... |
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I hear a lot about the Wiggy's bag, but fail to see the benefit compared to the USGI system. I'll admit I've never seen the Wiggy's, but from the sounds of it it's one bag that is good for temps down as cold as the green+black bag of the USGI system. That seems dandy if it's always cold where you're at, but I live in a VERY varied climate - can't see a single bag getting the job done all the way around. What am I missing here? |
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I got really lucky one day at the local flea market were my wife has a shop. I bought two MSS units, one in the plastic bag, for $20, total. Now, neither of them had a GoreTex outer shell, but I had a repaired unit for one. FYI, if in the sealed plastic bag, what you get is the two bags plus compression sack. NO GoreTex in the sealed, clear, plastic bag. Didn't know that when I bought them, figured it included the GoreTex as well. Nope. I sold the un-bagged (like new) unit for $100, and considered myself way ahead. Few months later, a local surplus store was going out of business, and I picked up a NIB goreTex outer shell for $20. Sold the repaired GoreTex to the same buyer of the second MSS for $30. Now I have two MSS units (I had one before) and am a little (well, maybe a lot) ahead on $$. Everybody made out, and the worst of us got a fair deal. Like I said, sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you have a little knowledge, and you make your own luck. |
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My sleeping bag system arrived yesterday. Each bag is is very good condition with no rips or tears. The care labels are a little worn but still readable. All the zippers work and the best part.... No Funky smell associated with surplus gear. Over all I am very pleased with my purchase. YMMV |
| FWIW, I used my issued 'modular sleep system' for years. Kept me nice and dry even while sleeping on a concrete slab in 1 inch deep water during MOUT training. God those North Carolina thunderstorms can humble you. I Love the green "patrol bag" part. Only set back is the system is heavy and bulky, even when compressed by sitting on it and ratcheting down the straps. But hey, I would rather hump the extra weight and sleep tight than freeze or get soaked. I would throw out the less important snivel gear to make room. Not bad for the price, good find. |
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Keep in mind that to achieve its' claimed lover temp levels, the MSS requires the sleeper to wear aditional fleece-like clothing, specifically including boots and headwear. Not that that isn't hard to do, but such has to be kept in mind whan evaluating the system. Of course, most, if not all, of those garments would be in your pack-along inventory during the winter months, if not already worn, so the weight penalty would be nil during the winter months. |