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Posted: 8/16/2010 3:38:44 PM EDT
| My brother used one in Afghanistan and liked it. I was thinking about picking one up. Found the whole system un-used for $200. What do you guys think comparatively to similar priced systems? I was thinking that the modularity was great given the two weather condition bags and gore-tex liner. |
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It's a good, useful system. You can get at least as much utility and warmth with less weight on the civvy market. OTOH, you will generally pay a LOT more for the civvy product, and the durability may, or may not be similar.
Sleeping bags aside, I've not heard very many complaints about the GI, goretex shell, even compared to civvy units. Most sleeping bags are worth no more than the insulation beneath them, be that a sleeping pad, or something improvised. |
| i'm looking at buying 2 myself, for $80 on ebay plus shipping you can go wrong, LINKY!! |
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Dude nice find thanks 
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Yeah cost is def a concern. What do you guys think about a sleeping mat? The GI green foam ones are super cheap. How is their functionality? What would you guys suggest in the inflatable cell realm? i.e. much more comfortable and space saving? A GI foam pad will do for all but the coldest temps, but just as important as its' insulation is the fact that it will save the gore-tex shell from being punctured by thorns/pine needles/etc., an important concern. There are thicker, more comfortable mats for colder temps, but by all means get an inexpensive GI mat to begin with. If you eventually get a foam-filled inflatable, like a thermarest, make sure to get a couple of repair kits. If the thing leaks and can't be inflated, its' insulation value drops to near zero. OTOH, a very comfy pad., I've got both. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Yeah cost is def a concern. What do you guys think about a sleeping mat? The GI green foam ones are super cheap. How is their functionality? What would you guys suggest in the inflatable cell realm? i.e. much more comfortable and space saving? A GI foam pad will do for all but the coldest temps, but just as important as its' insulation is the fact that it will save the gore-tex shell from being punctured by thorns/pine needles/etc., an important concern. There are thicker, more comfortable mats for colder temps, but by all means get an inexpensive GI mat to begin with. If you eventually get a foam-filled inflatable, like a thermarest, make sure to get a couple of repair kits. If the thing leaks and can't be inflated, its' insulation value drops to near zero. OTOH, a very comfy pad., I've got both. Just a note on the inflatable pads when I was at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Vermont they told us the inflatables don't work well in the cold temps.... Those guys have a boat load of experience... Edit: Wait a minute didn't RAF just say that
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I puncture an Inflatable atleast once a year. Finding the hole in the field is annoying as hell. Especially bc it's generally last on my list of priorities or work. However they are light (relatively) and comfy. I have slept so well on them that I have woken up with my face stuck to it from Drool. I use a 3/4 length one in the summer and a full size in the winter.
The sleep system is OK, for that price though it's amazing. I have a Snugpack Softie with Gore-tex Bivy that I lined with a jersey knit bag liner, and I carry my Kifaru Woobie when it Gets super cold. It's small, light and can fit in my Assault pack with the other essential items I need for a 3- 10 day OP of misery. It's a comfy alternative to the Bulky Sleep System, but the saying still holds true - pack light freeze at night. Back when I was a young Private my SL was out of Battalion and had a saying that only dead men sleep in sleeping bags. We weren't allowed to have anything more than a Poncho liner (at FT DRUM that sucks believe me), I spent many, many nights wrapped in my 'cho liner, a casualty blanket, while wearing my MOPP suit b/c its super warm. It became a running joke that we were always at MOPP readiness in the winter. SOS |
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The GI gore-tex sleeping bag cover gives some warmth, and considerable protection from wind and rain. It will not work well when partially submerged, so pick an elevated sleeping position.
As far as poncho liners go, I have an old one modded to Ranger Rick Tscherne's specs, which basically allows it to be transformed into a rectangular sleeping bag. Not bad, but not terribly warm, either. I figure the GI gore tex shell gives at least as much warmth as does the poncho liner, even modified. A bit more on bulk and weight are the fleece mummy sleeping bags seen now and then. They are not terribly expensive, even for the good ones, and offer a bit more warmth. Zero wind resistance, of course, so some sort of shell is mandatory––and such a shell will add warmth. I won't get involved in the debate about the GI Mod Sleeping System. Yes it is heavier than most cutting edge units, but that weight is to some extent made up for by increased durability. Besides, it is modular, and not all parts need be carried. It is what it is, and most folks could do MUCH worse. FWIW, I bought two of 'em (NIB/NIW) at a local flea market for, IIRC, $30. One was in GI plastic wrapper, the other unwrapped. NOTE: The MSS, if in the clear plastic, original GI wrapper DOES NOT include the GoreTex shell. That is seperate. Some savvy campers scope out the minimum temp records of their intended camping place–– at their intended time of camping–– and add-in a safety factor. This is achieved by wearing all insulating gear within the sleeping bag. This is stuff that you would be carrying/wearing anyway, as part of your layering system. You are simply adding your clothing layers to wear inside the sleeping bag, and tailoring the amount of insulation to what can reasonably be expected, plus a––variable––safety factor. As mentioned above, you are most likely carrying insulating garments anyway, so why set them aside once it becomes sleepy-time? Since most of us have long since discarded any insulating garments other than hydrophobic synthetics, it makes sense to plan one's sleeping arrangements by including those garments. The only special sleeping arrangements that need to be made, and which are not often worn, are a set of heavy fleece mittens, a set of heavy fleece booties, and a fleece toque, for one's head, face, and neck. These three items, alone, will greatly add to one's comfort, and greatly expend the temps in which you can comfortably––and safely camp. give me these three items, and I will camp safely, and comfortably with a much smaller ––and lighter bag. All of this comes with experience, but remember that retaining body core temp is crucial. Thus the body-insularing garments. That said, when the body shuts down, the extremities suffer first, thus the mittens and booties. As for the fleece toque, it insulates the head, face, and neck. A HUGE amount of body heat is lost through the head, face, and neck, perhaps as much as 50%. Insulating the head, face, and neck will serve you well. I STRONGLY suggest that anyone interested in the dynamics of camping should read the latest edition of "The Complete Walker". google it, buy it, and profit. I've got all the previous editions, and it is a GOLD MINE of hard-found, practical backpacking and camping knowledge, and written by a man who knows how to write. Buy it, I did. |
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Not a horrible system...just bulky and heavy if you carry the whole thing. That said the green patrol bag, woobie, and goretex bivy will work down to some pretty cold temps and it packs down pretty small (about the size of a football if it were a cylinder, just a touch larger) |
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If you are willing to carry something as bulky and heavy as a MSS, save money until you can afford a Wiggy's FTRSS. With mine, I've got the choice of a 35deg bag that is very light, a 20deg bag that is light, and a zipped together combo that is good to -20deg and is not so light, but definitely works as advertised. I slept in mine last year in -10, in nothing more than drawers and a wool watch cap. I used a thermarest, a ridgerest, and a refletex roll for bedding, and the whole shebang was in a MSS bivy. It was boringly warm and comfy in there. And Wiggy's stuff will keep you warm even if damp, unlike down.
Sleeping bags are all about trade offs. You can have light, warm, and cheap. Just pick two. Actually, its more complicated than that, the FTRSS is versatile, but not light or cheap, but it is DAMN warm, and I'm very willing to pay the size penalty for the performance it gives.
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