Hooch vs. Bivy

[Sh0rtbUs]

well I spent the last week sleeping under a hooch, and i was wondering if anyone else here hates them as much as i do? I found it to be such a pain, and I told my staff Id rather take my sleeping bag out and sleep in the rain. They laughed, and said they fek the same way. Im aware that they‘re a great thing as far as survival, but honestly..how many people actually build them and sleep in them on ex, and how many will just chuck their bivy on the ground and sleep?

I havent been issued a bivy yet...so i guess I dont have a choice for now.

 

[ninty9]

It depends how long you‘re there for.

While on course I was in the field for 5 or 6 days. We built a hooch, and I think their a lot better than just throwing your bag on the ground. You get some darkness and you can stick your head out to get some fresh air.

The ex I was just on last weekend I didn‘t bother setting up a hooch and it was raining. Just got into the bivy bag and everything was fine.

I‘d probably rather sleep under a hooch, but it really depends on the situation.

 

[Cpl. Williamson]

9 times out of 10 I think everyone would prefer a hooch

I mean Sure the Bivy bags are Great Pieces of Kit But Id Also Like an Extra Layer Over me Just incase

And a Properly Setup Hootch is Like Nothing Else

Unless of Course you got to Move Exceedingly Fast Come Wakeup / Danger of Being overrun

Or the Factor of Sleep in general

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

well, all week its been raining and for some unknown reason my hooch leaked. it wasnt water proof, more or less water resistant. But steady rain eventually ended up in myself lying there in the mud at 0400 staring up at the massive acucmulating puddle inches from my face. Didnt really see the point of it in such a condition.

It topped the cake too..when friday morning..my MCpl. kicked my hooch down with me still in it

Got a nice chilly morning shower..

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

You‘ll find out quickly that nothing is ever waterPROOF. Varying degrees of resistance are all there is. If it leaks a lot, try spreading a liberal amount of silicone all over the rubberized side of it. And get an air mattress repair kit, and put patches over any tears or holes. Thing is, that even if it does leak, a hootch provides one more layer against you and the wet. When I have to (not that we Sigs dudes have to that often) I use the bivvy bag and the hootch together.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

Im gonna go and get some silicon today. What type should I get? Any better/worse types?

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Not the silicone seal that comes in a squeeze tube. The kind I mean is a liquid that comes in a can. Your QM might have some. We used to use it on boots, although I think that there‘s some order or another out now discouraging that. Anyways, if you have to buy it, the best kind comes in a can, and has a long dipstick type doodad with a sponge attached to the end. You use that to swab it on. I suppose you could use the spray on version available in shoe stores, though I‘d suspect that the spray stuff wouldn‘t be as good.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

alright thanks alot. Mabye this will help me grow to appreciate my hooch =)

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Thats what mod and recce tents are for.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

our Section commanders had their nice and toasty Mod Tent set up on the biv site, lanterns and all

We‘re just no good grunts...so we got to sleep in the mud :warstory:

 

[Jarnhamar]

If it‘s nice out i‘ll just sleep in my bivy bag or on the ground (unless it‘s bug season).
It‘s funny watching people scramble to put their hooch up at 2 am when its pouring rain.

Hoochies are also great for hiding when someone is looking for you when its your turn to go on picket

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Hoochies are also great for hiding when someone is looking for you when its your turn to go on picket

I hate those guys.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I‘m totally that guy! Im the jerk that cuts into your rack time

Then again..... a good soldier who is performing the job of sentry would make sure they know who is on shift next and exactly where that person is sleeping right?
I‘m simply teaching young soldiers the bennifits of a job done correctly.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

I havent gone to sleep yet without knowing who is relieving me, and where their hooch is. Nothing more annoying then getting awoken to someone with a flashlight (no filter might i add) pointed in your face, kicking our feed saying "get the @a&^ up, i wanna go to beeeeed OH sorry, what hooch is Burger in then?"

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I was gonna add the part about knowing where your next guy is but some guys take it upon themselves to move or make themselves hard to find.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Sh0rtbUs:
[qb] I havent gone to sleep yet without knowing who is relieving me, and where their hooch is. Nothing more annoying then getting awoken to someone with a flashlight (no filter might i add) pointed in your face, kicking our feed saying "get the @a&^ up, i wanna go to beeeeed OH sorry, what hooch is Burger in then?" [/qb]

I still remember Milcon in 1988 (how many stories have started with those exact words, eh!!) - I was actually out for Bandcon which ran concurrently, laugh if you want - but some of the grunts were staying in our "H" hut on their first night at Wainwright before departing for the field.

We were woken up at 0530 one morning by a Queen‘s Own Cameron Highlanders NCO bellowing out "get the f#$& up! It is now 0630! Get the f#$& up!" Followed by some brave soul yelling out "You‘re still on Winnipeg time!!" Moron.

What could be worse than waking up an hour before reveillie. Though I‘ve come to like it, especially when in shacks, since you can beat everyone to the sinks and shave in peace.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

That is priceless.

 

[Infanteer]

Hoochies suck. Nothing like screwing around with a piece of snivel kit complete with tent pegs and what have you when you got to get out of there quick. I havn‘t used one since QL2.

It‘s either a tent or the stars.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

thats what i was leaning towards...

Ever try to get dressed in one of those? Talk about a challenge..

 

[chrisp1j]

Thats why Bivvy bags are so nice, you don‘t have a choice where your getting dressed.

When you guys use your bivvy bags, do you throw your poncho over your faces to cover them or make any small shelter(assuming there are no vehicles to lay your heads under...lol)?