issued sleeping bag question

[awp50]

upto  what temp are they good up till? like just the single outter bag, upto -10? not even?

 

[kyleg]

If I'm not mistaken the two of them used together are rated down to -40 centigrade. In my experience though a sleeping bag's rating should not be taken too literally, as one's comfort at a certain temperature depends greatly on one's metabolism, the relative humidity, and other factors. The best way to "rate" any sleeping bag you own is through experience.

Cheers,
Pinky

 

[Bomber]

With a fleece liner, both bags, on an old black air matress, on a ground sheet, in an artic tent, with a stove going, in the Artic, I lived to write this after sleeping through temperatures in the low 50's.  Those little thermometers people buy from MEC and put on their zippers were bursting it was so cold.

 

[kyleg]

Sure, you lived to write that, but were you comfortable? 

 

[Bomber]

Once your body adapts to the cold, it gets better.  To the point it is liveable.  Remember to always have a cold sump, a sleeping shelf, and sleep naked as you were born.

 

[kyleg]

Cold sump?

 

[Britney Spears]

Mmmmm, I nominate Bomber for the official army.ca sleeping bag SME/Champion. All future sleep related inquiries shall be directed at him! 

 

[Bomber]

Someday, I will have that job.  I keep pushing, and people keep resisting, I think it is cause I surf this site and ask valid questions.

A cold sump is just the entrance of your tent, find the deepest snow that you can, deploy your 10 man tent on it, and then dig the entrance down while leaving the sleeping shelf intact.  All your stoves go in the sump, and you keep your pole as low as it can go (no jokes about poles in tents) Thus the cold air will through the magic of air currents will be heated by a blazing stove, shot upwards, where it meet sthe angles tent liner and is redirected onto the top of the sleeping shelf.  This in turn forces air that is beginning to cool into a bit of a loop that eventually falls back to the floor and is pushed back in the sump.  And is then reheated.  Like the cirlcle of life.  This is only my observation and experience, don't take my ramblings as set in stone as I am not a Scienticion or Heatologist.  We had it to the point that you could sit in the tent in your Nut Huggers with only a one burner peak and a lanternt going while it was a whiteout and -50 outside.  We also made our 10 man only fit 4 comfortably.  I made a Diagram, and will post it when I find it.  I can't resist, always sleep bare.

 

[kyleg]

No need for a diagram, I understand (I'm a bit of a scienticion you see ). Makes a whole lot of sense.

Cheers,
Pinky

 

[George Wallace]

Sherman

Are you playing games?

 

[spacelord]

Once your body adapts to the cold, it gets better.   To the point it is liveable.   Remember to always have a cold sump, a sleeping shelf, and sleep naked as you were born.

sleep naked? is that because clothing will prevent your body  heat from warming otherparts of your body as best as possible? sort of like how mittens are warmer than gloves?

 

[Bomber]

People that just strip down to long johns are still wearing all the dampness they produced that day, the nature of advanced wicking material though is that you can put a pound of liquid into the stuff and it feels dry, but don't be fooled, it isn't.  Just like if you ever fall through ice, the first thing people will do is strip you naked, dry you, then get in close.  The sweat in your skivvies will pull all your heat into the bag, will dampen your bag causing feather clumping, ice crystals, and chills.  Strip off all that stuff, and the problem is a lot less.  Don't like the sweet kiss of frozen Nylon, buy the fleece liner from Walmart or Can Tire for about 15 bucks, it is the same as the Wheelers one, but you can buy two cases of beer in Quebec with the savings, (19.75 a case at the Can tire gas bar for 24 Bud Lights)  Anyway, to test the theory of liquid retention, toss your long jon's in a bag, and leave them on the cold ground, dry clothing doesn't freeze, these will. 

Another tip, use the issue scarp on top of your air mattress, but under your bivy bag, your body is pumping so much heat through the compressed fibers that moisture forms between the permeable bivy bag and the impermeable mattress.  Putting the scarf there sops up all this water, and then can be left outside a tent, where it freezes, and then shaken to mostly dry it.  Much nicer than sleeping in it.  Anyone looking for a bit of additional warmth should look towards MEC Merino long undies, a bit expensive, but the best investment you can make if you are well off, bashful when nude, slight of build, and disciplined enough to use it only as a dedicated sleep item. 

Also try and get a length of fleece from fabric land that you can wrap around your mid section, nothing is worse than getting a night off of the sentry rotation only to wake up at 2am squeezing your legs together and saying to yourself "can I make it till Rev?" My answer is usually no, get dressed, fall in the snow, moral dips, and I get really pissed, literally.  So, wrapping the midsection keeps more heat within the core, and not based on any medical proof, allows me to go the distance when it comes to not pissing at night.

Last one, for a tent with mixed company, fellows, wear a pair of boxers in the sack, and without drawing attention to yoursel, toss the next days socks into your undies, not only will everyone be duly inpressed, especially if you have a size 13 boots, but yopu will have nice and warm socks for the morning.

 

[armyvern]

Last one, for a tent with mixed company, fellows, wear a pair of boxers in the sack, and without drawing attention to yoursel, toss the next days socks into your undies, not only will everyone be duly inpressed, especially if you have a size 13 boots, but yopu will have nice and warm socks for the morning.

I'm sure we've shared a hooch, I've seen this done. Perhaps this is very popular amongst the guys. I personally stuff my bra...it has the same effect!

 

[Matt_Fisher]

Also try and get a length of fleece from fabric land that you can wrap around your mid section, nothing is worse than getting a night off of the sentry rotation only to wake up at 2am squeezing your legs together and saying to yourself "can I make it till Rev?" My answer is usually no, get dressed, fall in the snow, moral dips, and I get really pissed, literally.   So, wrapping the midsection keeps more heat within the core, and not based on any medical proof, allows me to go the distance when it comes to not pissing at night.

Not a bad idea, but you don't keep a 'piss bottle' in your bag for that 0Dark call of nature?

 

[George Wallace]

Not a bad idea, but you don't keep a 'piss bottle' in your bag for that 0Dark call of nature?

Now that is the best way ever to freeze.....especially if it is in the form of a condom.  

Once it breaks you are not only wet and cold, and smell .........however.... on a brighter side - all your tent mates now have given you a wide birth and you can spread out in luxury...for all its' worth...  ;D

 

[Matt_Fisher]

Now that is the best way ever to freeze.....especially if it is in the form of a condom.  

Once it breaks you are not only wet and cold, and smell .........however.... on a brighter side - all your tent mates now have given you a wide birth and you can spread out in luxury...for all its' worth...   ;D

Never had a problem with a high-strength polycarbonate wide-mouth Nalgene bottle that I use as my piss bottle breaking or leaking.  Just make sure that it's clearly marked as a piss bottle and has got a different shape than the Nalgene's you drink from so you don't make a very awful mistake in the middle of the night.  :-[

As for trying to piss into a condom and then tying it off...that's just plain stupid.  :

 

[George Wallace]

........that's just plain stupid.     :

Exactly.  Pissing in your sleeping bag is just plain stupid.  Accidents happen.  Be a man/woman/adult and put on your Artic slippers, and parka and go create Snow Snake holes for a few minutes.  Much safer.  Don't be lazy.  It will come back to haunt you or someone you taught.

 

[Bomber]

I use a pair fo the MEC booties, that are like mini sleeping bags for the feet.  They are good enough for 2 trips out, any more and I am going to have to suffer gettting more kit together.  I usually brew a good tea just before bed, toss it in the thermos, and then have a hot beverage for the morning.  A novel idea about the wizz bottle, but in my case, I gaurantee in a sleep deprived state I would mix it up.  Well, maybe not, but unlike most, sleeping is such a good time for me that going back down is actually a great time.  I always asked for a mid way shifts, Sleep in the feild is more dependant on quality than quantity.  Hence Black air mattress, aftermarket bivy bag mods, fleece sleeping bag liner, and nakedness
 

 

[Adrian]

Where do you guys keep your gitch and  other piece of clothing once you've taken them off for the night? In the sleeping bag next to you, or between the sleeping bag and the bivy bag?

 

[kyleg]

If it's dry I'll keep my next-to-skin stuff at the foot of my sleeping bag. Keeps 'em nice and warm  8)