GEAR WEEK--SLEEPING BAG,JACKET,BIVVY COMBO

FIRST OFF===
no jokes about the hat..when you move to Minnesota you
get new plates for your car--a hat like this and the secret
recipe for Swedish Meatballs..


i bought this German Army all-in-one sleeping bag with
the idea that it might be good on canoe trips where i wanted
to go light by cutting out the tent..at 5 pounds and in a
small bag like that it just might have worked but in the
long run i found a closed tent to be more secure..



it opens to reveal a sleeping bag with arms incased
in rubberized nlyon much like a Army poncho..




using the web belts with interlocking rings that hold
the rolled up bag together you can pull the bottom
"foot" section up and secure it to form a jacket..



when you release the belt the foot section drops--
back view--note the large hood which is not
pulled up over my head yet--



front view with the top zippered up and the section
i'll put my legs into behind my knees..



there--totaly inclosed with my arms free for
tending a fire,cooking or other camp chores..




or just a good,warm dry nites sleep




a close up to show the nylon quilting and
the zipper and flap system...
bags with arms like this are widely used in Europe by
still hunters..i have a hunting and outdoor catalog
from Germany that shows several styles of these..
i never took this canoeing but i did try it out on a few
cold,wet nites at my cabin to see how well it worked.
it was warm and dry for the few hours i sat around it it
but i went back inside for the nite and never did a
"overniter" in it..i carryed the bag around in my car
trunk during the winter but never had to resort to it..
in a survival sitution i would not just lay on the ground
like that that but would make a bed of whatever i could
find--moss..leaves..and i would make some sort of
brush shelter and get in that with the bivvy-jacket..

How tall of a person would fit in one of those?

-Blast, 6'5"

BLAST...the height of a German---but really..i'm 5-11
and i can get in with a bit of foot room to spare..
i never thought about doing a Google link to a outdoor
gear catalog in Germany to see if they had different sizes.

My best friend used to be the sniper on a sheriffs SWAT team, and one day he bought one of those just to throw into his trunk. Snipers often have to lay prettymuch motionless for a long long time, and he figured that in the winter it might help keep him a tad warmer. He tried it out one winter day, just for fun, and said that he sweated like a mule in it, came out soaking wet. Something to consider...

Dang, where did you buy that?!

I had an Army buddy that had one of those. He got it in West Germany. Said it was the best ever.

ARTYB--and All...
i'm a bit fuzzy on that--it was about 15 years ago--
is it 2007 already !!!!---
so i'm thinking Sportmans Guide or Cheaper Than Dirt..
i have not seen these offered in any of the catalogs i get
so you may have to Google this to get a source..

after posting this i try to Google "german army sleeping
bag with arms" and got a long list of sources and comments
on these--seems like the Dutch have the same bag and some
come in black---good luck--have fun--let me know if you guys
end up with one---

Ebay has one for $60.00

http://cgi.ebay.com/East-German-Army-NVA...VQQcmdZViewItem

Here are a couple other sources

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/ishop/800/shopscr1753.html

http://www.transworldsurplus.co.uk/sleeping_equipment.asp

Hi ArtyB

Good review at http://www.outdooridiots.com/features/200701/germanarmysleepingbag/germanarmysleepingbag.asp

As a sleeping bag, it is a poor performer.

As a jacket, it is a poor performer.

As a bivi, it is a poor performer.

And yet it is still bulkier and heavier than a good seperate sleeping bag, bivi bag and jacket combined. The German Bag is old technology with its moisture impermeable outer bivi covering.

Not really recommended.

Along the same lines though an Exped Wallcreeper combined with a Hilleberg Bivanorak would be a much better, comfortable and flexible but more expensive solution.

Blast--Hiker..others..
i always buy sleeping bags in "long"--i may not need the
length but i found you can really pull it up over your
shoulders better than the "normal" size..

here's a canoe buddy of mine..he is into all the
expensive light weight--top of the line gear


thats a $325 Wallcreeper..if the arm holes had sleeves
i could see paying that price but you have to wear a
polyfluff top to keep your arms warm

Have a look at KIFARU's Regulator system : the MOB regulator has optional sleeves..
Kifaru's MOB

Alain---MOB has very nice stuff..very $$$$ also..
however too many zippers to fail and too many bits..
something like a plain old LL Bean sleeping bag with
built-in arms would fill the bill for someone like me
who just vacations around the wilderness for a few weeks
at a time..

For five pounds you could have a much more flexible and safer system.

Example:

- 6 oz WPB bivy or 10 oz waterproof bivy (backpackinglight.com, etc.)
- 20 oz down jacket or slightly heavier synthetic
- 12 oz down pants (ligher ones are available; synthetic would be a bit heavier)
- 12 oz goretex Paclite shell
- 8 oz lightweight tarp or 10 oz poncho tarp (lighter ones are available), with lines and ti stakes
- 4 oz gloves and warm cap
- 4 oz closed cell foam pad
- 6 oz PSK with lighter, sparker, tinder, some first aid items

If I were into these sorts of products, I would probably choose one of the following:

http://www.nunatakusa.com/Sleeping_Bag_Raku.htm
http://www.featheredfriends.com/ProductD...ame=Rock%20Wren
http://www.featheredfriends.com/ProductD...e=Winter%20Wren

However, what I actually carry instead is a Nunatak Arc Alpinist 20 degree bag (20oz), a TarpTent Double Rainbow tent(2.5 lbs), a Marmot Preclip Parka (13oz), and a fleese hat (2oz). All for less than 5lbs.

Nucatak is also very high quality gear and also $$$$.
i like that better than the MOB line as it seems to be all
one bag with no sections and zippers to fail..
but this is all mountain climbing gear that i would never
use..if it got cold enought for this the canoeing would be
over for the year..if LLBean or one of the mid-range
outfitters does not twig on to this idea i may have my
local sewing shop come up with something..or just buy
a snowmoble suit that would fill the same function..
i'm seeing some great stuff by way of this thread that i
never knew was out there..thanks--

I used to have one of these when I drove a tank. Brilliant, you could wear it all the time you drove and be straight into your sleeping bag when you stopped, without leaving your seat.