In Germany in the late 80s early 90s I picked up an old surplus german army sleep system.
It was basically a parka that turned into a sleeping bag by dropping a bottom section that was fixed at the inside / back of the parka.
It was quilted inside with down filling , had a nice big quilted hood too.
You used press studs and a zip at the lower hemline of the parka to connect the 'bottom part to.
It rolled up into its own hood and had toggles and loops to keep it compressed.
The arms could be tucked back inside or closed by an internal drawstring to keep the warmth in.
It was originally waterproof , but I did have to re-waterproof it a few times after exercises.
It saved me a good few times during training/exercises , it was so easy to react to any situation during your sleep time that I left my old 58 patt sleeping bag and only used the parka.
The training staff / umpires / DS would ALWAYS 'bump' you (ambush) at night during these exercises...pitch black , no lights , basha area with comms cord out to help you navigate around....
Everyone else would be scrambling around trying to roll up their 58 patt bags and get their kit on - me ? I had legs out of the parka in seconds , webbing flung on , and waiting / providing cover to allow the others to get their kit ready.
The benefits of being able to immediately stick your arms out and grab your weapon , legs out and able to move so quickly cannot be overstated.
My wearable sleeping bag was an excellent piece of kit , as an aid to bug out quickly 10/10 , as a sleep system 7/10 , as a parka 8/10.
If you wear layers and goto sleep geared up and ready to run then its 10/10 as a sleep system too.
Bivi bags are fine , personally I didnt like them , we were issued them and tried to get to grips with the whole 'breathable thing - it was 1990 or something and the tech was still relatively new to our battalion , but the guys now swear by them.
I have more experience of the poncho/basha than the bivi bag , poncho/basha good for areas you may be in for a few nights ,bivi-bag for single nights under the stars.
Hammocks ? never used them except on holiday
so cant really give an opinion from a survival viewpoint.
(15 April 2012, 02:31)The Local Ned Wrote: In Germany in the late 80s early 90s I picked up an old surplus german army sleep system.
It was basically a parka that turned into a sleeping bag by dropping a bottom section that was fixed at the inside / back of the parka.
It was quilted inside with down filling , had a nice big quilted hood too.
You used press studs and a zip at the lower hemline of the parka to connect the 'bottom part to.
It rolled up into its own hood and had toggles and loops to keep it compressed.
The arms could be tucked back inside or closed by an internal drawstring to keep the warmth in.
It was originally waterproof , but I did have to re-waterproof it a few times after exercises.
It saved me a good few times during training/exercises , it was so easy to react to any situation during your sleep time that I left my old 58 patt sleeping bag and only used the parka.
The training staff / umpires / DS would ALWAYS 'bump' you (ambush) at night during these exercises...pitch black , no lights , basha area with comms cord out to help you navigate around....
Everyone else would be scrambling around trying to roll up their 58 patt bags and get their kit on - me ? I had legs out of the parka in seconds , webbing flung on , and waiting / providing cover to allow the others to get their kit ready.
The benefits of being able to immediately stick your arms out and grab your weapon , legs out and able to move so quickly cannot be overstated.
My wearable sleeping bag was an excellent piece of kit , as an aid to bug out quickly 10/10 , as a sleep system 7/10 , as a parka 8/10.
If you wear layers and goto sleep geared up and ready to run then its 10/10 as a sleep system too.
Bivi bags are fine , personally I didnt like them , we were issued them and tried to get to grips with the whole 'breathable thing - it was 1990 or something and the tech was still relatively new to our battalion , but the guys now swear by them.
I have more experience of the poncho/basha than the bivi bag , poncho/basha good for areas you may be in for a few nights ,bivi-bag for single nights under the stars.
Hammocks ? never used them except on holiday so cant really give an opinion from a survival viewpoint.
German Parka
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