MY 3 piece military bag doesn't keep me warm at about 30 degrees??

**DAVISDESIGNS** · 08-08-2011, 01:29

MY 3 piece military bag doesn't keep me warm at about 30 degrees??

it has two bags and a gortex bive cover, should I ditch the bags asn get something with down?

PS sleeping in my skivvies..

**Gary_R** · 08-08-2011, 01:43

Originally Posted by DAVISDESIGNS

MY 3 piece military bag doesn't keep me warm at about 30 degrees??

it has two bags and a gortex bive cover, should I ditch the bags asn get something with down?

PS sleeping in my skivvies..

An Underquilt will make all the Difference! Its amazing.

**Ears** · 08-08-2011, 02:03

its because of the compression your body does when cradled in a hammock, its not just the bottom being shut down and needing a pad, its all the pressure area touching you, thats why the SPE segmented pad extendors exsists. underquilts conform to the hammock while providing an air pocket (within the down, as well as the snugness of the body) to prevent conduction loss. a windscrean (an underquilt shaped liner) will act as the bivy sac providing warmth and element protection. or you could use the pads. thats what im doing atm.

**default** · 08-08-2011, 02:48

just one question...where are you that its 30* and can i come?

**gargoyle** · 08-08-2011, 06:55

Originally Posted by REV

just one question...where are you that its 30* and can i come?

I was thinking the same thing!

Underquilt or a pad will solve almost all insulation problems.
Down or synthetic uq's provide the loft needed. Once you get the bottom insulation figured out, you can get by with less on top, so there can be some weight savings.

**Lonely Raven** · 08-08-2011, 08:10

Agreed. Military bags are nice, and work well for ground dwelling, but you can get so much lighter and warmer with *less* gear. Though is is an investment.

**Trooper** · 08-08-2011, 08:26

A pad will make the sleeping bag work properly. But, a good underquilt can keep you warm enough so you can get away with a lighter bag on top. I've slept in 30°F temperatures with an underquilt and I had to keep venting the top insulation. The importance of bottom insulation can't be stressed enough.

**Owl** · 08-08-2011, 09:45

Originally Posted by Lonely Raven

Agreed. Military bags are nice, and work well for ground dwelling, but you can get so much lighter and warmer with *less* gear. Though is is an investment.

I'm going to be putting this to the test this fall for sure.

I'm ex-military, and have been using the same basic gear for decades. There's a lot of comfort in knowing your equipment inside and out.

However...this summer I've been investing in (and been given birthday/father's day presents) lighter gear. Dropped my Army Large Rucksack and frame for an Osprey Kestrel backpack. Swapped my military ICW bag out for a much newer/lighter 20* mummy bag.

Now I'm just waiting for the temperatures to drop to a point where I can truly test and compare the differences/improvements. Absolutely lighter and less bulky...now I'm hoping to find that it all performs as well or better than what I used before.

**DAVISDESIGNS** · 08-08-2011, 11:12

Sorry...........
Forgot to mention i was sleeping on a air-mattress on the ground, haven't received my Black bird yet.

Also i noticed when the bivy cover gets damp during the early morning
and my head is under the flap, it doesn't allow enough oxygen to pass.

@REV
Sierra Nevada mountain range, still snow around... but it only drops low in the early morning

**FLRider** · 08-08-2011, 11:18

Originally Posted by Owl

I'm going to be putting this to the test this fall for sure.

I'm ex-military, and have been using the same basic gear for decades. There's a lot of comfort in knowing your equipment inside and out.

However...this summer I've been investing in (and been given birthday/father's day presents) lighter gear. Dropped my Army Large Rucksack and frame for an Osprey Kestrel backpack. Swapped my military ICW bag out for a much newer/lighter 20* mummy bag.

Now I'm just waiting for the temperatures to drop to a point where I can truly test and compare the differences/improvements. Absolutely lighter and less bulky...now I'm hoping to find that it all performs as well or better than what I used before.

It probably will. A lot of weight in the issue equipment is reinforcement of some sort or another. Remember, stresses on equipment in combat are likely to be a lot higher than when simply walking down a mostly-cleared trail. This means that military equipment is often overbuilt for normal hiking use.