Poncho Liner as a sleeping bag liner?

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by LibraryLady

I thought you were an officer and a gentleman; guess a gentleman by an Act of Congress only...

they quit doing that...by the time i was commissioned in '79, we were just officers...the ladies in the class seemed to appreciated the gesture...

[The Old Guy]

I cannot not count the nights I spent sleeping in a poncho and poncho liner. Clear nights, rain, snow, sleet or hail all in a poncho liner and poncho. If it was real cold then I'd double up the poncho liner and curl up tight. I never slept well but I did get some rest.

I love my poncho liner and poncho.

[CSB]

This is very much an individual preference item, it depends on the weather and how you sleep.

My $0.02 worth:

Stick the poncho liner in the bag. If it's cold, pull it up for an an additional layer of warmth and padding. If it gets too hot and you're sweating, kick it down to the bottom. Anyway, for short guys like me (5' 7 1/2") it helps fill the bottom of the bag so your feet don't get cold. And you can stuff your morning c-ration in the excess padding in the bottom so it won't freeze when sleeping in the snow. The extra padding cushions the lumpiness.

[Peregrino]

Beg, borrow, steal, or break down and buy a better sleeping bag! Get the right tool for the job. This isn't the Army of "chicken feather OD green mummy bags that need all the help they can get" any more. Your sleeping system should be good enough that you're not even carrying a poncho liner in cold weather. I know we've all got fond memories of poncho liners but technology has moved on - there's better stuff available to the soldier to improve quality of life. And the Army even issues some of it nowdays. For the same weight/bulk as a poncho liner, the Gore-Tex bivy sack adds much more utility to a sleeping bag. TR's comment about the fleece liner is GTG too. I would much rather have a fleece blanket/liner than a poncho liner. Fleece + bivy make a great summer bag. Bivy + bag + liner should be GTG anywhere in the temperate zone. (And I'm cold-blooded; I need/use all the insulation I can get.) My .02 - Peregrino

[Pete]

Just a side note since this is a "sleeping" thread.

Gortex covers, cool weather and extended periods in the field with lots of movement. Packing up quick and little time to care/air out/dry gear.

In cold weather the moisture from your body will move through the bag and condense on the inside of the Gortex cover and freeze into a thin layer of frost. Jump up, pack the bag and the moisture will melt back into the bag. It's not a lot but can lead to a damp feeling when you first get back in. This is no problem with man made materials but can build up in goose down bags.

I would not use my Gortex cover unless it was raining or it got really cold.

Besides then you could say "It didn't get that cold, I didn't have to use my Gortex cover".

Pete

Taught the secret to staying warm by a Ranger years ago.

One very cold morning after a very long cold night and our teeth are chattering in the pre dawn light my buddy, a long time ranger, looks over at me and says "You want me to teach you the Ranger way to stay warm?". Of course I say "Yes!". He stands up straight, throws his shoulders back, shakes his head a bit and says "It's not cold." He stands there for a few seconds with me looking at him and then we both started laughing. Yes, we were warm for a few moments. That technique has worked for me many a time since then.

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Warrior-Mentor

Maybe with a tight spoon in effect.

That falls under the classification of "don't ask, don't tell"

[sg1987]

Originally Posted by Snaquebite

. No need for the head hole IMO.
.

Yeah but the holes work great for filling the bag with snow for the soldier who has difficulty waking up in the field!

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

Get the right tool for the job. This isn't the Army of "chicken feather OD green mummy bags that need all the help they can get" any more. Your sleeping system should be good enough that you're not even carrying a poncho liner in cold weather. I know we've all got fond memories of poncho liners but technology has moved on - there's better stuff available to the soldier to improve quality of life. And the Army even issues some of it nowdays.

Absolutely. Like most I have fond memories of the poncho liner and got mine in the 60's before they screwed it up. Still have it, still use it around home, and took it to my couple of months I spent going thru some physical rehab at the VA to wrap around me when I went outside in my wheel chair. Told the nurses when they came to get me that I was camouflaged and that they should just let me be

Anyway, Peregrino is absolutely correct about the fact that the Army actually issues some of this stuff. Most of the stuff that Natick takes credit for actually came from another organization that brought what most of you wear today into the military. It was bought off the shelf from many of the out door companies many of you use, modified under contract to meet, for the most part, SOF requirements, it was SOF tested, and modified to meet troops stated requirements. Because this organization was limited to support of SOF and normally only a small segment of SOF with limited funds many items of the good stuff that was suitable for Army wide use was handed off to Natick. Of course, Natick as is normal for them, has modified a lot of it and for the most part screwed the pooch on many of the items' original design or intent. Some of the older folks here will remember the entire litinany of sleep bags, my "favorite" being Naticks's Extreme Cold Weather Bag for which the larger rucksack had to be developed because it "extremely" filled anything else. This damn thing was so clumbsy that when conventional troops used the old sleeping bag carrier and strapped it to the top of their rucks it would drive their head into the dirt if they had to hit the prone position making them unable to engage the bad guys. No, there is a lot of good stuff out there, however a word of caution is in order before you all try your next good idea and that has to do with Line of Duty investigations. You decide that you have a better piece of equipment than the Army has issued and get screwed up with some injury or disease in the process that is debilitatiing or results in a medical discharge, used to be that you bought the farm as it was caused by actions you decided to take that was considered not in the line of duty. The reasoning used to be pretty simple and that was if you knew the limitations of the equipment then you knew the limitations for the troops. Sort of common sense approach to leadership responsibilities.

[CDRODA396]

Originally Posted by CSB

And you can stuff your morning c-ration in the excess padding in the bottom so it won't freeze when sleeping in the snow. The extra padding cushions the lumpiness.

CSB, you're showing your age with this slip...half of those reading this are scratching their head and thinking aloud..."c-ration...does he mean sea ration...and if so why would you stick those in a fart sack?"

[x SF med]

Since we stripped C's down prior to the field - and stuffed the cans into socks (Wool, Green, OD, pr) they were handy - but those cans were still cold through the itchy green wool for about 1/2 an hour after crawling into the bag....

[sg1987]

I’m wondering why this info wasn’t passed down to the cherries. (Must have been intentional for entertainment)I ate some frozen c-rats before I learned my lesson.

[x SF med]

At least that way, the Ham and Mofo's were tasteless, as was the Eggs, Chopped with Ham. Neither was in my favorite meals category.

[Air.177]

Counter hijack -

Does anyone have any experience with Silk Sleeping bag liners like those offered by Snugpak?

Speaking of better quality new equipment, I picked up a Big Agnes Bag and pad from SHOT and I have been quite happy with it. Only downside is that the bag must be used with the pad, as there is a pocket on the bottom that the pad fits in to that has no insulation.

Good times,
blake

[Huey14]

I have a goretex bivvy bag and I must say it is the best piece of kit I have ever bought. Bar none. (Note civvie).

Lighter than a tent doing the same thing, you can chuck things in there you don't want to get wet and apparently you can use them to float your shit across rivers and things. I've never tried that and I have no idea how it's done but my mate reckons it works well.

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Warrior-Mentor

Maybe with a tight spoon in effect.

Hey WM what happens TDY stays TDY.

Woobies are great in a sleeping bag, I use mine typically as a pillow. If I get cold for some reason, -10 bag, I can pull it down as needed. I have a zippered woobies, I just use it when I don't need a sleeping bag.

Save your money and do it yourself or at a local sew shop. Going the Ranger Joes is just extra $$.

VG