Is the US military extreme cold sleeping bag a good choice for a sub zero camping bag?

April 28th, 2010 | by admin |

I am 135 lbs and have trouble staying warm in my 25 degree mummy bag when backpacking in the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness. I am willing to put 300-400 dollars into a top of the line cold weather sleeping bag but was wondering if the us mil issue bag is any good for temps around 0- to -20 degrees.
(assuming that I have a good ground pad and tent already.)


  1. 5 Responses to “Is the US military extreme cold sleeping bag a good choice for a sub zero camping bag?”

  2. By BeachBum818 on Apr 28, 2010 | Reply

    I wouldn’t go with the military gear for backpacking or hiking because they’re usually really really heavy, I would check out top of the line backpacking or expedition down sleeping bags. Backpacker.com actually just did a great review on th ebest cold weather bags. I usually buy my gear from backcountry.com because they have a no questions asked return policy. So if you buy a bag and it doesnt keep you warkm just send it back for a refund or you can use it and pay the difference for an upgraded bag. Theres no questions asked so its great for trying out gear and then returning it.

    I`m not disagreeing about them being very warm but that warmth comes in a bulky and heavy package. I`m just suggesting there are more compact and lighter models out there that are just as warm. Why sacrifice 1/2 your pack space for a sleeping bag?

  3. By Wayner on Apr 28, 2010 | Reply

    As others have pointed out…military gear tends to be on the heavy side.

    BUT…their down bags are awesome and definitely keep you warm.

    You can definitely get a down Army bag on eBay for around $50-100.

    I had one in Scouts when I was a kid and it worked GREAT.

  4. By gs on Apr 28, 2010 | Reply

    You have to cut and try. After all you are looking for your own not the average comfort. I’d experiment with more layers and/or more padding under. I found that by pre warming with a hot water bottle and a good head covering makes a big difference.

  5. By Unknown Truth on Apr 28, 2010 | Reply

    Although everyone is telling you that the mil issued is too heavy, I have LOTS of experience with it, and trust me, it is the package you are looking for. It come in 3 layers, a gortex outer shell, a heavy black bag, and a lighter green one. put the green one in the black one, the black one in the gortex, and you will sleep like a baby. Something else you might consider is taking a pillow with you. This is all bulky but, the sleeping system comes with a convienant stuff sack that can drawn up tight to reduce size. As for as keeping warm, you just can’t beat it.

  6. By Roadrunner58-79 on Apr 28, 2010 | Reply

    Yes, I have one and it is good and doesn’t weigh
    much, especially when you are hiking in the mountains.

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