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It's taken me a while.........90 Arctic Surplus sleeping bag...they work!

lol

lol

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Last year, like the rest of the world years before me it seems, I bought for £20....(now £35 approx.) a British Army 90 synthetic "arctic" sleeping bag, for more serious? nights out, but it was only last night that I got to use it in coldish wet weather with the lavvu.

Again like the rest of the world already knows....but in case someone doesn't......they work, and well. Cold, just above freezing, and raining... 3 cm £8 SIM, T shirt and knickers, warm as a warm thing warmly delivered by warm deliveries. Brilliant for the money......:thumbsup:

Not the lightest nor "compactest", but pulls down well enough in a compression sack, to make it perfectly back packable if that's your thing. With a bivvy perfectly good enough for sub zero temps., and still around at MM for £35. Pretty damn good I reckon :cool:....but warm too!

But y'all know thiso_O???
 
lol said:
Last year, like the rest of the world years before me it seems, I bought for £20....(now £35 approx.) a British Army 90 synthetic "arctic" sleeping bag, for more serious? nights out, but it was only last night that I got to use it in coldish wet weather with the lavvu.

Again like the rest of the world already knows....but in case someone doesn't......they work, and well. Cold, just above freezing, and raining... 3 cm £8 SIM, T shirt and knickers, warm as a warm thing warmly delivered by warm deliveries. Brilliant for the money......:thumbsup:

Not the lightest nor "compactest", but pulls down well enough in a compression sack, to make it perfectly back packable if that's your thing. With a bivvy perfectly good enough for sub zero temps., and still around at MM for £35. Pretty damn good I reckon :cool:....but warm too!

But y'all know thiso_O???
Click to expand...
I can't fault mine mate and I use it in the summer as well, its just a case of pull the zip down
 
Are you Australian? Or am I sleeping upside down????:rofl: I have to pull my zip UP....or should I go in head first???:eek:

Must be hot in the summer? Do you have one of those Czech blanket doobries? Though not backpackable!!
 
lol said:
Do you have one of those Czech blanket doobries? Though not backpackable!!
Click to expand...

i have 1 of the czech bed roll,s ...cant fault it for summer use ...but as you say dont pack down small enough :sad:
 
lol said:
Are you Australian? Or am I sleeping upside down????:rofl: I have to pull my zip UP....or should I go in head first???:eek:

Must be hot in the summer? Do you have one of those Czech blanket doobries? Though not backpackable!!
Click to expand...
OK just for you, in the summer I only half close the zip:lol::lol::lol:
 
If we speak about surplus army sleeping bags, it is necessary to know, that usually they sell the sleeping bags when they lost loft, because a lot of fibres in the filling are broken.

If I carry such a bag around in the car or use it with the boat, that's no Problem. It isn't any longer as warm as it has been, when the army bought it, but it will work and be OK for the price.

But it is in the end of its life time to cold in relation to the weight and packing size, if you compare it even with a cheap sleeping bag from civil production.

For those, who want to go with the ruck sack on hikes and trekking tours a quality sleeping bag, for example the Snugpack Special Forces, is without any doubt the best decision.

In every other point it is easy to save some money with low budget offers and most times army surplus is a very good option. The sleeping bag here is the big exception.
When you can buy it used, in 90% of the cases it is heavily destroyed, but invisible, from inside, in the filling!
 
I have two of the 90 Arctic bags. One for me and one for my granddaughter. Absolutely superb bags. Yes they are used but they do not appear to have lost any loft and they have both washed well being synthetic. Last year I was out in minus 11 degrees and except for my nose I was very warm.
 
divebuddy said:
Short warm wash in the machine and then dried outside in the sunshine.
Click to expand...
A normal domestic machine? Didn't think it would go in.... Someone said somewhere use soap, not detergent????
 
Ah, no!
You can wasch such a bag with normal detergent. It is better than washing it with soap.
(Only down bags need a special treatment, and tarps made from silicon nylon.)

You only should be a bit care full by spin drying it, because this can brake the fibres if you use a to high speed.

And don't use fabric softener!
It doesn't destroy the bag, but it would reduce the function, how it is with every other equipment too.

In the tumbler you shouldn't heat it to much. That is dangerous for every younger sleeping bag made from plastics somehow.
 
Not mine alas!! I'm told ...6kg:( Oh well.........

Whilst this seems to be diverting to washing...
these bags are filled with Holofil, now superceded as a synthetic fill, I believe.
However, after extensive (!) searching last year, most recommend a cool long wash, but not with household powders (detergents). No spinning...?.. A cool tumble dry, and then along hanging out?

or careful washing by hand in the bath, umpteen rinses, and then hang out. Don't squeeze or twist for one needs to keep the fibres as long as possible?
I may have to try the latter,,,,,,,,,,,,,:oopsy:
 
Well I reckon my arctic bag is duff.
This weekend in the tent I was on my camp bed with 2 insulated foam mats, bivvy bag, acrtic bag, liner bag, jumper, t-shirt, thermals, wool socks and hat and I was cold. Temp was probably -1 or -2C.
Wore my trousers also the next 2 nights and was acceptably warm (just) but it shouldn't take so much as I generally am a cold sleeper.
 
Theoretically that may be right. But as I wrotebefore, the fibres in a army surplus bag are just broken.
A sleeping bag like that I would simply throwvin a Washing machine, choose 40*C and wash it with standard detergent.
Tumbler at middle temperature an go!

Inside that filling you usually have around 30*C when you sleep in. 40*C it should survive!

Bundeswehr Bags you can wash at 60*C. But this isn't normal for cheap Sleeping Bags from Aldi , Lidl and so on.

Apropos sizes of washing machines some thing like the Snugpack Special Forces sleeping bag system allowes to deasemble the heavy duty winter sleeping bag in two parts!
Easyer to wasch and faster to dry on the washing line!
 
G1ZmO said:
Well I reckon my arctic bag is duff.
This weekend in the tent I was on my camp bed with 2 insulated foam mats, bivvy bag, acrtic bag, liner bag, jumper, t-shirt, thermals, wool socks and hat and I was cold. Temp was probably -1 or -2C.
Wore my trousers also the next 2 nights and was acceptably warm (just) but it shouldn't take so much as I generally am a cold sleeper.
Click to expand...


Bloimey.....as Erbswurst says, I think yours has become an ex bag and is no more:(:crying::sad:

Years ago, like late 70's, my partner and I shelled out a FORTUNE then on two Blacks of Greenock Highland bags, advertised as being good enough to sleep outside in snow...obviously synthetic. They were good...are good....so well made that they are still used and look mint.......but.....everyone jumped on the idea that you can happily wash synthetic bags without a care in those days...so we did. Often. And now these beautiful bags, are summer use only on the boat as spare bedding...... Otherwise if camping...smaller boat, a canoe; my partner now puts hers inside my larger bag to combine............:sad:
 
The compression bags are killing them too!

May bee, that is reason No 1.


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