Maggots and mosi's!!!

lammasulyon wrote:nice kit there, the arctic sleeping bag id really like to have!

I recall watching some documentary about the Royals in the arctic quite some years ago on an old VCR tape

They were showing the filmmakers how to properly use a arctic sleeping bag- from leaving your boots inside the bag to putting gloves into between your armpits to prevent it from freezing. Very interesting

cant remember what the doco was called- it had a marine named ross crane or craig (???) and few dutch marines in some exercise, and the opening was a drum roll along with a commando dagger...screw my memory

Gulf91 wrote:(one possibly quite special!!!!!!)

Gulf91 wrote:Not a fan of modern British kit Im afraid,love the old school kit and have 3 58 Patt Sleeping bags of which all 3 are different(one possibly quite special!!!!!!)so not sure what different types there are?

Makes a chance from jackets and helmets I guess and can be used,although most of the feathers have vanished out of mine which is understandable given their age and hard life they must have endured.

jaycee wrote:some nice kit you have there gary and ive not heard the term maggots before so ive learned something new i would compare the sleeping bag more to a caterpillar cheers pal james

Easy Gee wrote:

Gulf91 wrote:Not a fan of modern British kit Im afraid,love the old school kit and have 3 58 Patt Sleeping bags of which all 3 are different(one possibly quite special!!!!!!)so not sure what different types there are?

Makes a chance from jackets and helmets I guess and can be used,although most of the feathers have vanished out of mine which is understandable given their age and hard life they must have endured.

Thanks for your comments Rich, I disagree though

Modern sleeping bags can be washed and dried in one day, whereas the old 58 down filled were/are a nightmare to keep clean. I had a 58 back in the day, and threw it away in the end due to it's 'orrible damp smell,and the inability to wash and dry it. And dirty kit like this does not insulate correctly.

Sorry Gary,what I meant was purely as a collector,Modern Brit Kit doesnt get my juices flowing Im afraid but from a practical,useable point of view I agree 100%,the ol dbags are heavy,cumbersome and thats when theyre dry

Ive used one of mine on a few occasions and while it kept me warm and toasty I must have been stabbed 100s of times by them dammn feather stalks/stems(not sure of the correct term) poking through the inside of the bag

Guess back in the day they were a Godsend as I remember my old man saying during his National Service days 53-55 all he had to kip in was his Greatcoat and IF he was lucky a woollen blanket on top

The lightweight sleeping bags are fantastic,pack down small, easy to wash and dry too. Admittedly my Arctic was more difficult ( but a priority wash, as the missus could not put up with the stench emitting from it)

Easy Gee wrote:Rich, I knew where you were coming from, as I respect your collecting hatred of all things S95

Can't imagine having to kip on your greatcoat, good job we've moved on since then

I think the correct terminology for feather fillings is "LOFT", either way I agree that the bloody things sticking in you, when your trying to sleep is not good!!