Dutch Army Defence Sleeping Bag System

[Kernowek Scouser]

I was trawling through some army surplus sites and stumbled upon this:
Dutch Army Defence Sleeping Bag System
£64.99
http://www.fu-kit.com/shopimages/products/normal/Austrian modular sleep system fukit 02.jpg
http://www.fu-kit.com/product.php/207/genuine-dutch-army-surplus-2in1-sleeping-bag-system

I've got a bag (and recently a sleep roll) suitable for mild and warm weather, but nothing for brass monkey weather.

I was wondering if any of you have this bag (or have had a go of one) and what your thoughts on it are.

For a penny under £65, it looks a bit of a bargain.

Cheers,

Colin

[Tony1948]

A lot of change for some thing that mite have been Repaired:confused:

[Kernowek Scouser]

It is and anything that costs more than a tenner, usually brings me out in a cold sweat.

But, this does seem a fair bit cheaper than other multi bag set ups I've seen (even second hand ones), so I've been doing a little further investigation.

According to a fella on another forum who has just bought one, this bag is made by a Spanish defence contractor, Fesca and the two bags are copies of the Corintha Defence 4 (http://www.heinnie.com/Survival/Carinthia-Sleeping-Bags/Carinthia-Defence-4/p-484-518-552-3804/) (outer) and Corinthia Tropen (http://www.heinnie.com/Survival/Carinthia-Sleeping-Bags/Carinthia-MCSS-Tropen-Sleeping-Bag/p-484-518-552-3801/) (inner) which would set you back £178.95 and £122.95 respectively (on Heinnie Haynes).

Ok the bags on Fu-kit are second hand and they may, may, have had minor repairs done to them, but if they are decent copies of the Corinthia bags, £65 for the pair does make me think they may be worth a punt at some point in the future.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for more info and post it here accordingly.

[Juanodaxis]

What is the worse thing is going to have wrong, a little bit of sewing? In the end of the day it says small repairs, so if it actually have something repaired it should be more than fine.
BTW, I love the name of the shop, FU.KIT.

[Elektricgypsy]

Who exactly is it that tested the - - values? What criteria did they apply? Meaningless twaddle unless you know this and can relate to it for real. How can you have a "tropical" sleeping bag that works to minus twelve? A sheet sleeping bag is far to hot in the tropics, doesn't make sense. . .
Who exactly was it that slept at minus 55degC? where they in a tent situated in a sheltered hollow, or sleeping on an exposed alter at over five thousand meters in a howling snow storm?
You really need to know these things - or the figures are meaningless.

[comanighttrain]

My sleeping bag fetish demands that i get one.... must resist...

If you get it let me know how it is.

also loving the name of the site!

[Elektricgypsy]

No No - do not resist - enjoy your fetishes - take them right out on the edge!

Tell us what became and betided!

Enjoy Enjoy. . .

[Kernowek Scouser]

My sleeping bag fetish demands that i get one.... must resist...

If you get it let me know how it is.

also loving the name of the site!

I doubt I'll be getting one any time soon, but I may well look at one toward the end of autumn as I'd like to extend my adventuring into the winter months.

The guy on the other furum did a trial of these bags in his garden last night. He says they kept him very warm, but were a little snug fitting with his sleep mat inside the bags. The fella is over six foot tall, so that may well have contributed to the snugness, but he still had a comfortable nights kip.

I must admit, the more I look at this bag system, the more I like it. It does seem to be a good quality copy of a much more expensive pair of bags and comical performance ratings aside, it does seem to be a viable sleeping option for winter time adventuring (and at £65 for two, albeit second hand, bags it seems relatively cheap, considering the price you can pay for a single winter rated bag).

I'm not too bothered about the possibility of buying something that may have had minor repairs made to it, but the main sticking points for me with these bags (and with bags generally) are I don't like having my feet squashed together in a mummy style bag (although the cut in this case does look more generous than other bags) and is a two bag system likely fit comfortably around my chest and shoulders, when most single bags on the market make me feel like I've been wrapped in elastic bands from the elbows up?

I don't know, I may just end up making do with my recently purchased Czech Army Bed Roll (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?2971-Czech-army-bed-roll&p=38909&highlight=czech+army+roll#post38909) and add a duvet into the mix or I may just think 'bugger it, life's too short, spend money while you have it' and get one regardless (I used to fritter away a lot more money than these bags cost, each month on cigarettes and I could use these bags more than once) I don't know.

Decisions, decisions, hmmm....

[Juanodaxis]

I'm not really in need for a winter sleeping bag right now, and I just got my self a Chrysalis 2, but I'm pretty sure I will be looking at this after September, if I haven't got my old -20 bag back by then.

[CanadianMike]

Gonna necro this thread just because I got one of these highly recommended sleep systems, the USGI one, and it's related to this thread. Only tried out for fit, and slept in the green an black bags past two nights indoors, wow!

http://blog.gunfire.pl/en/2010/12/14/modular-sleep-system-review/

[Kernowek Scouser]

How do you find the fit around the your feet and shoulders Mike?

The thought of a very tight fit put me off getting one myself and I eventually plumped for a reasonably roomy army arctic bag instead.

I would still get one of these bag though, if the fit was not too tight.

[Bob W]

Gonna necro this thread just because I got one of these highly recommended sleep systems, the USGI one, and it's related to this thread. Only tried out for fit, and slept in the green an black bags past two nights indoors, wow!

http://blog.gunfire.pl/en/2010/12/14/modular-sleep-system-review/

Looks like just the thing I've been looking for. I've discounted the CABR because of bulk and weight, this thing will split so I could leave certain components at home in summer.

What does it weigh in it's entirety please Mike?

Edit; 2735g so no lightweight!

[CanadianMike]

How do you find the fit around the your feet and shoulders Mike?

The thought of a very tight fit put me off getting one myself and I eventually plumped for a reasonably roomy army arctic bag instead.

I would still get one of these bag though, if the fit was not too tight.

I'm not a huge guy, 6' and 170lbs, wear a size 42" chest but more because I have an overdeveloped back so need the width, I find it so far quite easy to sleep in and can toss and turn fine with it (I changes sides while sleeping). BTW, I got this for $70 plus $48 shipping, great deal!


Looks like just the thing I've been looking for. I've discounted the CABR because of bulk and weight, this thing will split so I could leave certain components at home in summer.

What does it weigh in it's entirety please Mike?

Edit; 2735g so no lightweight!

No, not overly light, is under 10lbs and rather bulky, but consider the fact you can use the modules as needed based upon expected temps, plus you can leave the tent at home..........very flexible and warm. Last night I couldn't sleep and laid in the black bag on the couch watching youtube, was nice and warm, especially around the feet because of the double thickness foot box down there, but wasn't roasting even though I was wearing long underwear and fleece pants. night before I slept on the bed beside my gf in the green patrol bag, naked, best sleep I've had in weeks because it was the perfect temp for my body comfort (I hate the cold, or any cool air touching me). In the summer I find my US poncho liner to the the most amazing thing to sleep under, especially if the ceiling fan is on.

[Kernowek Scouser]

I'm not a huge guy, 6' and 170lbs, wear a size 42" chest but more because I have an overdeveloped back so need the width, I find it so far quite easy to sleep in and can toss and turn fine with it (I changes sides while sleeping). BTW, I got this for $70 plus $48 shipping, great deal!
Sounds promising, I may have to revisit this beg, cheers fella

[CanadianMike]

Keep in mind it does get smaller as you put it together, the bivy is quite roomy by itself, next into it goes the green patrol bag, it's roomy too, but when you add in the black intermediate bag inside the green bag it is smaller inside (basically building up the thickness outside inwards), but the three together is only for extreme cold. Can use the bivy by itself (ebay you can buy each item separately, I'll get another green and bivi), or the other by themselves, or can just just the black bag inside the bivy...... a real mix and match system.

[alvino78]

Gonna necro this thread just because I got one of these highly recommended sleep systems, the USGI one, and it's related to this thread. Only tried out for fit, and slept in the green an black bags past two nights indoors, wow!

http://blog.gunfire.pl/en/2010/12/14/modular-sleep-system-review/
i have one of these .......................TOP NOTCH COMFY AND WARM AS.............................

[wildish64]

Gonna necro this thread just because I got one of these highly recommended sleep systems, the USGI one, and it's related to this thread. Only tried out for fit, and slept in the green an black bags past two nights indoors, wow!

http://blog.gunfire.pl/en/2010/12/14/modular-sleep-system-review/

looks good

any chance of passing on where i could get one and what sort of price range?

[CanadianMike]

eBay has piles of them, prices range from the $70 I paid for a slightly used one up to $200 for a new one. Really have to find the ones that will ship international, many sellers won't ship outside of CONUS.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=300847368475&view=all&tid=774046885020