a new model bag for the troops

NEW MILITARY SLEEP SYSTEM

It has been three plus year’s since the military has placed a solicitation for a sleeping bag system. Recently I received a copy of the solicitation from one of my suppliers asking if I were interested in offing a bid. The answer is no for good reasons; 1- I am much too small a manufacturing company to manufacture in the time frame the need for 50,000 plus sleeping bags systems each year. Each system contains two bags and a bivi bag, and that translates to 100,000 bags and 50,000 bivi bags and 2- I would not make the system according to their specifications.

However, I presently offer one of the bags and the bivi bag on the web site as a standalone product. It is the center zippered Ultra-Light with the snap on bivi bag option. The only part I will have to make is the over bag that can attach to the Ultra-Light and also have it able to attach to the bivi bag as well.

I have been making this bag and bivi for I think 6 years and have sold a fair amount to many of the SFG’s as well as a number of civilians.

My bag differs in certain characteristics; 1- I use a greater amount of insulation, however not much more, because I like to conservatively rate my bags, 2- they are all made with Lamilite so there are no cold spots, while the companies that are going to bid will all offer a quilted bag system. It should be noted that the specifications do say quilted or non-quilted. These companies are unfortunately not interested in offering the best method to use the insulation to its best advantage. The insulation is Climashield the fiber I use to make Lamilite.

I also use the YKK molded tooth zipper with the breakaway feature versus a coil zipper. I have been using the breakaway zipper for a number of years and to my surprise I am still the only sleeping bag manufacturer in the world doing so. I thought at minimum the military would adopt it since I have delivered several thousands of bags to the military with it. You can lead the horse …… etc. As for the coli zipper, they are notorious for breaking.

My bag system will have the two bags joined with a zipper. The bivi bag will attach to either bag with snaps. The placement of the snaps will have the male half on one side of the zipper and the female half on the other side of the zipper. This is done in the event the zipper is damaged and rendered useless, highly unlikely. I have no idea how many thousands of these number 10 molded tooth zippers I have purchase in the 30 years I have been making sleeping bags and the number of damaged zippers is almost none unless the customer has inadvertently done the damage. However, you will always be able to close the bag with the snaps.

While some other companies have made Climashield bags for the military that are quilted they do not duplicate the process of drying the occupant if wet and wearing wet clothing as my bags have demonstrated numerous times over the years. I attribute that to the quilting stitches reducing the loft which means less insulation as well as retaining the moisture along the stitch lines and certainly not using enough fiberfill insulation.

The bag system will be made in the designated military colors of black for the inner bag; the Ultra-Light and coyote brown for the over bag which I believe is what is asked for in the solicitation. If you are in the military it is always best to have the colors issued. All of the materials I use are mil spec so even the materials are military.

This new bag system will probably not be available for issue for at least 6 months is my best guess. I will have my Lamilite insulated version listed on the web site for purchase sometime during this coming week.

An additional advantage from Wiggy’s aside from the fact my system is superior is that each bag will have its own compression stuff sack with one being large enough to hold both bags as well as the bivi which will also have its own stuff sack; not a compression sack as it is not necessary.

You can see the costs for the Military center zip bag and center snap bivi on the web site at this time. I expect the cost for the over bag will most likely be in the $170.00 price range just like the other over bags that fit the standard side zip bags.

I noted there are one or two companies that currently make available the old model military sleep system that has never performed since its inception in 1997, so I now wonder what they will do with any inventory that they have. Best if they donate these bags to summer camps since that is really all they are good for, 60 degrees and up.