CDN issue Sleeping Bags

[jjronnie]

I'm looking to get some feedback on down vs synthetic sleeping bags. A lot of hikers seem to fear down sleeping bags because of the chance they might get damp or wet. However, I was wondering if you guys in the military who have used and abused the CDN issue sleeping bag ever experienced problems getting their sleeping bags wet or damp enough to get cold? Also, what's the coldest temp you've used the bag?

 

[PuckChaser]

I've personally used the sleeping bag at -40C in Petawawa during the winter, and there are some folks floating around here that have completed an advanced Winter Warfare course in the arctic with their issued sleeping bags and not have the luxury of tents and lanterns who can still count to 20 using their fingers and toes.

 

[dapaterson]

I've personally used the sleeping bag at -40C in Petawawa during the winter, and there are some folks floating around here that have completed an advanced Winter Warfare course in the arctic with their issued sleeping bags and not have the luxury of tents and lanterns who can still count to 20 using their fingers and toes.

Mind you, you can count to 20 on five digits if you use binary...

 

[Michael OLeary]

Actually, there's no "20" in a binary system.  There is in a Base-3 system, but you'd need six fingers.  ;D

1) 1
2) 2
3) 10
4) 11
5) 12
6) 20
7) 21
8 ) 22
9) 100
10) 101

 

[Franko]

The coldest I've ever been in was -67C and they worked great. Keep them dry and you'll be fine.

Regards

 

[chrisf]

To the original poster...

We in the forces currently have the luxury of having a goretex bivvy bag issued with our own sleeping bags... these things are quite possibly the most appreciated piece of kit I've ever been issued...

Living on the east coast, and suffering through not extreme cold, I've quite literally gone to sleep on snow, and woke up floating on slush. The down bag will keep you toasty warm, the goretex bivvy bag will keep you dry, there's the trick.

 

[JBoyd]

Actually, there's no "20" in a binary system.  There is in a Base-3 system, but you'd need six fingers.  ;D

Well 20 is represented as 10100 in Binary, perhaps that is what he was referring to by 5 digits?