The USMC bivvy/sleep system is just the newest version (10+ years old) of Tennier's updated MSS that for the longest time only the Marines were buying. The army only recently started acquiring them to replace the mountain of UCP bags they bought. The bivy is bother nicer (you can close it and not suffocate) and worse (it is very narrow). The bags are pretty much the same except the patrol bag (warm weather) is coyote and the intermediate (cold) is black. Officially the entire system is four pieces just like the old ones but from what I've seen of recent arrivals' CIF hauls is the employees there have this nasty habit of only giving them the summer bag, the bivy, and an ancient UCP era stuff sack with broken buckles. They then freeze their dicks off in the winter time and wonder why the army hates them.
The new bags are noticably warmer than the old ones and weigh just about as much but I couldn't tell you if that's because they've gone to a new, more efficient insulation (it's probably still climashield apex or primaloft whatever just like it was back in 2010) or because they're new and they've still got some loft because they haven't been thrown in an industrial washer and dryer a hundred times yet.
I do appreciate you doing your part to help educate people that may never get it otherwise. It is time consuming and doesn't pay anything. Keep going as long as possible
I swore by pack light and freeze at night. A bivy sack and poncho liner is what I used 94.3% of the time. In Jan-Feb I packed a light sleeping bag with poncho and bivy. Waffle top and bottoms with decent socks.
Can't say I agree about the radio situation, but the rest is spot on! My AO has extreme temp swings, and weather in general (Tornado sirens just turned off about an hour ago). Typically a winter for me is going to be the 20s and teens, but can definitely dip below 0 on occasion. I'm a firm believer in a high r value pad, and a quilt. The underside of a sleeping bag does absolutely nothing by the time your bodyweight compresses it. Wasted space and weight.
Great video! I bet many are impressed with your minimum winter load - I am! It's good to know through experience what works for you so you don't have to refinance the house to buy trendy winter gear. The 'one pack' principal is a damn good method too!
19:42 Solid knowledge transfer brother me living in the south in North Carolina our winters aren't as harsh as most still have to have some warming layers and warm sleep equipment ..
This kit clearly illustrates the difference between the lower "warm" states and Canada when it comes to sleeping gear. Just last week it was south of -40 Celcius in my AO and any cold camping in those temperatures can be playing Russian Roulette even with a good sleep system. Crossfire makes great packs but that little bag wouldn't cut it packed like that in an actual cold climate during winter.
@@turtlewolfpack6061 yeah this is for cold WEATHER not cold climates lol. Definitely need more than this to even make it overnight where I live today. It's 0F and we have snow!
@turtlewolfpack6061 I'd say we have 10-15 days a year with snow actually on the ground. Sometimes it really hangs around as you know. But we usually get a melt sometime in Winter
@LFAnon this winter we have seen positive temperatures in December, which isn't common but not unusual. Usually we have about two to three feet of snow pack for about four months and can see 30 degree temperature fluctuations in twenty four hours.
@8:00 With the Camelbaks / Platypus: you can get insulated covers for them and insulated hose. But I still carry a metal canteen in winter along with it. Btw, beans & rice = type A blood, by chance?
I'm a little guy and always find myself cold, swapping to winter-time in my ruck is a constant war of items. It is SOO important to USE the pack, even for a short weekend. Make mental notes of the gear that is used and the gear that even if its cool/luxury, is it worth the weight. OH! and i appreciate your "stuff it in" mentality, it took me a LONG time to realize that folding/rolling/positioning looks great for video's but really leaves a LOT of small pockets of unused space in your bag.
Wool shirts are amazing. Wool base layer, polyester on top to make sure you're evaporating your sweat outside rather than keeping it in, then a water repellent shell is really all that's needed. Obviously we know feet and hands and head expell a lot of body heat, so keep your wool socks nearby. Make sure you have ways to add warmth to your arteries! A little goes a long way. Femoral artery area and wrist are good to cover, as well as obviously your neck. A scarf that's wool blend, maybe two will save your ass in 99.9 percent of situations.
I use the Helikon Tex Swagman Poncho as a liner for my sleeping bag. I think it prob ads 10-15 degrees of comfort on top of the MSS Summer bag and Biv that are my usual goto. In very cold weather I usually opt not for more sleeping bag but more sleeping pad. I spent some time in ND and I used the EWCS + Swagman + MSS Green Bag and Biv down well into the cold cold just by using a full tent and having 2 sleeping pads. Thermarest NeoAir + a Zfold USMC sleep pad for around an R value of 9ish. That for me most of the time in the deep cold of ND was plenty when I was in the field. Now that I am on the east coast though I think just the summer stuff will do year round likely as the south doesnt get that cold where I am now.
@@LFAnon Dude, They are the thing that has me looking so hard at the hill people gear seraph. Its a real nice thing to have cause it is waterproof and so for wet weather I love having something like that I can zip up around me while wearing my gear still. Keeps my sleeping bag cleaner as I tend to believe that you should doff as little as you can and still be able to rack out somewhat comfortable.
@@TackshooterOG in my limited experience with them Hill People Gear makes excellent stuff. Im the same way, if we are working id prefer to just leave most everything on and cover up to rest. If I am 'camping', fuck that Im gonna be comfy and sleep good. But lightfighter aint luxury.
Ive got a swagman basic. Little heavier duty than a poncho liner and a bit narrow but it works out quite nicely. Mid to low 40s easy. Ive also got one of Dave's forrester quilts from pathfinder. Its a bit bigger and i can get it down to freezing with no layers. I havent had them both together through a winter yet, i know they feel quite oppressive for fall, so im interested to see how they do in winter.
I think you have a great setup. Where I'm at, temps often get down to -20F with wind chills at -40F or lower. Worst I remember was -60F. I wasn't actually in that weather that few days. I was in a house. But key point: I use more than the Crossfire (ALICE large). But after some years, my load looks similar enough to yours. Not as cool though. And I have froze my nuts off failing to carry enough for sleeping. So many times. So many frozen nuts. So that is my big difference. Excellent as always. And I'm always learning.
thats fucked up cold lol! My bud who trained with the Estonians talked about the big difference between wet cold and dry cold. We dont have dry cold here, thank god.
As far as canteens go steel is definitely the way to go especially something with a wider mouth which helps for cooking/eating purposes among other things.
@@LFAnon I haven't invested in a titanium canteen yet, I hear alot of people are switching over to it though, and there's already quite a few companies making them, any recommendations?
@@G.W-01 most of all Ti in the world comes out of russia. So you are going to get a Chinese product almost no matter what. They are all very competitive, buy whatever is the best price on Amazon that has the pieces you want!
Congrats on your full time content creating. Canteens and filters are a moot point from this point on. As the sun drops below the horizon, not to return until next year. The big freeze. A large billy pot to melt snow is about the only option for liquid water. Your winter pack is like my summer pack.
LOL I printed out the complete mechanic manual and have been workin on it for fun for years... LOL... Honestly, the thing just runs great! I've never had a breakdown and that diesel engine just runs and runs! LOL
No jerven fjellduken? Cool kit your shoulder holster for you 19x is super cool what brand/model is it? Also don’t sleep on a hill people gear mountain serape. I’ve had one for 6 years and it’s still going strong and is an excellent piece of kit.
Regarding the packing of your sleep system / clothes, why not just get a larger pack for the colder seasons? Aren't you concerned about being able to tear down your sleeping area quickly in the event of taking contact? Or is your plan to simply grab the essential gear and ditch the rest?
Why would I get a larger ruck when I can obviously fit everything I need in this ruck? This is the same method I follow to pack summer weight items, it only takes second longer with heavier stuff, and you can do it much faster than folding or rolling. And yeah. If I take hard contact at the same location I chose to sleep. Don't worry about any of this shit and just win the fight, or run away bravely. Get new shit later.
@LFAnon All fair points. I was mentioning a larger ruck for ease of packing. Granted, you took more time to pack since you were demonstrating how you do it. I'm sure heat of the moment, and with practice, repacking everything would go faster. My own personal preference would have a slightly larger ruck that would allow me to throw everything into it, at random, and just move - no stuffing or finessing required.
In the Marines, we'd sleep with our camel backs so they wouldn't freeze. Bivvy, hydration, black bag, patrol bag. Boots get thrown in the bivvy too, as well as any damp uniforms.
i live in the great white north , i use a lot of usgi surplus winter gear and it works quite well. winter gear is expensive , the surp works good and if you learn how to layer and manage moisture in the cold you can really get a lot of performance out of the surplus gear. no need to spend thousands on expensive gear. sleeping bags and clothing.
Ive been on a lookout for a good quality bivvy that has some room in it for me a poncho liner and wool blanket as i am not a small guy and everything i see is narrow and $100+
Im really curious as to why you put the tarp in the bottom of the pack? I keep it in the top or outside of the pack because when I need shelter I need it fast. If its raining I dont wanna pull out all my things onto the ground to be able to deploy my shelter, if you know what I mean.
@@LFAnon If we were talking smuggling, I wouldn't suggest ruining it by putting it in water :D For others that might read this, only do this if its sterilised. The alcohol actually promotes parasite growth. It feeds them.
That is a reproduction made by a chinnese company i believe, Teesar. I believe optics planet still has a few remaining. They are actually a TRUE OD, meaning in certain light they look green, in other brown. Best colored gear I own.
@@LFAnon Thanks, wow hard to find in stock. I'm happy to see the weather cooling down and you not sweating so much in these videos brother! It was stressing me out that you were going to fall out!
For water in the winter I was thinking of wearing my camelback with my 2nd layer and having my m65 jacket & liner to insulate. Haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, but maybe this winter I can. Does anyone have any experience with this method? Good idea or shitty idea?
The USMC bivvy/sleep system is just the newest version (10+ years old) of Tennier's updated MSS that for the longest time only the Marines were buying. The army only recently started acquiring them to replace the mountain of UCP bags they bought.
The bivy is bother nicer (you can close it and not suffocate) and worse (it is very narrow). The bags are pretty much the same except the patrol bag (warm weather) is coyote and the intermediate (cold) is black. Officially the entire system is four pieces just like the old ones but from what I've seen of recent arrivals' CIF hauls is the employees there have this nasty habit of only giving them the summer bag, the bivy, and an ancient UCP era stuff sack with broken buckles. They then freeze their dicks off in the winter time and wonder why the army hates them.
great info... pinned sir!
The new bags are noticably warmer than the old ones and weigh just about as much but I couldn't tell you if that's because they've gone to a new, more efficient insulation (it's probably still climashield apex or primaloft whatever just like it was back in 2010) or because they're new and they've still got some loft because they haven't been thrown in an industrial washer and dryer a hundred times yet.
Sandbags! The one thing that let's me know this is someone who gets it, good job and great video
I do appreciate you doing your part to help educate people that may never get it otherwise. It is time consuming and doesn't pay anything. Keep going as long as possible
This is my favorite time of year to get out and do stuff, whether rucking, camping or ftx. 😁
I swore by pack light and freeze at night. A bivy sack and poncho liner is what I used 94.3% of the time. In Jan-Feb I packed a light sleeping bag with poncho and bivy. Waffle top and bottoms with decent socks.
Last of the Mohicans has such a great soundtrack. Good choice
@@abebrazil4309 shhh don't tell UA-cam it's actually copyright lol
Metal canteen or a canteen cup with lid. Put the lid on the bottom with a wash cloth over it to prevent noise.
Glossed over your heresy of cotton socks.
Can't say I agree about the radio situation, but the rest is spot on!
My AO has extreme temp swings, and weather in general (Tornado sirens just turned off about an hour ago). Typically a winter for me is going to be the 20s and teens, but can definitely dip below 0 on occasion. I'm a firm believer in a high r value pad, and a quilt. The underside of a sleeping bag does absolutely nothing by the time your bodyweight compresses it. Wasted space and weight.
Lmao that first clip bit cracked me up😅
Awsome brother, didn't expect to get this vid so soon, but im glad it got uploaded.
I've been putting this one together for a little bit longer. Trying to fuzzy the lines with fun intros/copyright rules.
gorgeous backpack.
@@nickgomez6272 they make super good shit!
Great video! I bet many are impressed with your minimum winter load - I am! It's good to know through experience what works for you so you don't have to refinance the house to buy trendy winter gear. The 'one pack' principal is a damn good method too!
19:42 Solid knowledge transfer brother me living in the south in North Carolina our winters aren't as harsh as most still have to have some warming layers and warm sleep equipment ..
Need to start repacking mine for winter.
Got a few more weeks than me down there!
This kit clearly illustrates the difference between the lower "warm" states and Canada when it comes to sleeping gear. Just last week it was south of -40 Celcius in my AO and any cold camping in those temperatures can be playing Russian Roulette even with a good sleep system.
Crossfire makes great packs but that little bag wouldn't cut it packed like that in an actual cold climate during winter.
@@turtlewolfpack6061 yeah this is for cold WEATHER not cold climates lol. Definitely need more than this to even make it overnight where I live today. It's 0F and we have snow!
@LFAnon judging from the exclamation mark I presume snow is a rare commodity there?
@turtlewolfpack6061 I'd say we have 10-15 days a year with snow actually on the ground. Sometimes it really hangs around as you know. But we usually get a melt sometime in Winter
@LFAnon this winter we have seen positive temperatures in December, which isn't common but not unusual. Usually we have about two to three feet of snow pack for about four months and can see 30 degree temperature fluctuations in twenty four hours.
@8:00 With the Camelbaks / Platypus: you can get insulated covers for them and insulated hose. But I still carry a metal canteen in winter along with it. Btw, beans & rice = type A blood, by chance?
yeah i bet they would love to sell me more junk lol
Awesome. I love going outside in the winter. Less audience to see me larping inna woods
You look exhausted from all that stuffing! 😅good video thank you!
stuffing..... ya mother all night!!!! ohhh burn
I'm a little guy and always find myself cold, swapping to winter-time in my ruck is a constant war of items. It is SOO important to USE the pack, even for a short weekend. Make mental notes of the gear that is used and the gear that even if its cool/luxury, is it worth the weight. OH! and i appreciate your "stuff it in" mentality, it took me a LONG time to realize that folding/rolling/positioning looks great for video's but really leaves a LOT of small pockets of unused space in your bag.
Wool shirts are amazing. Wool base layer, polyester on top to make sure you're evaporating your sweat outside rather than keeping it in, then a water repellent shell is really all that's needed. Obviously we know feet and hands and head expell a lot of body heat, so keep your wool socks nearby. Make sure you have ways to add warmth to your arteries! A little goes a long way. Femoral artery area and wrist are good to cover, as well as obviously your neck. A scarf that's wool blend, maybe two will save your ass in 99.9 percent of situations.
I use the Helikon Tex Swagman Poncho as a liner for my sleeping bag. I think it prob ads 10-15 degrees of comfort on top of the MSS Summer bag and Biv that are my usual goto. In very cold weather I usually opt not for more sleeping bag but more sleeping pad. I spent some time in ND and I used the EWCS + Swagman + MSS Green Bag and Biv down well into the cold cold just by using a full tent and having 2 sleeping pads. Thermarest NeoAir + a Zfold USMC sleep pad for around an R value of 9ish. That for me most of the time in the deep cold of ND was plenty when I was in the field. Now that I am on the east coast though I think just the summer stuff will do year round likely as the south doesnt get that cold where I am now.
many times i have thought about buying one of those swagmans
@@LFAnon Dude, They are the thing that has me looking so hard at the hill people gear seraph. Its a real nice thing to have cause it is waterproof and so for wet weather I love having something like that I can zip up around me while wearing my gear still. Keeps my sleeping bag cleaner as I tend to believe that you should doff as little as you can and still be able to rack out somewhat comfortable.
@@TackshooterOG in my limited experience with them Hill People Gear makes excellent stuff.
Im the same way, if we are working id prefer to just leave most everything on and cover up to rest. If I am 'camping', fuck that Im gonna be comfy and sleep good.
But lightfighter aint luxury.
@@LFAnon "If you are not hurting you're prob dead and you just dont know it"
Ive got a swagman basic. Little heavier duty than a poncho liner and a bit narrow but it works out quite nicely. Mid to low 40s easy. Ive also got one of Dave's forrester quilts from pathfinder. Its a bit bigger and i can get it down to freezing with no layers. I havent had them both together through a winter yet, i know they feel quite oppressive for fall, so im interested to see how they do in winter.
I think you have a great setup. Where I'm at, temps often get down to -20F with wind chills at -40F or lower. Worst I remember was -60F. I wasn't actually in that weather that few days. I was in a house.
But key point: I use more than the Crossfire (ALICE large). But after some years, my load looks similar enough to yours. Not as cool though. And I have froze my nuts off failing to carry enough for sleeping. So many times. So many frozen nuts. So that is my big difference.
Excellent as always. And I'm always learning.
thats fucked up cold lol!
My bud who trained with the Estonians talked about the big difference between wet cold and dry cold. We dont have dry cold here, thank god.
@@LFAnon I don't think I'm as far North as Estonia? I bet they would laugh at me.
Thank you again for your work and sharing your experience!
Important point to bring up cheers
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
I would replace one of the blankets with a level 7 top or bottom. Keeps the heat closer to you and will help dry out wet layers.
I lost my level 7s long ago. IF I need it stuff a coat in the lid.
As far as canteens go steel is definitely the way to go especially something with a wider mouth which helps for cooking/eating purposes among other things.
you will pry my titanium from my cold dead hands
@@LFAnon I haven't invested in a titanium canteen yet, I hear alot of people are switching over to it though, and there's already quite a few companies making them, any recommendations?
@@G.W-01 most of all Ti in the world comes out of russia. So you are going to get a Chinese product almost no matter what. They are all very competitive, buy whatever is the best price on Amazon that has the pieces you want!
Congrats on your full time content creating.
Canteens and filters are a moot point from this point on. As the sun drops below the horizon, not to return until next year. The big freeze. A large billy pot to melt snow is about the only option for liquid water.
Your winter pack is like my summer pack.
@@WhiteBreadThunder-op6in that was satire bud
Yessir! I have a Military M998 Hmmwv I love BUT would sell to you for your channel! I know you'd give it a good home!
Hahaha, I am afraid I probably cant afford it. And definitely cannot keep it running.
LOL I printed out the complete mechanic manual and have been workin on it for fun for years... LOL... Honestly, the thing just runs great! I've never had a breakdown and that diesel engine just runs and runs! LOL
@@BMO_Creative Id love to get one eventually. Right now my tacoma is just about as useful for daily tasks.
No jerven fjellduken? Cool kit your shoulder holster for you 19x is super cool what brand/model is it? Also don’t sleep on a hill people gear mountain serape. I’ve had one for 6 years and it’s still going strong and is an excellent piece of kit.
Regarding the packing of your sleep system / clothes, why not just get a larger pack for the colder seasons?
Aren't you concerned about being able to tear down your sleeping area quickly in the event of taking contact?
Or is your plan to simply grab the essential gear and ditch the rest?
Why would I get a larger ruck when I can obviously fit everything I need in this ruck?
This is the same method I follow to pack summer weight items, it only takes second longer with heavier stuff, and you can do it much faster than folding or rolling.
And yeah. If I take hard contact at the same location I chose to sleep. Don't worry about any of this shit and just win the fight, or run away bravely. Get new shit later.
@LFAnon
All fair points.
I was mentioning a larger ruck for ease of packing. Granted, you took more time to pack since you were demonstrating how you do it.
I'm sure heat of the moment, and with practice, repacking everything would go faster.
My own personal preference would have a slightly larger ruck that would allow me to throw everything into it, at random, and just move - no stuffing or finessing required.
Good video
Thanks
In the Marines, we'd sleep with our camel backs so they wouldn't freeze. Bivvy, hydration, black bag, patrol bag. Boots get thrown in the bivvy too, as well as any damp uniforms.
because you had too lol
sometimes my boots go in the bottom of the bivvy
Have you had the opportunity to try out Alpaca wool for your blanket as part of your overall sleep system?
Anything heavier than next to skin layers just isn't worth the weight in wool for the warmth you get tbh
I have not. I just stopped wearing cotton socks year around lol
I own the army and USMC bivy. I prefer the USMC just because it has wires to keep the bivy off my face.
Have you done a video about that trailer setup?
@@eb4305 not yet, working on getting it set up right still
@ looking forward to it. Is it a custom rig or modified commercial trailer?
Where can i get that folding stove? Thats awesome and ive been looking for not a trash amazon one the past week.
@@Generic_Username_0331 it's made by "vargo" I believe
🇺🇸
them?
i live in the great white north , i use a lot of usgi surplus winter gear and it works quite well.
winter gear is expensive , the surp works good and if you learn how to layer and manage moisture in the cold you can really get a lot of performance out of the surplus gear. no need to spend thousands on expensive gear. sleeping bags and clothing.
@@mdog1615 preach!!
8:20 would you suggest a flare gun as a good alternative to those aerial flares?
sure, but the higher you can get the flare, and the longer it lasts, the more effective your signal is... expired rocket safety flares really kick ass
Ive been on a lookout for a good quality bivvy that has some room in it for me a poncho liner and wool blanket as i am not a small guy and everything i see is narrow and $100+
surplus bivvys have always been my choice... my bud says the marine one is best because of the bug net and wire to keep it off your face
Im really curious as to why you put the tarp in the bottom of the pack? I keep it in the top or outside of the pack because when I need shelter I need it fast. If its raining I dont wanna pull out all my things onto the ground to be able to deploy my shelter, if you know what I mean.
@@everythingamazing365 I can get in my pack from the bottom!
As a new englander....i fucking hate the winter..
I think I prefer being very very sweaty!
@@LFAnon same!
A couple shots of vodka in the water will help it stay liquid a bit longer and wont impair you.
Haha of course the Aussie is giving me booze smuggling advice... Between you and me its ALL vodka.
@@LFAnon If we were talking smuggling, I wouldn't suggest ruining it by putting it in water :D
For others that might read this, only do this if its sterilised. The alcohol actually promotes parasite growth. It feeds them.
Any particular you have the sand bags in those increments?
@@dswade59 I needed to divide 200 somehow lol
My bud who was infantry said they carried 7 a person. Weird number.
@LFAnon there is a particular individual fighting position that requires 7 sandbags
@@josephgriffin6552 I figured it was something simple like that. Mines gonna be better, i have 10 :)
Who makes the brown level 5 ECWS gear you held up at the beginning?
That is a reproduction made by a chinnese company i believe, Teesar. I believe optics planet still has a few remaining. They are actually a TRUE OD, meaning in certain light they look green, in other brown. Best colored gear I own.
@@LFAnon Thanks, wow hard to find in stock. I'm happy to see the weather cooling down and you not sweating so much in these videos brother! It was stressing me out that you were going to fall out!
For water in the winter I was thinking of wearing my camelback with my 2nd layer and having my m65 jacket & liner to insulate. Haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, but maybe this winter I can.
Does anyone have any experience with this method? Good idea or shitty idea?
if its going to get down to freezing, that hose WILL freeze solid. It will be hours, or active warming before you can use it again.
Ill be the idiot fighing in my wool coat and sweatpants😂
Ill be in the 3" shorts and facepaint.
@ hell yeah. We’re both gonna freeze our asses off
Tell our fathers we love them as well. If my memory serves me correctly, God spoke more about fathers than HE did of mothers. ijs
im a mommas boy
Agreed. Radios are gay. And weird. Always have a flare. Or 2.