Req: Poncho liners in your Military.

[James]

We had bivvy bags in the USMC but I woke up many times gasping for breath. Either a faulty design, or me with sleep apnea...

[Bee_Gee.]

In my experience we had/have no equivalent of a tropical sleeping bag. The sleeping bags we were issued would have let us sleep at the North Pole. Most of my infantry experience was in the desert and jungle, and a poncho/poncho liner combo did very well. Lie down with your feet down hill, make a collar of your kit, and get what rest you can. It's pretty miserable no matter what you do.

I personally find a poncho liner to be a wonderful piece of kit, and have for many years, IN MODERATE CONDITIONS.

Being too hot is 100% better than being too cold.

Most of my infantry experience has been in Northern Europe with the occasional foray to cyprus,Kenya and other dusty places. When i was in kenya i was incredibly surprised how much the temperature dropped in the Rif valley, it made me wish id brought my full heavy weight sleeping bag with me. Many blokes did end up buying some Maasai blankets of the locals which pissed the Sargent major of when he came to our FOB as he wasn't to keen on the colours.

However I'm gonna buy another poncho liner when I'm in Leatherneck this september as it could be a good bit of kit to trade with one of the new blokes. Or maybe the afghan winter will convert me to needing it.

[apod]

I have several poncho liners aquired over the years, but I'm with BeeGee, a tropical sleeping bag can be opened up and used as a picnic rug of whatever poncho liners are actually intended for or it can actually be used as a sleeping bag. The British military made the technological jump from blanket to sleeping bag during WWII - seems the rest of the world is yet to catch up

LOL.I know.here in the Irish DF we have a saying."If the brits get a cold the Irish sneeze". We tend to copy the BA in terms of sleeping systems.The "Bouncing bomb" was our GS sleeping bag from '97 up till '05 when we started buying from Nanok.We issued the BA jungle bag(with Irish DF tags) for the Chad operation.
I bought one of those jungle bags a few years back and used it in Liberia when on Patrol.Still found it too hot though.Funny thing was i was using a USGI Poncho liner as my camp bed blanket back in camp!I should have swapped them over.Still you live you learn.

Right.So far we have established that Ireland,The UK,Germany and Denmark don't issue P/liners.Who does?Other then those forces listed?There are a shed load of cheap chinese copies on the market but what are the genuine ones?

[steyr_88]

The aussie one is just a crappy vest.

[digrar]

The two I was issued with are much like the US one, just in DPCU.

[Arfah]

When the temperature starts to get a bit 'Pearl Harbour (There's a nip in the air)' us Brits have been provided with a set of bobby trousers and jacket. Basically made out of the same materials as a modern synthetic sleeping bag.
Reversible green or sand. The zips on the jkt aren't too reliable so lots of us have bought the superior jkts from Snugpak. Better than some G'hey poncho liner

[apod]

When the temperature starts to get a bit 'Pearl Harbour (There's a nip in the air)' us Brits have been provided with a set of bobby trousers and jacket. Basically made out of the same materials as a modern synthetic sleeping bag.
Reversible green or sand. The zips on the jkt aren't too reliable so lots of us have bought the superior jkts from Snugpak. Better than some G'hey poncho liner

For sleeping in??

[apod]

The aussie one is just a crappy vest.

Eh? I thought you mob were issued a proper P/liner?

[Arfah]

For sleeping in??

Not usually, it's an additional thermal layer for periods of inactivity in lower temperatures.

[Redders]

Sleeping in the Pussers softie suit. No thanks! Although I've seen lads do it, generally inside their goretecx bivvy bag. Personally I prefer Buffalo, but I digress.

[Flagg]

I think I saw a photo of a German bag that had sleeves or gumby feet or some such....maybe for standing to without getting out of your bag?

One useful item is a lightweight/silk bag you can wrap around your muddy boots so you can jump in your bag without taking them off and getting your bag nasty.

[Pete031]

Our "new" Poncho liner, which is really a sleeping bag, that can be unzipped into the original design, with the same material as the original poncho liner is the cats ass. Mixed with a bivy bag for warm climates, or as a sleeping bag liner that you can wash much easier in cold climates. It also has the hole in the center so that you can throw it over top, when on sentry or in a defensive position. Things that a sleeping bag wont let you do. Hands down one of the best pieces of kit to ever be issued.

[steyr_88]

The two I was issued with are much like the US one, just in DPCU.

Eh? I thought you mob were issued a proper P/liner?

I don't think the vest is the "official" one. I was told this could be worn under the japara (or whatever the rain coat is called). Didn't know there was a proper one until now.

[steyr_88]

I think I saw a photo of a German bag that had sleeves or gumby feet or some such....maybe for standing to without getting out of your bag?

Years ago I saw one like that on eBay. I think it was a Georgian Army one made for snipers. It had arms, legs and even a fly.

[Arfah]

I used to have a Jerry bag too. Excellent piece of kit for when you had to get up for a pi.ss in night