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More from: "My Time in Service:"
Kathy and I have been watching "Alone" - the Survival Show on Netflix. And I noticed that all of the contestants sleep in their sleeping bags ...with their clothes on. So I figure that Sleeping Bag Technology must have gone way up since I slept...naked...in my sleeping bag. With your clothes on...you would freeze to death in Germany, or the Field Exercises at Ft. Hood.
The last time I slept in a sleeping bag was in 1979. I am not an outdoorsman, nor a camper. My preferred method of sleeping overnight away from home since I left the Service, is either a Hampton Inn, or a Marriott. Or a relatives house!
So back in my day, the sleeping bag came with a shell, and if that thing got wet, or lost...well, the sleeping bag became a lot less useful. And we had airbags...but they always broke. They were always getting punctured and you couldn't inflate them. Then they switched to those roll up foam pads. And they were slightly better.
The old guys taught us to put straw, or tree boughs, down first. Anything that would trap air. Then put down our poncho, air mattress, or foam pad, and then, and only then, our sleeping bag in its shell.
They also taught us to bundle our clothes up - especially our socks, in the bottom of the bag, so in the morning we had dry, and fairly warm clothes to put on.
Getting out of those suckers in the Winter in Germany, or in Texas when it was cold...was unpleasant. And if it was raining...well, your night was going to be long and miserable. Almost everybody learned to carry a spare canteen as a "piss pot" so they didn't have to leave their warm and cozy sleeping bag.
But being young, well, sometimes you had to empty that canteen once or so during the night. Or, again because we were young, you could go all night without taking a piss. But in the morning you would rival a race horse peeing on a flat rock. Even humans could track our campsites by scent and smell. LOL
On "Alone" they looked quite comfy in their sleeping bags, and the material looked quite different than ours. It is late at night when I am writing this, so I haven't googles the advances in Field Gear. But man, they must be way better than ours were. And you can wear your clothes to bed!
Kathy and I have been watching "Alone" - the Survival Show on Netflix. And I noticed that all of the contestants sleep in their sleeping bags ...with their clothes on. So I figure that Sleeping Bag Technology must have gone way up since I slept...naked...in my sleeping bag. With your clothes on...you would freeze to death in Germany, or the Field Exercises at Ft. Hood.
The last time I slept in a sleeping bag was in 1979. I am not an outdoorsman, nor a camper. My preferred method of sleeping overnight away from home since I left the Service, is either a Hampton Inn, or a Marriott. Or a relatives house!
So back in my day, the sleeping bag came with a shell, and if that thing got wet, or lost...well, the sleeping bag became a lot less useful. And we had airbags...but they always broke. They were always getting punctured and you couldn't inflate them. Then they switched to those roll up foam pads. And they were slightly better.
The old guys taught us to put straw, or tree boughs, down first. Anything that would trap air. Then put down our poncho, air mattress, or foam pad, and then, and only then, our sleeping bag in its shell.
They also taught us to bundle our clothes up - especially our socks, in the bottom of the bag, so in the morning we had dry, and fairly warm clothes to put on.
Getting out of those suckers in the Winter in Germany, or in Texas when it was cold...was unpleasant. And if it was raining...well, your night was going to be long and miserable. Almost everybody learned to carry a spare canteen as a "piss pot" so they didn't have to leave their warm and cozy sleeping bag.
But being young, well, sometimes you had to empty that canteen once or so during the night. Or, again because we were young, you could go all night without taking a piss. But in the morning you would rival a race horse peeing on a flat rock. Even humans could track our campsites by scent and smell. LOL
On "Alone" they looked quite comfy in their sleeping bags, and the material looked quite different than ours. It is late at night when I am writing this, so I haven't googles the advances in Field Gear. But man, they must be way better than ours were. And you can wear your clothes to bed!
Duty
Soldier
Gear
Winter
Training
Edited 2 d ago
Posted 3 d ago
Responses: 3
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Never know what might happen and how fast you need to be up and running.
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SGT Philip Roncari
Lt Col Charlie Brown
I knew I should has listened to my older much wiser AirForce Master Sergeant brother,but no I wanted the bright lights and funny hats,see what that got me, Welcome Home Brothers.
I knew I should has listened to my older much wiser AirForce Master Sergeant brother,but no I wanted the bright lights and funny hats,see what that got me, Welcome Home Brothers.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
As you know Kevin my only association with sleeping bags was during the ten months of training at Ft.Lewis (our Division was originally slated for Germany) also the last time we saw those old kerosene immersion heaters,Pup tents,long underwear,etc,we traded those in for ponchos and poncho liners they call poncho liners “Woobies “now I think,but unusual as it might seem we were issued the old style green sweaters when the temperature dropped in the Central Highlands,strange place that country,and some of the people were VERY unfriendly! Welcome Home Brothers.
As you know Kevin my only association with sleeping bags was during the ten months of training at Ft.Lewis (our Division was originally slated for Germany) also the last time we saw those old kerosene immersion heaters,Pup tents,long underwear,etc,we traded those in for ponchos and poncho liners they call poncho liners “Woobies “now I think,but unusual as it might seem we were issued the old style green sweaters when the temperature dropped in the Central Highlands,strange place that country,and some of the people were VERY unfriendly! Welcome Home Brothers.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
My brother Mike, Bravo Company 2nd BN 4th INF Division (Vietnam 1968) is like you. When he hikes things like Hadrians Wall all they way across Scotland, or the Camino de Santiago from France to Spain (which he has done three times) he just brings his poncho...lays it on the ground and goes to sleep. No sleeping bag needed.
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SGT Philip Roncari
SGT Kevin Hughes
Please tell your brother Mike, Welcome Home, from his Brother from another mother,Phil.and he really is a true “Warrior “ from the looks of it,sheesh that’s a lot of walking,taking a breather just reading about it!
Please tell your brother Mike, Welcome Home, from his Brother from another mother,Phil.and he really is a true “Warrior “ from the looks of it,sheesh that’s a lot of walking,taking a breather just reading about it!
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Here is my Brother Mike and his Kathy getting his Bronze Star with V device. For volunteering to go get the bodies of two LRRP's before the bodies got booby trapped. And I will tell him you said WElcome home. too.
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Or it could just be a TV show as you still do not sleep in your uniform. We have these nice gore tex bevies now that keep you dry and warmer but it does not change what you sleep in.
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