# BOB Sleeping System



## Ardalee (May 30, 2011)

I was curious to see what everyone uses for their BOB sleeping system. The best solution I have found so far is a Thermal Bivvy. It is super compact, light weight, and is regulated up to 50 degrees. I figure that with a combination of being fully clothed, in a tent, and having hand warmers in the bottom of the Bivvy, this should keep a person comfortably warm in 20 to 30 degrees. (I have personally not tried this out... YET.)

What kind of BOB sleeping system are you guys using?


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## Fn/Form (Nov 6, 2008)

I wouldn't make a Thermal Bivvy my main plan.

The most important factor is the weather and terrain in your area. Wet and cold are a few big considerations, as well as your sleeping surface (damp kills insulation).

As soon as I get a sub-freezing weekend around here I'm going to try nesting a few cheap sleeping bags a la Wiggy's FTRSS and US military MSS concepts. The cheap bags will be under $50, closer to $20. Mummy style is the only design I'll use.


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## ashley8072 (Apr 26, 2011)

Since I've recently ruined my $250 marmot 20c bag...In my BOB I have a Thermal bivy to go around a 40F fleece sleeping bag I purchased at Walmart. I also have the same sleeping bags in Hubby and Daughters' BOB. What's neat about them is that they all can be zipped together. That way we can regulate each others body heat. When me and my 10yr old go on our Scout camps we take our Mummy bags (my ruined one and her -30 eddie baurer) and our fleece bags. Zip the fleece ones together and then slide each of our mummies into that.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

I used to carry a bag and tube tent, but a few years ago I changed it up. I came up with my own system and it has worked out pretty well.

I take a full size wool blanket and sandwich it between two of the lightweight poly ground cloths. By sandwich, I mean I have them sewn by a local lady. The edges and 6 inch squares. The lightweight tarps capture air between them and the blanket and make for a very nice, comfortable wrap. It is water restistant, but not waterproof. But wool does not lose it's ability to keep you warm when it is wet. I use a regular poly/nylon tarp as a lean to when needed.

My reasoning is this. In a BO situtation I more than likely will not be sleeping very well and will be on guard or whatever you want to call it. If it is not raining, I sleep somewaht sitting up with my back to a tree. I can totally wrap myself in my "blanket", stay toasty warm and moisture free and be ready at a moments notice to be up and at 'em. Easy to get going in the morning too. Shake it and roll it and I'm ready to go. 

My first one I made, snapped together, but decided sewn was better. I can wash the whole thing in a regular washing machine and I hang it out to dry. 

It works for me.

Jimmy


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## kyhoti (Nov 16, 2008)

In my GHB, its a Tyvek ground sheet, closed cell foam pad and a synthetic fill quilt made on my sewing machine. Top it off with a sil-nylon tarp and I'm GTG. Been using this setup for years in the woods and it adapts pretty well to the various terrains here in the SE USA. My biggest quandry was how to equip my family, as there will soon be 5 of us. Thankfully, none of them stays more than a few miles walk from home, so getting home won't be as much of a hassle as it would be for me (roughly 40 miles to get home from work). As far as "bugging out" post-fan, it ain't likely gonna happen. We are staying put come hell or high water, b/c there's no way to travel with the little ones. I used to think we could swing it, but we can't. If we get out before it hits, then,yeah, maybe with working vehicles we could make to our alternate retreat, but it'd have to be pretty dire circumstances for us to budge.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

sleeping systems depends on climate, preferred usage. Jimmys is closest to what I have - I have pieces I add to or remove depending on need. They are safety-pinned (horse blanket pins) together a la 'cowboy bedroll' as it is called nowdays, and are adaptable to the needs of the moment. Here are my layers, from inside to outside: sheet (to keep innards clean) I carry a spare at all times for washing or other use, wool blanket/s (2), 2 med weight el-cheapo sleeping bags (wal mart) and a canvas tarp for the outside. I have slept in -50 with doubled sleeping bags and was toasty. The tarp is useful as a lean-to if desired (i had buttonholes made all around outer edge in lieu of grommets because I can fix a raveling buttonhole in the field but not a grommet. I may look like a bag lady, but it is comfortable, adjustable, cheap to assemble, and nobody ever covets my bedroll....it is a little bulky to carry though.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

"Travel light and freeze at night"

I have never found a way to get around that axiom. Light weight and warmth just don't go together. What you must do is decide on how much misery you are willing to put up with on a cold, snowy, or wet night. 

When I was in my twenties I could put up with shivering through the night. Not now. Sucks! 

I bought two of the military systems off ebay. I like the flexibility they offer - switching bags in and out depending on expected seasonal conditions along with he Gore-tex bivy sack.

The complete system inside the stuff sack is bulky and on the heavy side. But, I don't anticipate having to hump it very far, if at all.

Don't forget a good ground pad and some shelter to keep the wet off of you.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

My sleeping bags pack into a tiny little package and are rated for -25°C. Combine that with a small tent and I should be just fine in temperatures well below freezing. They are mummy-style bags from Mountain Hardware ... ( Mountain Hardware sleeping bags rated for less than -20°C ) amazing sleeping bags, but, you do need to have some form of insulation between your bag and the frozen earth. I find a dense-foam matress does quite well. I have tried air matresses, but, the cold seems to seep through them too easily.


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## Moshe (Dec 20, 2011)

My BOB it's a poncho, quilted liner, hammock and fire.

If I'm going to grab a sleeping bag, it's going to be attached to a full size pack.
So poncho, quilted liner, hammock, self inflating pad, tarp, and a -40 MSS.









The commercial bags and bivy's rip to easy.


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## 18bravo (Dec 26, 2011)

I use a GI sleep system. I will carry the weight, sleep is very important if you plan to function long. It you have bugged out you may not want to have a fire. It's a lot of work keeping a fire going all night. I have been in 30 deg. night with just a poncho and liner. Not much sleep going on that night.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Got a military sleepin bag I bought frim the salvation army store fer two bucks. A reinforced plastic sheet fer a ground cloth, inta the bag goes a Cezk wool bedroll blanket followed up by a water resistant canvas cover.

If needed a additional wool blanket can be added. If wet weather be expected another piece of reinforced poly ta make a rain cover aka tent over the works. Good even in perty cold weather. Whole thing makes up sorta like a bed roll.

Even in a bug out situation, rest will be important. After several days a little rest yer gonna be in trouble physically an mentally.

Oh yeah, a foam pad ta take out some a the lumps an bumps.


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## Redtail (Oct 17, 2008)

I'm looking at the feasibility of my hiker's sleeping bag, a Mylar blanket and an 8x10 tarp. 
I'm sort of new to this whole thing and I figure anything is better than nothing, but doing things right is better than doing them off-the-cuff as I am now.


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## Jezcruzen (Oct 21, 2008)

Redtail said:


> I'm looking at the feasibility of my hiker's sleeping bag, a Mylar blanket and an 8x10 tarp.
> I'm sort of new to this whole thing and I figure anything is better than nothing, but doing things right is better than doing them off-the-cuff as I am now.


Mylar, or any non-porous material will keep in moisture that your body sheds during the night. Be sure to try your rig out before settling on it.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Mylar blankets are intended as a emergency blanket, when ya got nothin else. As jezcruzen said, they won't let moisture out, so sooner er later yer gonna get damp, damp an cold make fer a bad situation.

The tarp be alright fer a ground cloth er a shelter, but here again, it don't let moisture out. Canvas covers was used on the old bedrolls but have been replaced by goretex now.

Wool works out nice cause even if it gets wet still offers some warmth.

A foam pad offers some moisture protection an comfort from the rough ground.

A combonation sleepin system that can be adjusted to the weather conditions be the best way to go, add an subtract as ya need it.


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## Redtail (Oct 17, 2008)

THat's what I'm thinking. I just moved everything from an SDS style 4096 pack to a much more comfortable (and larger) 5.11 Rush 72 pack, and I'm thinking I could easily stuff a wool blanket in there. 

I have multiple outlets throughout the year to test the system's practicality in a conflict situation, what I think is likely a very good "stress" test to work the kinks out.


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## Expeditioner (Jan 6, 2009)

I use a GI system that I bought new at a surplus auction. It is a bit on the heavy side but does the job. You can use just the bivy cover in warm weather.


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## Johnboy (Oct 6, 2011)

My BOB or GHB is a true overnight camping kit with tube tent, foam ground pad, and light sleeping bag. It can be augmented with an additional light weight sleeping bag nested inside the other, and the two can be put inside a mylar bag in extreme conditions.


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