I got a sleeping bag from my father that looks exactly like the photo below. He must have had this sleeping bag for 15 or so years.. I think he got it at GI Joes, or some army surplus store in WA when we lived there..

Anywho, if this is military grade, or even just civlian grade.. how good are these bags?? Reason I ask is because I'm taking the neighbor boy from downstairs with me, and i don't want him to freeze to death sleeping in the bed of my truck with just a tarp to keep the rain off him (if it does rain). He's almost 14yrs old.. never been campin before and I invited him along so he could experince it an grow some hair on his chest lol

The plan is because I don't have a tent.. I'm going to make a tent using a tarp, and the bed of my pickup Because of bears and mountian lions in the area, I want him up and off the ground, in an enclosed structure, being this isn't my kid..and if he doesn't come back, his mother will whooop me bum bum!

So any ideas for a tarp tent would be appreciated! My plan was to simply get two thick sticks, and place one facing up on the back passanger corner against the cab. Then place another stick about the same height on the other end, or on the other corner next to the tailgate. Lay the tarp over it, close the tailgate, and if he needs to crawl out, or look out, he can lift up the tarp..

Anywho, any ideas appreciated! And if this mummy sleeping bag will keep this kid warm enough.. last time temps got down to about 40 degrees in the daed of night



This post has been edited by WakaWaka: August 11th 2009 7:07 AM

That is a mummy. Now call the O'Connels to kill it. Just kidding. Looks like a intermediate. I have one plus the three piece extreme. They get pulled out once a year. Washed inspected and repacked. I have a overnight bag I use deer hunting because we have a 1 room cabim with wood heat and propane stove.
Tarp tents in truck bed. Better off getting a good cap. Put in a raised bed and insulate heavily. Use the area under the bed for storage. Insulate the cap and vent also. You can use a Colman gas lantern and a electric. One burner gas or propane stove.
Tarp tents set them up so the tha water runs
off on the ground. Make sure you have a peak,like a roof. Once again have the bedding on insulation above the bed.
Also if the outside temp is extreme then you would be better off in a tent on the ground. I've done a lot of winter camping.

make sure that thing still has pretty good loft. if they aren't taken care of, they will lose a lot of their temp rating. i have 30 degree and 0 degree mummies. the 30 is synthetic down and after 5 years of decent use, isn't as warm as it used to be the. the 0 is real down, and while it requires more care, is awesome. as long as yours is in good condition, should be toasty. being that it is that old, i personally would have a very strong back up plan.

Hmmm maybe I'll throw it on my bed tonight and sleep in it to test it out. Girlfriend will think i'm nuts..but eh she's used to it

It's not going to be too cold. Temps for that area are going to be in the mid to upper 70s all week..but being at the top of a mountain in that area..yeah it'll be warm in the day (I was rockin a t-shirt two weeks ago)..it got pretty nippy durring the middle of the night. I don't expect it to fall below 40 on this trip.

As far as this bag goes..it looks like it's in great condition. It has been in this tote for at least 10yrs wrapped up in a plastic bag (like those boxy plastic bags you get with your home bed sets)

Doh. I forgot that part. Dumb move on my part.

Well think of how the water will move on the tarp and plan according. Put a platform inthe truck bed to sleep on and get some pads or air matressed. We camped on the U.P. at a private farm stocked with Euro Boars. Well after we paid a shat load a bunch of them got lose. Now they are pests.
Well the guys I went with slept in the bed of the truck fishing one year. When the pig hunts happened we were set. Kinda like going from shack with dirt floors to luxury accomadation. Platform, lantern, stove, good cooler. We still had our food about 15' off the ground. U.P. here has some great bear hunting.

Yeah I was thinking of maybe just putting both sticks in the corners against the tailgate. About a foot taller than the cab of the truck..this way the rain will ofcourse, flow downwards onto the windshield/hood of the truck.

Going to get him an air matress so he'll be comfy....or maybe I'll just buy a tent, that way I have one in the future....

those old down bags work decently as long as they aren't so compressed they don't offer insulation anymore, the new issue bags work alot better though with much less weight and tend to keep their insulative properties much longer. One thing I suggest will warm it up alot at minimal cost is a lightweight polar fleece blanket, I keep one in My pack at all times like this one...
$24 keeps you comfy warm

I may look into those blinkets..I actually have one.. it's a dubble layer, dark blue that's about 40'' by 40'' in size.

As far as the mummy bag goes..I tried it out simply because of a few of you guys sayin it can loose its properties over time and if compressed..

so laid it out, hopped in, and fell asleep. Not even an hour later, I was sweating. Temp in my home was 60 degrees. And I mean sweating too. My t-shirt was damp. So I guess it works..but that's in 60* weather.. see how it does in 40* in two days

also you want to sleep in those with little clothing on, they soak up body heat

Good to know