MSS (Military Sleeping System) Review

**gunner65** · 01-05-2013, 08:18 PM

I love mine and if you look hard enough you can find them for less. The only problem with it for me is that I cannot backpack with it. Its just to heavy to attach to any of my packs. I think it is designed to for at the bottom of the a military pack but those guys hump 100lbs regularly.

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**Scott Allen** · 01-05-2013, 08:22 PM

I heard these run a little short. I am 6'3". Would it fit me? Thanks for the review Terry.

Scott

**IA Woodsman** · 01-05-2013, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Scott Allen

I heard these run a little short. I am 6'3". Would it fit me? Thanks for the review Terry.

Scott

I am 5'10" and I have lots of room. Maybe someone bigger than me will speak up.

**xRangerx** · 01-05-2013, 08:25 PM

What would be the max height of someone using one of these in your opinion?

**IA Woodsman** · 01-05-2013, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by xRangerx

What would be the max height of someone using one of these in your opinion?

I am not real sure, Mac is over 6' he might pipe in.

**gunner65** · 01-05-2013, 08:29 PM

The patrol bag is 90-92" and the intermittent is 85-87" the bivvy accommodates both. Hope that helps.

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**bharner** · 01-05-2013, 08:30 PM

Thanks for the video. I've heard of these but haven't seen how it all works. I may have to start hunting for the bivvy

Tapatalk ate my spelling and grammar.

**Kerri** · 01-05-2013, 08:31 PM

They only issue one size and theyre are some tall dudes in the military and ive never heard any of the taller guys i know say they didnt fit

**Bearpaw** · 01-05-2013, 08:33 PM

We used this system when we deployed to Norway each January. They are good for what they are. Very warm and stand up to moisture very well. I actually bought the lighter green "patrol bag", just under two pounds and you can compress it to the size of a coffee can. It is good down to the mid-thirties by itself. The full system stood up to sub-zero conditions.

The negative to the system is the bulk involved. All three layers take up a LOT of space, even when you compress them. Weight is not the best, I believe 7-8 pounds for the whole system. But bulk is the biggest issue in my mind. We carried oversixed "vector" packs, monster sized internal frame models to work with this system.

But it will definitely keep you warm, even when wet.

**bharen** · 01-05-2013, 08:38 PM

I bought the complete system new about 8 months ago and just got a chance to use it over the Christmas holidays.

Having spent 23 year using the old Intermidate and Cold Weather bags I have to say that I would have signed up to pull staff duty for a month straight if that would have gotten me one of these MSS systems before heading out on a REFORGER or off to Grafenwoehr for a winter range week.

Being somewhat 'wide' I find the black (cold weather) bag a bit confining, but not too bad. The patrol bag, as the OP notes, is nice and roomy and I agree that the bivvy sack and the patrol bag make a dandy warm/intermediate weather combo.

I am of the opinion that the bivvy sack adds about 10 degrees to the bag's range. While it doesn't offer any insulation it does serve as a heat reflector and wind break, helping to reduce heat loss through the unprotected insulating bags.

I like the OP's suggestion about slipping the sleeping pad between the bivvy sack and the bag. A neat idea and I'll have to try it the next time I use it.

Fair warning, when new the Gore-Tex bivvy sack is somewhat 'crinkly' and makes a good bit of noise when you move around in the bag. I had more than one camping partner politely comment on it. (Polite as in "Stop moving - you're makin' too danged much noise!")