- Description
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Details
Genuine US military issue Modular Sleep System (MSS).
Genuine US Army and Marine Corps standard issue MSS consists of four components for sleeping in up to -40 F temperatures:- Goretex BIVY outer cover bag 60 F (1.5 lbs)
- Patrol Sleeping Bag 30 to 50 F (3 lbs)
- Intermediate Cold Weather Sleeping Bbag 30 to -10 F (4 lbs)
- Compression Stuff Sack
Modular layering design.
Completely integrated system rated to -40 F when the user wears the expedition weight polypropylene shirt, drawers and issue cushion sole woolen socks. To obtain lower ratings, additional layers of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing articles are required.
Warmest system rated to 60 F with Goretex bivy cover as main bag and other bags as cushioning.
To obtain lower temperature ratings, additional layers of Extreme Cold Weather Clothing articles must be added to the user's clothing ensemble inside the sleeping bag. - Additional Information
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Additional Information
NSN# 8465-01-445-6274 Condition New Manufacturer Tennier Industries Country of Origin USA - Reviews
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Customer Reviews 7 item(s)
- Great Deal and Great Product
- I could not be happier with the product and the price. Bought 2. All components were in top quality condition. Buying all 4 components at once is substantial savings and you're certain that you have all components. This product give 4 season flexibility for camping and is nicely compacted in the compression bag for hiking, storage or car / plane transport. Don't wait; prices on this product will only go up or you'll have to pay more on other websites. Get them while you can.
- Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MMS Complete 4 part
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I was issued this sleeping bag just prior to my training for Iraq. I used it in an unheated tent many times, in the NJ winter while training. And then I used it for a year in Iraq.
I just turned it in last week, and since I need a sleeping bag for camping in the mountains next month, I went shopping for new sleeping bags for my family last night. I decided I needed to use the tried and true sleeping bag that worked great in those NJ winter nights. So I am here online and about to buy a couple on loadup.com, for my wife and I to camp next month.
- Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MMS Complete 4 part
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are you suggesting that people use equipment as it's intended?
novel!
- Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MMS Complete 4 part
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One thing to understand is that, 99% of the time, you're really not intended to use the thin or thick bag by themselves - they're meant to be covered with the bivvy cover, to protect the bag from wind, dirt, moisture, etc. The bivvy cover is waterproof/water resisitant, and made of a material that you can really just brush dirt off of, whereas the bags themselves will sponge up muddy water, wind will cut through them, and dirt will be a pain to get off.
It also makes it a few degrees warmer. Just my 2 cents.
- Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MSS Complete 4 part
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With the change to the ACU pattern, the old woodland are now obsolete, hence there will be a large influx of the old style bags on the market. Additionally, not everyone who posts here is ex military, so they might not be automatically familiar with the system
GREEN Bag:
Roomy, not a lot of Fill. It has a right hand zip. The draft guard is a strip of nylon strap material with some nylon ticking with a little fill on the back. Zippers are heavy duty, with the little pull cords for easy handling
zipper opens to about 2/3 of the way down. Velcro closure to keep the zipper from pulling open accidently
BLACK Bag
Heavier fill, nice box for the feet. Zipper/snap system is the same, but with the blank on the inside and the male part outside, it’s easier to snap. There is a joke of a draft collar, it covers half of the front panel, but better then nothing. It has a small draft tube like commericial models, but it’s half the size of something you’d find in North Face. Sizewise, it was (unsurprisingly) tighter then the green bag. Slightly roomier then most commerical bags I’ve tried. Lengthwise, all three were more then large enough for my 6’2”. If I were seriously camping, I’d bring this bag and the bivvy.
BIVY
Its goretex. Its a bag. It has snaps and a zipper. The top flap goes all the way up.
Putting all three together, it’s a bit of a chore. Three zippers and the flap snaps of the bivvy to seal.
This is where those cloth extentions on the zipper really come in their own. You need them unless you want to spend 10 minutes zipping and sealing the bag.
With all three mated together, one wonders if they NEED a draft collar!
Stuff it!
There is nylon on the standard flap on top to keep out water. It also has a bunch of cinch straps (3) and compression straps (6). Without working it for 5 minutes, I was able to get this thing small enough in diameter to fit.
The Bottom Line:
I expected both bags to be 3 season bags. The patrol bag seems like a two season bag. The black bag seems like a pretty standard 20 or 30 degree bag, maybe a bit heavier then compared to commercial bags.
I dont feel my money is wasted. With all the components, I am almost certain it’s a 4 season bag, at least in Ohio.
The Bivvy is a pricey item all by itself. Were I only buying for myself, I was conflicted as to whether I’d have gone commerical. I’m reasonably happy with the bag, but I haven’t had to ruck it around along the AT, so I can’t say for certain. I understand that most of today’s army is Mechanized Infantry.
It’s rating is adequate as described. But don’t trust the -40 degree thing worth a lick, but I’m not mounting Everest.
If I was looking for a cheap and warm bag, I'd shop piecemeal and get the black bag and the bivvy. You can probably get both for around $80, which is better then closeout prices on most sleeping bags. The only problem is you probably won't find it new.
- Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MMS Complete 4 part
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I think that for what it is and what it does $150 for a MSS is a good price. I agree that the prices on these may drop with the introduction of the new system. I think that it is not the best set up for backpacking because of size and weight. The bivy for $40 and a good Northface or Mountain hardware bag would be better for backpacking. A warm cheap option is an old Extreme Cold Weather Mountain Bag and a bivy but it is not a good backpacking set up either. To sleep comfy warm below 10 deg one should consider wearing Poly P underwear or jacket and sweat pants with a beanie and wool socks or booties. I sleep in my jeans and socks with my fleece jacket, shamagh, beenie and flight gloves. I have slept this way down to about 0 with a 20mph constant wind. What the system does do is afford an amount of flexibility during the year from summer to winter and in-between. Because of that and the fact that it is rugged makes the MSS the one I use most.
After you have rolled and packed the MSS a few time it gets easier and quicker. So does using the compression straps. You may want to replace the draw string with para chord. Mine snapped.
When zipping up the bags I zip the bivy to about 8 inches from the top, the green bag to within 4 inches from the top and the black to my chin. This makes getting in and out easier and faster. Practicing a few 'panic exits' helps figure out the best way to do it for you. If you can open the bag enough to clear your shoulders you can slide your butt toward the top of the bag without much effort. You can get out of your bag quickly that way.
After I get up in the morning I turn the bag inside out to air it out and expose it to the sun (if you have sun). I let it air out for at least 10 minutes to help air and dry it out. A fleece or flannel liner would help extend the temp range and help keep the black back clean. If the packed MSS is going to be transported in the bed of a truck or the roof of a car I would invest the few dollars for a USGI water proof sleeping bag cover this protects the compression sack from dirt and the elements.
I do not keep my MSS stored at home in the compression sack. I keep it rolled up loose and stored in the garage in a large leaf bag. These are some of the things I've learned about my MSS. - Comments on US GI Modular Sleep System MMS Complete 4 part
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I slept in mine down to 38 degrees wearing socks and drawers and was warm enough to sleep.
Here's the ratings for the MSS:
Sleeping Bag, Patrol (30 to 50 deg F), MSS Green NSN 8465-01-398-0685
Sleeping Bag, Intermediate (30 to -10 deg F), CW, MSS Black NSN 8465-01-398-0687
Compression Stuff Sack, Black NSN 8465-01-398-5428
Bivy Cover, Woodland Camo, Camo NSN 8465-01-416-8517
Theoretically, the whole shebang is supposed to provide for a minimum of 4 hours sleep at -40.
Usually in the army we just carried the patrol bag and bivy rolled up in our shelter half. The patrol and bivy roll up quite small, it's the intermediate that makes up the bulk. If it was a little chilly for the patrol/bivy combo, we'd use the shelter half as a blanket (I don't remember ever actually assembling it into a tent once I got out of training).
For really cold weather I love the intermediate bag's double thickness at the feet. Sleeping with the whole thing nested, I went down to 9 degrees and was plenty warm.
I'm a hot sleeper, but I seriously doubt the -40 thing, even for me. But for anything but true arctic conditions, I think the MSS is more than adequate. I've noticed that the MSS's bulk always attracts attention, but even bags like the snugpack rated to 0 or below, only compress to about the same size as the MSS. For a do-all, layered system, at the prices they go for, I'd call the MSS a best buy.
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