boati

just cammies, balaclava, 2 pairs of polypro sock liners, glove liners, and tape down the zippers, and putting my head inside, with a breathing hole, on a sleeping pad and sleeping bag in the van, both side doors open. That pair of sealed mylar bivvies is amazing. No longjohns, no wraps. With the head and neck inside, the extremities covered, and the small air leakage of the zipper stopped, I'm pretty sure that the net wraps and the drum liner wraps will get me down to 10F and the debris between the wraps and the debris between the mylar bivvies will get me down to 0F, I'd have to drive north 400 miles to get that sort of cold and wait another 2 months, too.

Terry G

Seems like a great idea if I knew what the HELL you were talking about.

BigBassMan

Mel himself does not know what babble comes out of his mouth, fried brain from drugs.

Dorobuta

Pictures or it didn’t happen.

Garand

Melvin, again we must remind you that you have to consider the 365 day temperature swing in your geographical location when choosing you kit, and allow for unforeseen circumstances. There is no "1 solution fits all", plus you have to consider the durability of equipment that you choose. Have you gotten "wifey" to carry out this experiment with you? What does she think?

BigBassMan

Duct tape an garbage bags don't make good pictures but will be a lot of laughs for the coroner when he picks up the remains.

BigEd

Right now with all the panic buying it's not good price wise but for the last 10 years with the military switching camo patterns. One could shop around and end up with a new or nearly new military MSS between $100 or $150 instead of this Rube Goldberg sounding mess.
I've also got by with a good quality lightweight bag, bivey sack, poncho liner on a pad in a tent or properly set up lean-to.

Garand

My 5 piece bag when completely assembled has kept me warm in Alaska at -45F (not including wind chill), when only used in partial sections it handles virtually every temperature that I have been exposed to. Except when it is warm and I drag out my ranger blanket.

John in AR

I confess I've never understood the use of nets as insulation. Is it to hold field-expedient insulation (newspapers, leaves, whatever) in place, or what exactly...? I've asked, but never received a response.

BigEd

I've no idea what Melvin's thinking, and wonder if he does. But, real netted base layer clothing as used, or was used, in Northern Europe is supposed to work pretty well. However that's base layer clothing designed to function as such. Not some contraption out of the Rube Goldberg Armchair Survival Guide.
And the idea of add "debris" to the netting is freaking stupid. Why drag in gunk off the ground and get it your sleeping gear? It'll draw and hold moisture and when it breaks down the organic particles aka dirt will gunk up the fibers and lower the insulting properties of your sleeping gear.

Terry G

There you all go again using common sense and experience.

Garand

When I joined the army in the early '70's we were issued netted undershirts, the theory used at the time was that they provided good "dead air space" that could be easily warmed by the body. That item was gone by the mid '70's.

BigEd

Yeah I've seen surplus shirts here and there online. Never interested me. In my are it can get below 0-F on occasion but just the modern polypropylene under garments work pretty well as a base layer.

Really if someone wanted to go both light and cheap. IF, Walmart still carries their long johns Russell Athletic has moisture wicking tops and bottoms for around $10 the last time I looked. I like that brands Dri-power line for daily use.
Unfortunately as always Walmart has less of the Russell brand in their stores anymore.
They stopped carrying their boxer briefs so next week I'll see if any of the long handles are out for the winter.
Add a set of fairly snug polyester fleece sweat pants over those and that's much better than looking like Pig Pen from the Charlie Brown comics.

Also polyester moisture wicking just above the knee boxer briefs help prevent chaffing and hot spots when forced to hike on rough uneven ground for long distances.

But going on and leading hikes with the old Ozark Highlands Trail Association both on and off trail plus Coyote hunting out there living out of my pack WTF would I know?