I was hoping any of our veterans or winter campers could give me an opinion on the ECWS military surplus sleeping bags that are floating around. I've read mixed reviews on the condition of the bags people have received on Ebay and other mail order companys . I would go to sportmans guide and inspect it before I would purchase it to try to avoid getting a lemon. Seems like a cheap way to get into a winter bag with the bivy included without spending a fortune.

I have had the old school ECW sleeping bag for several years. Very warm bag but EXTREMELY bulky. I have not had any experience with the MSS bags. Hope this helps.

I'm not a veteran or a winter camper, but I own two complete ECWS bags. As TNCanoer said, they are bulky, heavy, and warm. They are also cheap on ebay.

My pack notes say ~10lbs for the bivy, patrol, and cold bag together. They snap together with heavy duty snaps. Put in just the bits you want to use and go.

For most trips (mid may & sept) I use just the patrol bag with the bivy...together ~5lbs. I slide a BA mummy pad inside the bivy, under the patrol bag. With heavy long underwear, I'm warm to 35 F or so. Your mileage may vary. They are larger than most mummy bags, so you can sleep on your side or add extra insulation without taking up all the room in the bag.

I bought both mine on ebay in pieces. The patrol and cold bags are typically inexpensive. The bivy, by itself, will cost more than the bags combined.

Thnaks allot Spam. That helps a ton.

Pros: Warm, inexpensive.
Cons: Heavy, bulky.

Those cons made me quickly write it off as an option for myself.

The best piece of advice I got years ago was to skip the -20 and -40 rated sleeping bags and instead nest other ones - essentially making your own modular sleep system similar to the ECWS one. I use a Big Agnes Park series bag ($170 - $340 depending on model) for the outer (they're cut bigger, so they won't compress the inner bag), and a Marmot one inside. Your normal three-season bag becomes the inner bag, so you don't have to buy a duplicate piece of gear for that. Depending on what conditions you'll be in you might not even need the bivy, or maybe can get by with some other arrangement until you can afford to add that.

Ive got one of the 4-piece systems from ebay a year or so ago.

The green patrol bag is not bad by itself. As I recall it is around 2 lbs and fits in the same stuff sack I use for my RayWay quilt. I dont recall what it is supposedly rated to but the times Ive used it seemed comparable to about a 30 bag.

The black bag is supposed to be -10 by itself but I was chilled at about 25. Granted I was under a tarp not a tent, did not use the bivy bag and was in shorts and t-shirt rather than long johns. But at 35 degrees higher than the rating I thought it should have done better.

Overall I think it is a good value considering the price you can get them, that you get two bags and the bivy.

The bags are rated as part of a whole gear system. Thus, the temperature ratings include ECWS long underwear (top and bottom) and likely the bivy.

As Windchill stated, the cold bag is rated to -10 F. The patrol bag is rated to 30-50 F. The whole enchilada to -30 F. Windchill's rating of about 25 F for the cold bag without the ECWS underwear and bivy seems possible.

Oddly the military instructions for the ECWS system don't ever mention socks, hat, or gloves. I typically wear wool socks and a stocking hat (in addition to the ECWS underwear) when I sleep in mine.

I have a 4 part system. I used the green bag (packs pretty small) on one trip in June and got a bit chilled the first night. Added a fleece jacket and pants the next night and was good. On my last two trips, I took the black bag and was great. Both trips were in a tent with just the bag. Typical May into June weather.

i also use a system of the stuff that i have. i have a north face forty degree bag, synthetic, large and wide cut, perfect for summer trips. into this i stick my north face, 1970s vintage down bag. i don't know the product name or specs, it is an oldie but goodie. i assume that it was a 10 degree bag. these two make a good fit and they go into my rei bivy sack. i am good to about twenty five below with out a (cold)tent. in a (cold) tent i am good for about your most average minnesota winter tempts. you don't need to spend a fortune to winter camp in minnesota, if it gets brutal cold you can always make a big fire.