German Army Sleeping Bag

The German Army Sleeping Bag is one of the more unusual sleeping-bag types. It has arm sleeves for one thing, and the bottom half and be unzipped to use as a parka. This type of sleeping bag was designed by the German army so its soldiers would always be ready for surprise attacks. For the civilian camper, it is a convenient way of always having your arms available for grabbing things -- without having to take off your sleeping bag. It costs around 35 US dollars, and is about 72 inches long and 32 inches wide.

This style of sleeping bag is sometimes also called the 'sniper sleeping bag,' presumably because snipers would always have their arms free to use their sniper rifles, even in the dead of night. This means that the German style sleeping bag is useful for night photographers, so they can always have their arms free to use a camera. It can be useful in the morning, too, because the bottom part can unzip to free your feet, and you can laze about or make coffee without having to get out of your sleeping bag.

Learn how to Use a German Army Sleeping Bags

German army sleeping bags can be converted into very warm parkas. This directly means that you can use it like an especially warm jacket if you want. Fisherman and hunters who need to stand still in the cold will probably appreciate this very much. You could also use the parka feature of the German army bag to drive a car or other vehicle, or do anything else where a very warm parka would be useful without sacrificing mobility, such as setting up or breaking camp.

German army sleeping bags are extremely warm, so you may not want to use one on a summer's night. They also take some getting used to if you haven't used a sleeping bag with arms before. They are rather uncommon, although most serious campers have probably at least heard of them.

In the UK, your best chance for getting one is through SurplusandAdventure.com, a website devoted to surplus army gear. They are easier to get in America, though ordering online is still the most surefire way of getting one (the US army uses a very different sleeping bag).

Because they are surplus from the German army, there is not necessarily a large stock available year round. You'd better check to make sure there are some available before settling down and deciding to make a purchase.