How to use an emergency shelter bag.

So you went to the camping store, you got all of your shinies, and headed off into the hills. When you got there it was all nice and sunny, but at 6pm the SHTF - weather closed in, a member got injured and you have to sit a few hours or more for rescue.

So, you get out your survival bag and get in. Question - Did you get in it the right way?

Sounds stupid? bear with me.

See that picture on the front of lifesystems bag? Thats how NOT to get into a shelter bag. If the emergency means you need in, heres how to do it.

1) Unwrap your bag.

2) get out your knife and cut a face sized flap at the FOOT END.

3) Take you whistle and hang it around your neck.

4) Climb head first - yes head first into the bag, making sure you face flap is the side your face is going to peak out of....

5) Once in, reach down and open your bergen ( A bergen is military slang for a back pack / rucsac ) and slide your feet into it and pull it up into the survival bag as much as you can. This keeps your feet warm and insulated from the ground and you know where your kit is (It won't be blown away if its windy!)

Your waits going to be 100% warmer and safer for you now than if you got in feet first. Heres why.

A) Heat rises. You get in feet first you made a perfect polythene funnel for your body heat to rise up and escape into the cold outside.

B) Head loses 30 times more body heat than your feet do. You also think with your head....

C) Rain falls downwards, not upwards. Rains just gonna funnel on down that poly bag and puddle inside it. Thats really going to spoil your day.

D) If you need to use your whistle and you are feet in the bag first, you'll raise your arm to your face and waft off huge amounts of heat upwards... Bad idea.

E) Head first, and your arms stay INSIDE the hot coccon, and only your face is partly exposed, but protected from falling rain by the flap you cut hanging down. Now blow your whistle to your hearts content and it won't cost you an iota of body heat.

F) With your feet in your bergen you know its going to remain where you left it as its anchored to you. If you in the bag feet first, its going to be out side and to hold it you would need to keep moving arms outside the bag... this head first way means you can just reach down into the bag and get your nice dry stuff out and keep body heat in.






Winner really.

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Dan Tanna]

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Dan Tanna]

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Dan Tanna]

Great article on a great item..
You can get them for a couple of quid too.

Get a spare and stuff it full of comfy stuff to make a sleeping mat

On the 'upside down' use of it.. I always have a giggle at the thought of some-one sitting in it and wondering why they suddenly had a portable indoor swimming pool coz it rained.

On the 'upside down' use of it.. I always have a giggle at the thought of some-one sitting in it and wondering why they suddenly had a portable indoor swimming pool coz it rained.

Portable indoor swimming pool..

I have to say though, when I needed mine I was in a group of 6. I got in head first and the rest feet first. In a blizzard. All I heard as I crawled in were five voices mocking me...

An hour and a bit later I was warm and drifting off to sleep when rescue turned up. The others? five mild frost nipped noses, soggy kit and red faces. Mountain rescue folks gave them an impromptu lesson on how to use a bag properly on the drive back.

Oh how I mocked them next evening in the pub.

reply to post by Dan Tanna


Ecellant peice of advice Dan...how do I star and flag it...most people are just told to get in the bag....this was one that I had missed !thanks

Sound advice!!

Just a thought.
I had always been told to strip down to skivvies provided that you are ambulatory and in no other danger. The idea being that sweating at night will be the death of you the next day.
Also, how much is a Quid? And where in the world did that word come from? U2U so as not to derail, thanks.

Originally posted by LAUGHING-CAT
Just a thought.
I had always been told to strip down to skivvies provided that you are ambulatory and in no other danger. The idea being that sweating at night will be the death of you the next day.
Also, how much is a Quid? And where in the world did that word come from? U2U so as not to derail, thanks.

Do not at any time remove any clothing unless you are over heating. Then only one layer at a time, and starting from the outside layer i.e. goretex jacket off first. Condensation will be present yes I agree, but its a solid platic sheet and will keep you alive for longer, much longer. Do not ever strip off all your clothes. Then you will have only your bare skin pressing against bare plastic and thats going to be an effective heat transfer device... from you to the outside.

These bags are £ 2.99 Pence. A 'Quid' is a single £1. Its UK slang.

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT


www.nevisport.com...

Apologies for that .. I'm too used to brit-speak.. Need to get back abroad to learn English again..

A quid is an English pound £1.
They're available in all survival/camping/mountaineering stores.

reply to post by Dan Tanna
O.K. got it.
I had no idea what a survival bag is.
I was thinking more along the lines of a conventional sleeping bag.
My bad.

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT



Now you know what one is AND how to use it! Bonus


Here is the second way to use it if your waiting for Air rescue, and your all good to go but your casualty is down, stable and just waiting for pick up.



Get the casualty into their bag as per norm, then cut yours into a square and lay it over them making sure a face hole is cut out too... peg the edges down with rocks from around you, and then sit facing the sun as best you can, and dig out your mirror. Use the mirror to flash a signal off intot eh sky and with good skies your flash will be visible for miles from both air and land.

This works on sunny snowy days as well, so its worth bearing in mind.

Big star and a clap on the back from me.

Innovative thinking Dan man!
Did a master survival expert teach you this or did you learn this yourself?

Can't find any fault in that, unless your bergen is rammed full of gear and you've got to remove items to get your feet in. But no fault at that.

An advancement/variant on this is to get the bergen or rucksack you've got your feet inside like so:

------------- Rucksack flap / bergen
---XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Person in survival bag
-- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
------

- = Rucksack

X = person in survival bag.

Basically, you make sure the flap of the bergen is covering over the top of the legs thus giving you some additional respite from the elements.

reply to post by WatchRider


I been on both civilian and military survival schools and like to keep my skills fresh and up to date, and use them from time to time in the wilds.

Oh and when new toys come out I love to test them!

hence my Blast match thread.
.

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Dan Tanna]

Another excellent thread from you Dan. Plus, I get to learn a new word -- bergen -- aka Pack. y'know I used to wonder why these things didn't have a drawstring at the top.... I have a Marmot Mountain goretex-clad sleeping bag..... it doesn't get used much since we've been down here, but at one time it was the very best for keeping dry and warm. Slide in, cinch it up, and breathe through de little hole

Great idea you've come up with. We have four of these little bags in our BOB. kudos!

reply to post by Dan Tanna
Thak you for your quick response.
Let me ask, how much will all of this help if we really find ourselves in a SHTF sit.?
I don't think me and mine will be high on the priority list for pick-up.
Also are these survival bags meant for the long haul, or just a stop-gap measure. Can, if we are caught with our knickers at our knees, use a simple industrial size trash bag in its stead?

reply to post by LAUGHING-CAT


These bags are very heavy duty and re-usable, and do not tear at all easily.

As for use when the SHTF? well, it will simply put save your life to fight another day Its like your own mini cave on a bleak windy moor.

The giant refuse sacks? well, if you have one thats over six feet long be my guest!

[edit on 19-7-2008 by lovepens1]

hey - a good tip its amazing how often ` `saftey equiupment is missues - and even the official instructions are flawed

however - i will stick with ` my way ` - although its heavier , bulker -

my way ?

use a std bag - un cut - and climb in feet first

then pull my second ` home made ` hood bag over my head and feed it down and pull my orrange bag up INSIDE the hood

like this :



my top bag is transparent plastic - measuring 1m wide by 1.5m long - i cut a big hole in the ` front ` - and put another bag over the first and sealled it 1/2 way roun - so it acts like a flap if that makes sense

i cannot suffocate - but its totally rain proof - even if its scottish rain comming in horizontal

the adgantages are - that when sat down i pull my bergen onto my lap and get at my kit with my arms outside the orange bag but still with everyhing inside the top bag

i guess at this point our american readers are thinking why doesnt this idiot just use a commercial or military surplus ponch for what he is doing

well - it was a long time ago - and i aquired 100 of these huge bags - and started making uses for them

i also made a poncho

imho - my way is better than yours - because i can get out of the thing faster - the transparent top bit gives me better visibility and my orange bag is intact should i need it for ` other uses `

i am carrying more weight though

Originally posted by ignorant_ape

imho - my way is better than yours - because i can get out of the thing faster - the transparent top bit gives me better visibility and my orange bag is intact should i need it for ` other uses `

i am carrying more weight though

My ways one use emergency 'sit tight' only. If it rains so hard I need to get under shelter I just bivvie up or... carry on walking as I got goretex on.

Yours however is a brilliant idea if you don't mind the extra weight.

www.charliesdirect.co.uk...
Super shopper strikes again.
Survival bags for £1.75

AND..

What about a torch to help use it in the dark..?

www.ee33.co.uk...
£9.95

These retail at around £30 - £40 everywhere else.
How great am I at shopping for a bargain?

Originally posted by AGENT_T

AND..

What about a torch to help use it in the dark..?

www.ee33.co.uk...
£9.95

These retail at around £30 - £40 everywhere else.

How great am I at shopping for a bargain?

FFS! £10?????????????????????????????? thats a steal!

Right! OI! Bird! Bring your card to the PC room, i got an order for ya!

[edit on 25-7-2008 by Dan Tanna]