58 pattern down bag

[sandsnakes]

I have a 58 bag which is a wonderful bit of kit. I notice that at the base it has a row of pop studs. I assume they are for some form of storm cover, any ideas?

What I ant to know is

1 Is it for a cover
2 Did the cover work
3 Can you still get them.


Thanks

Sandsnakes


see you at the moot.

[tyfy]

I think they are supposed to attach to the bottom of a poncho of some description.

Richard

[Toadflax]

I have a feeling that they may pop onto some of the poppers on the 58 pattern groundsheet /poncho so that the poncho wouldn't slip off the bag - i.e. it forms a rather crude bivvy arrangement. I'm hanging onto my old poncho, but if you measure the number and spacing of the poppers on the bag, I could check to see if they do correspond with the poppers on the poncho then you'd know if it's worth getting one. Alternatively, I'll be bringing my poncho along to the moot so you could try it there and see if it fitted.


Geoff

[w00dsmoke]

With a gen issue 58 patt poncho, you studded the base to the corrosponding poppers on the feet end of the 58 doss bag. You then could peg the poncho to the ground and tie off one end to a tree or bush making a very basic bivi. Some 58 ponchos had a dedicated fabric strip with the studs on it to attach to the doss bag.

I used this set up for a long time when I was homeless in the eighties and travelled all over Scotland. I ended up getting another poncho and studded two together face to face creating abetter small tent with the doss bag inside.

You will eventually get wet/damp using both these methods, both are not ideal but in it's day they were all they had. There are much better alternatives these days.


By the way it's chicken feathers I believe in that bag...
WS

[ANDYRAF]

There was also a rather heavy canvas outer cover available in the early eighties, I remember picking one up in stores when some fool said we could have one each, I also remember putting it down again when I felt it's weight, it would take two people to carry one cover over a distance.
It was all laces and buckles and straps, nice if your into that sort of thing.

[w00dsmoke]

There was also a rather heavy canvas outer cover available in the early eighties, I remember picking one up in stores when some fool said we could have one each, I also remember putting it down again when I felt it's weight, it would take two people to carry one cover over a distance.
It was all laces and buckles and straps, nice if your into that sort of thing.

Was that not just US army cold weather bag outers? These were heavy canvas and had a full length laceing system, very bizarre. Useless bit of kit too.

[ANDYRAF]

Maybe but we were told they fitted our gonksacks and it had a 99 nato number.