1949 sleeping bag

[Barryeye]

Gentleman. Having bit of a clear out. Found my old sleeping bag. It is a U.S. military down filled bag. I assume from the label Korean War vintage. I think they were referred to as Mummy bags. As a Cub Scout leader I used this bag for years with no complaints. It is in good condition with just a few well done repairs. My camping days are over and frankly it was far too warm for a New Zealand summer but perfect for winter. Problem is what do I do with this 60 year old bag? I can’t display it with my military rifles, knives and bayonets but it is a part of history.
Do people collect such items? Are these bags common? Still a lot of life left in it but modern bags are better and lighter.
‘

[m1ashooter]

You bet people collect them. Check this forum out. If its USGI its collected by someone.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com

[Barryeye]

Thanks M1ashooter. I'll do that but I've got a feeling that there will be a lot more of those bags out there then collectors. Also remember I am in New Zealand.

[snakehunter]

Gentleman. Having bit of a clear out. Found my old sleeping bag. It is a U.S. military down filled bag. I assume from the label Korean War vintage. I think they were referred to as Mummy bags. As a Cub Scout leader I used this bag for years with no complaints. It is in good condition with just a few well done repairs. My camping days are over and frankly it was far too warm for a New Zealand summer but perfect for winter. Problem is what do I do with this 60 year old bag? I can’t display it with my military rifles, knives and bayonets but it is a part of history.
Do people collect such items? Are these bags common? Still a lot of life left in it but modern bags are better and lighter.
‘

I have one and use it.

[Maury Krupp]

I doubt your bag is 60 years old.

The "M-1949" is just the year the design was adopted. The bags were made through the 1960s or '70s at least.

Filled with a mix of down and chicken feathers, they're not likely to be anything any camper would want today. Even a Boy Scout troop probably wouldn't want it.

Maybe find a re-enactor group and sell it for whatever you can get?

Maury

[Barryeye]

You could well be right. I think I'll hock it off on a local auction sight. There is just no place for it in my collection but I don't have the heart to dump it. In its day it served me well.

[5MadFarmers]

Based on the DSA number I'd say 1963 but I'm not an expert on those.

The 1949 sleeping bag normally had the 1945 outer case. They were made into the 1970s. Replaced by the two bag system but I'm murky on that. Intermediate Cold and Extreme Cold? I think that's it. I think the 1949 started as a two bag system also - inner and outer. Which would make sense as it replaced the two bag system - Mountain/Arctic (circa 1943) (via the M-1945). Which replaced the two bag M-1942.

1942: 2
1943: 2 (mountain/arctic)
1945: 2 (inner/outer)
1949: 2 (inner/outer)

Yeah, something like that. All had an additional outer cover with them and the 1942-1945 also had a carrying thing. So 4 total items if one doesn't count the optional liner. So let's make that 5 items. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

[5MadFarmers]

I guess I remembered right. The inner bag alone is "Mountain" while putting it inside the outer bag makes it "Arctic." Using the Arctic bag alone is apparently verboten.

[Barryeye]

Thank you 5Madfarmers. I've now placed it on a local auction site and it has one bid already. Thanks to the kind people on this forum I should be able to answer any questions I get.

[pcox]

You guys are bringing back old memories. It got so cold in our barracks at Fort Wainwright that I sometimes slept in my arctic sleeping bag on top of my bunk. My feet are still cold.