Unboxing Rare Military Surplus Gear ⚠️ You Won't Believe What I Found 

I've never had better sleep than the sleep I had in a cot. Of course, that could have been due to the activities throughout the day.

The gortex bivy covers came around in the 90’s. I’ve slept plenty of months on the aluminum and nylon cots with the more modern three piece sleep systems. Just retired with 27 years of service back in May. Great experiences. Thank you Cody. Love what you’re doing.

I was issued that sleeping bag while serving as an infantryman in the Army. They are extremely warm and very well made. At night we put our wet uniform including sox between the sleeping bag and the liner and they were warm and dry by morning. I have had that same sleeping bag for 40 years and it is still servicable.

Pro tips: a small inflatable mattress pad, like a backpacking or camping one on top of this cot makes for MUCH better sleep. A silk bag liner will save your sleeping bag and make the sleeping comfort greater.

The old cotton fabric and wood cots are so much more comfortable than the modern nylon and metal framed ones. The cotton is quiet and gives and conforms to the back and doesn’t make creaking noises when you roll over like nylon does. A wool blanket folded the length of your body between you and the cot will make it warmer at night. Unlike sleeping on the ground, you have a chair to sit on when not laying on the cot, and you can store your belongings under it

Cody - I spent a lot of time in an Army bag from Alaska to the Saudi desert. One thing that I found is that it is really helpful to sleep with a standard bed sheet inside. Your Body oils will build up over time and although the bags CAN be dry cleaned, the process diminishes the loft over time. A sheet will keep your bag clean and preserve the cold rating longer.

Those are mint!! You got a great deal too. Surplus stuffs gone through the roof especially WW2

The vertical holes drilled in the ends of the bunk crossbars will accept dowels to support upper crossbars that support mosquito netting. Sleeping under netting saves needing to be totally in the sleep bag and sweating on warm nights.

During the Korean War there was an issue with metal zippers in the sleeping bags. Condensation from the men's breathing cause the zippers to ice-over and when soldiers came under enemy fire during bitter cold nights they found themselves unable to escape, resulting in fatalities. Not saying this is going to happen to anyone in elk camp, but is an interesting historical tidbit.

Man watching this really brings back memories. My grandfather had 2 of those cots but they were OD green. My uncle was in the service and got them for him at a surplus store. He gave my brother and me a old army tent we just about lived in it during squirrel season. Great video

The MSS (military sleep system) is great! It starts with the gore-tex bivy bag and has 2 nesting sleeping bags that snap in to the bivy. Based on the temperatures you expect, you can bring different parts. Technically, the big compression sack is part of the full system. The full build is supposed to take you down to -40 if you are wearing decent clothes and maybe farther if you have a tent. A lot of people just take the bivy and the light patrol bag when there is no real cold weather. The bivy is good enough to handle sleeping with no tarp nor tent. It is big enough so you can put your sleeping pad inside the bivy. A lot of bushcrafters take the bivy, a light sleeping bag and a small tarp. The bivy easily handles any splash back water from small tarp camping in the rain. Like most military gear, they are built to short, regular and tall. Make sure you get the "tall" since 6'4" is a bit much for the "normal" size. Check the size of each component. My "regular" works fine for me at 5'11", but I don't feel 5 spare inches in the regular build. Maybe to 6'2".

Don't forget some sort of a pad on the cot, with the air below it can be very cold sleeping on them, much like a hammock swinging in the breeze. Your haul sure has FIZZ written all over it!!!

Cots feel good for 30 minutes, then you notice them. But they do get you off the ground, which is crucial at all latitudes. A small foam or inflatable pad makes them perfect.

I only have experience with the more modern, aluminum frame and nylon Army Cots. 10/10 they are SUPER durable, and a solid foundation for a lightweight foam mattress. Slept on that setup for a hot minute in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was actually looking for one to buy the other day.

Wow, what a great find! I love old military surplus equipment! My dad has that exact cot in his shop, I had no idea it was a WW2 design. Very cool.

Guess what? I’m 73, my father served in WWII and when we went camping when I was 7 we slept on those same army cots. Your video brought back wonderful memories. God Bless You & Yours.

Really happy to see more traditional videos lately. I Don have time for the hour long livestreams and these golden nuggets are awesome.

I have one of these. Got it at a garage sale. Came in handy when I was homeless a few years back.

Our family use to have 4 of those years ago. I wish I had those now. My folks were cleaning house and I didn't know they were getting rid of it. They just didn't have a use for it.

Our summer camp has been using that exact model of cot for over 50 years. Lots of repairs from years of abuse but still a staple every year

In 1986 we had cots just like that with a half-inch foam sleeping pad and an extreme cold weather mummy bag.

I had one of those mummy bags as a kid, it was truly the warmest sleep bag I ever had.. 👍🏻

Love what you do. Thank you.

Great gear, but fyi...that is not a stuff sack, it is called a barracks bag which = laundry bag. On the gortex bivy. There were 3 things I never went to the field without. Issued poncho, woobie, and bivy cover. These 3 items will keep you dry and comfortable (not shivering) until you get below 50. Combine these with the sleeping bag and you are good to go in freezing inclimate weather. Throw up a ridgeline and A frame your poncho, and you are good in all but the absolute worst weather. I can confirm that the bivy cover sleeping system will keep you dry in a Ft. Drum blizzard. We would double up and use the bivy as a waterproof bag in our rucksacks. Good find.

you can find these folding beds still today newly made, in camping & outdoor stores. i saw them here in europe. the wooden parts are made from aluminium profiles nowadays, the construction is exactly the same.

I appreciate the appreciation for the old surplus gear. I’ll take my marmot down bag, I know it was expensive at 150-350 bucks but is comfortable light and really warm.

My dad gave me two of these sleeping bags with the covers that he "acquired" from being in the NG. As a kid I slept on my stomach so I couldn't do the mummy thing but they were quite warm and with the covers on them they're way too warm for anything but winter camping around here. Mine came with a cord to lace through all the black grommets to tighten up the waterproof cover around the bag.

I grew up with these sleeping bags. Used to have them in bed in the winter when we didn’t have good heating. I can still smell them

I could smell that!! It brought back memories!!

The bivy cover combined with a wool blanket or a poncho liner can get you through some tough weather.

It’s great to see someone so excited over what most of us still in take for granted.

This was awesome, I love rummage sales and military equipments of all sorts, so well made and just utilitarian, nothing fancy. Picked an army cargo pants a few yrs back at a church rummage sale for a buck, so happy that I had gotten one, with the side pockets to keep a bunch of stuff in it, really is a guys man purse!

I love old school vintage military surplus gear, grab it up anytime I have the chance, that’s a great score with that cot and sleeping bag, to get it in that excellent condition is awesome

Now this is the kind of unboxing I can watch

Im pretty sure that “original stuff sack” is just a laundry bag lol

Cody, I liked the vid and can almost smell that authentic surplus smell. Some notes: Byer of Maine I believe still makes a wood and canvas cot and may have been an original contractor to Gov. For them. If the canvas is TOO tight, you can spray it with water to give it some give. The sleeping bag fill was 50%/50% down and feathers and I have had a good night sleep in one many times. The stuff sack looked like a regular army laundry bag and when I see them cheap, I always buy them. Useful for so many things including the original purpose. The cotton cover on later models was treated with a water repellant called Quarpel. Always great feeling to find vintage functional stuff for cheap.This stuff is getting kind of scarce now,but when I was a kid, it was in Scout camps and everywhere and cheap.

Very cool. I use to sleep on those sometimes as a kid so they bring back memories. We had a few of them and when we had a lot of company we would set them up.

Awesome! I had a cot and sleeping bag like that in the 90s. Those were good times. It saddens me that days of cheap, good old army surplus with that unforgettable smell is largely over. Wood and canvas mostly replaced by nylon and plastics. It’s still good stuff, but no where near as cheap.

Slept many times on the military wooden cots and owned the same down mummy sleeping bag. Didn’t have or know about the green outer bag. Currently have the 90’s military sleep system which has the two sleeping bags, goretex bivvy bag and outer compression bag. It’s quite the heavy beast but still made like old WWII equipment, made to last.

Those are nice cots, surprisingly comfortable!

Strange how surprisingly comfortable sleeping on those cots was.

That cot was a great find! Any man who knew what they were looking at would have happily paid 35$

I have used surplus GI gear for years. It is tough, cheap, and proven. Used to be many bargains to be had, not just for camping. More surplus reviews Cody!

i have a cot from sportsmans warehouse called the outfitter XL and its the exact same as this other than its made of aluminum instead of wood, that combined with the pad they sell to fit it makes a fantastic bed, i lived on one for a few years, also it has a funny little bar to help with the final step

If they're reall tight, stand the cot up on th end, place your foot over the end bar, then push the cot sideways to get it to fit. I have a spare cot and sleep system... aluminum cot and modern sleep system. Also, if you find the center legs of the cot get "in on you" during the night because maybe you're a little heftier, an Army issued sleep mat fits perfect and completely transforms the comfort level of your cot.

It’s a classic design still used today. Now they are more aluminum and nylon. The classic mummy bag. Very warm. I spent a few nights in one 😂 Nice score.

They also had a mosquito net assembly that fit into the other holes on the end pieces.

I bought one, made if aluminum but same design years ago from a flea market vendor, 20$. I'm a side sleeping and when I'm camping, i get no shoulder pains from this vs an air mattress which I've used for years. Really cool find! Nice video

Cody is making a cool fort in his backyard.

the "latest" cots are exactly the same except with aluminum frame and different material. the material stretches and sags over time, so padding is usually required.

Incredible piece

Slept on those many nites Uncle brought a few of those and couple pup tents from Vietnam. Better than sleeping on ground for sure

Love the video, Cody. I'm a big fan of high-quality product reviews even when the products may not be widely available.

I have gott some old ww2 tools. Folding shovel like your CloCK one, little pick axe, and a hatchet. You are 100% right about them being built to last. They work as good now has when new. My neighbor who is a Vietnam vet got one of the surplus ww2 shovels when he joined the marines and he carries it in his truck in winter.

Totally awesome cot!!

Score! I've slept on one and it's definitely better than sleeping on the ground. The only trouble I had was my pillow wouldn't stay put. 😂 Side note: One of my most prized possessions is from the 40s. It's metal, has an engraved picture of a pony with an arrow in it's mouth, and was adopted in 1911. I inherited it from my dad. ❤

i enjoyed my grandfathers sea hammock for years as just a plain hammock Its true old time equipment is the best, heavy but the best

It's probably an M1945 Artic Sleeping Bag as the outer shell was made to fit 2 different models of Bag, the Artic and Mountain Sleeping Bags.

If it's cold, you still want a foam or air mat on the cot for insulation, or your backside will freeze.

May want to look at seeing if two Rubbermaid totes will store under it without affecting comfort. Would give a place to keep clothes dry without increasing your footprint inside the tent.

I've used the metal version on this in my time in the Navy.

I had one of these as a kid and loved going camping with it...great find

Did You get the mosquito net with 4 poles? The holes in the end piece take the poles and the net drapes over the 4 corner poles. Put another cot together pace it upside down on those poles and you have a place to keep your gear up off the ground. yeap slept on those a number of years all told while in the Military. Enjoy.

That sleeping bag was manufactured on my birthday 41 years early.

I had one of those as a kid. Yours is in good shape because no one ever slept on it for more than one night. They are that comfortable.

Ive slept on these and the newer variants in scouts. Many camps use them for their tents and lodges. They are very cozy in my opinion.

I've been homeless for the past 6 months, and sleeping on a cot is a game changer. At first, I just used a yoga mat and slept on the ground. I got eaten alive by fire ants and chiggers. The cot felt like a hotel mattress in comparison.

I got to sleep on those with my grandpa He had a few of them and they are awesome! I like how comfortable they are.

You"ve got a pillow, it"s called a backpack!

Use the pole to wedge in one side first. I used these in Iraq except mine were metal but ends are always hard to pop in. Use the wood end to put one side in first.

That’s an outstanding find, I know where one is but they want $130 for it. A cot is better to sleep On other than the ground for sure. It’s gonna be perfect for your elk hunting canvas shelter

Army cots haven't changed too much thats crazy. Metal legs instead of wood. The sleep system is similar as well.

Want a nice find. Thanks for sharing Cody.

that cat would look good with a wranglerstar wrap

Wow that is in Great Shape. I have the newer version, but it makes a crazy loud sound when you roll over. The Canvas will be quiet... Great Score!

Wow, 1944! That's an amazing find in such good condition

I found the gore tex bivi, the light weight bag, and a gore tex parka, all woodland camo,.new, at a Florida goodwill. dirt cheap. cheers!

There were 2 of those old cots in our old wooden barn but they were so deteriorated, broke my heart!

I used an updated version of these in the Air Force in the 80's. Aluminum frame and nylon bed. It's very hard to get the thing in position.

To make the sleeping bag really work you need the wool sleeping bag liner, it looks like a WW2 army blanket with a zipper. It ties into the bottoms with two straps and makes the sleeping bag supercwarm

Oh man, I grew up sleeping on these. My dad inherited them from my grandfather who was a WW2 vet.

They use clear wood so they wont break. If there was knots in the wood it would have probably broken a long time ago.

Seeing the small quality of life improvements on the cot and sleep system are baffling that they don't have on the newer stuff the tie in for the mummy hood not on the new stuff the channel for the dowel on the tension bar gone I can't tell you how many times I've gotten it almost on just to have it slip and bang my knuckles on the frame

You need a gasoline fired immersion heater. I have one in a 100 gallon stock tank at my cabin, a wonderful hot bath. They will work using old crappy ethanol fuel that can be had for free.

That’s awesome. We used the modern version of these cots but were made of aluminum and are just as stubborn to put together

Slept in these in the military numerous times, they are exponentially more comfortable than on the ground with a roll mat. Mine is an aluminium one and have had the same one for nearly twenty years, the nylon "bed" is starting to tear, I really want to replace that than have to buy a new one.

You could put a foam pad on top for insulation.

Yup , that's how we still do it😂

Its amazing that Army cot design still has not changed, materials are now aluminum and no longer canvas

Good stuff as usual - but can you tell me what word that is at around 2:15? "It's still chuchin!" (??)

Add a sleeping pad the the cot, and it makes for an even better, more comfortable sleep system. Especially when it get really cold at night. Only way to go here in Alaska.

Thank you for sharing this event with us, Cody. God will always be with you as long as you do what is right.

military still used these cot types in tent cities in 2002 when i was in Pakistan and Qatar. they had a heavy metal frame but still the same

I love it! Beautifully simple design and rich with history! I definitely want to bring a cot like that next time I go camping

I have spent many a night in one of those bags on a cot just like that with my platoon. The cot is definitely more comfortable than the ground!! Enjoy!!!!

that looks way better than our aluminum and nylon ones

Ive still got my Kitbag bivvi i bought when i served in the army. 13 years old, used 3 minths straight every year of those 13 and its never had a hole in it, never leaked, ill take a bivvi and a tarp over a 2 man tent any day. They were also good because you could roll your bed up and still have a cover over you to do what ever else you need to do

Some of the best sleep I ever got was in my British 58 pattern sleeping feather down sleeping bag.

Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, served in the pacific, AWESOME FIND!!!!!

Canadien army camping bed style use the same design, but they are all steel today!