US "Woobie" Poncho Liner, Woodland, Surplus

Converts into a sleeping bag

Pretty soon after its introduction, the rain poncho & liner combination became the standard-issue sleeping gear for hot climates or general summer use. It is very easy to turn these two into a sleeping bag:

• Tie the liner to the grommets of the poncho.
• Snap the poncho sides together to make a tube.
• Get in and sleep.

The US Army states that the lowest manageable temperature is about +10°C (50°F). So, it is very much a summer thang.

Note: This woobie is also fully compatible with the British jungle sleeping bag!

The Särmä Rain Poncho is a bit more narrow than the woobie, but it has grommets in the right places if you're fine with a somewhat sloppier coupling.

Also works as a thermal cape and underblanket

The Woobie is essentially a light on-the-go thermal and camouflage cape or an ad-hoc blanket to make the best of situations where you can stop to take a nap. The fact that the contraption is quick and easy to discard in a hairy situation is vital in military use. However, the ease of use definitely helps when hiking and hunting, too. You can also use the Woobie as extra insulation for sleeping bags.

If you're into hammocking, this thing can also work as an underquilt. If the tie strings aren't ideal, it's easy to modify them. You could also get two Woobies and tie them together for extra warmth.

The only thing the Woobie lacks, funnily enough, is a hole in the center for your head, so it can't actually be worn as a poncho with a rain cape. Some adventurous users have made a slit in the center to rectify this. However, remember to hem the cut seams and make a little insulation flap on it. It doesn’t have to be anything more complicated than two hook-n-loop strips.