Submitted by John Fleming -
During the opening of OIF I deployed into Northern Iraq up into the mountains. Unlike the rest of Iraq this area is very cold, wet and windy in the winter/spring. While living in the wheat fields there it was a soupy combination of water, mud, and snow that continually got in our gear and our bags- due to the combat environment we slept in our gear sometimes boots on and it wreaked havoc on most folks sleeping bags- not mine- I brought a silk bag liner from REI and besides keeping my bag a lot warmer it also kept it clean from all the grit and junk that can not only make the bag uncomfortable but also reduce it's insulating properties. Every morning I would get up pull out my liner- shake it clean and then give it a light rinse- it would be dry in an hour or so- less if hung in open sunlight- so every night I had a warm clean place to sleep. Great for keeping your morale up.
