Sleeping Bag Claustrophobia

[Tim Testa]

Today I was at REI looking at sleeping bags to kill sometime while waiting to be called on at a restuarant. I pulled a bunch of them down and hopped in them to see what they felt like. While I didnt have time to try on many, I quickly noticed that every single one of them that I tried on was narrow around the shoulders. So much so that when I had my girlfriend zip them up, I began to seriously freak out. I am not claustrophobic on most occasions, but when I cant move my shoulder and feel confined, I begin to tweak out. Being that this is such a serious matter for me, can anyone recommend some sleeping bags that are nice and wide at the top?

[Peter Barron]

This may be completely unhelpful…

but for this reason I went to a quilt and bivy bag. Jacks R better and equinox bivy – performs just like a sleeping bag with a some extra room – little extra weight over just a quilt but no drafts, increases warmth etc.

I did also buy a summer weight (7?) montbell synthetic bag. I zipped it up once and couldn't understand how anyone can sleep like this, arms pressed to sides etc. – so I unzip it and use as a quilt.

[Jim Colten]

Ditto on the quilt … and bivy if I'm thinking there's a chance of temps below much 20*F

[Jim MacDiarmid]

In the 30 degree range – Quilt, Western Mountaineering Megalite (64") shoulders; Marmot Hydrogen (62"), MB Super Stretch #3 (53" but stretches to stretches to 70.9") MB Spiral Down #3 (57 to 68")

[two pints]

I cant get comfortable if I feel confined. My Marmot bag (2001 Helium) is appreciably wide at the top. If I were in the market for a mummy bag right now, I would look at Marmot first. That said, I prefer my down quilt over my Marmot bag.

[John S.]

I have gotten claustrophobic when I first started backpacking or when I am having difficulty getting out. The first time was with a big agnes horse thief and another time was with the golite ultra (the closure is a little complicated to me).

I prefer shock cord, hoodless and no zippers. I think though that with time you will get used to being enclosed. It takes time.

[Gary Dunckel]

Marmot's 850 series bags: the longs have 2" greater girth (shoulder, hip, and foot) than the regulars, quite roomy for a 6' guy. If you need even more room, you might consider WM's Ponderosa, a barrel-shaped bag that weighs ~ 2# 14 oz.

[Tom Caldwell]

Feathered Friends has a wide series of bags with optional hoods, like the Penguin.

[larry savage]

If you go to Mountain Hardwear's website and look under sleeping bag accessories you'll find their nifty thermic bag expander. It adds 8" of girth to any full length #8 ykk zipper bag.

[jason grosser]

Tim I am 6'1" and 220 (but working on it). I have very broad shoulders and I know What you mean. I am currently using a Montbell U.L. super strech from Prolite Gear and I love it. I have laid in a Western Mountaineering megalite (the 6"6' version) and it did feel roomy but not like the Montbell. Hope that helps.

[Kier Selinsky]

if you check REI's site and other sites, you'll notice that most bags seem to have a shoulder girth of roughly 60 inches. have your gf measure your shoulder girth at your broadest point, probably over your nips, and see what you are. based on your description, you're probably in the 50 to 55 inch girth.

so i'd recommend checking out the Big Agnes bags. most of these have a 70 or 72 inch girth. i have a 55 inch girth and feel pretty comfty in a big agnes bag.

hope that helps…

[Zack Karas]

+1 WM Megalite. My wife and I use it unzipped as a double's quilt, and when used solo zipped up there is a lot of room. I'm 5'10", 150 lbs, so I'm not the biggest guy, though.

[Jeff K]

I am 5 foot 11 and about 135 on a good day. I assume that bigger bags make me "work harder" to heat up all the air pockets. I don't know if this is true, but occasionally when I shift I hit a cold spot of my bag, and I think a smaller bag might be warmer while still being comfortable. I figure if the shell was smaller the loft would be higher assuming the amount of down was constant.

I currently use a REI Kilo Flash which I find to be more than enough room, and it looks like most of the reviews of it find it rather constricting.

Is my logic correct that a smaller bag will be warmer? This should also make the bag lighter. Any suggestions? Although I have only used bags in the past, I am open to trying quilts as well.

[Jim MacDiarmid]

Less dead space means you're body heat will warm the bag up faster, yes.

Kilo Flash's are pretty light, aren't they? Is it the 35 degree model@19oz? If you like your Flash and find it good to the temp rating you need, I'm not sure a new bag to save a few ounces would be worth your money. If you don't then there are certainly options.

The lightest, warmest, and most expensive option would be a Nunatak Arc Ghost quilt, which would be 16-19oz in a large depending on the fabric you choose, and conservatively good down to 32 degrees. A quilt can also be wrapped as tight or as loose around you as you like. Nunatak also has a 20 degree quilt that is 22-25oz if you want something warmer.

Slightly cheaper but heavier are the Montbell Super Stretch line of bags. There is also the Western Mountaineering Summerlite rated to 32 degree and 19oz.

[Turley]

Jeff, almost all bags decrease the amount of down accordingly (normally 1-2 ounces less for a short, or more for a long). So although a small bag will be lighter than a regular or long length, the warmth of all three should be the same.

Tim, also consider a Valandre bag; although they carry a hefty price tag, they do have more shoulder girth, and in my opinion are every bit as good if not better in terms of quality down and craftsmanship as Western Mountaineering. I have the Valandre Mirage with 3/4 length zipper and prefer it over my WM bag.

[Jeff K]

Thanks for the suggestions.

The Kilo Flash is 19oz. I haven't gotten mine down to 40 degrees, but I have taken it to 50 with just a base layer and I was venting a little so I think 40 degrees should be pretty accurate.

I am hoping that with a Montbell down jacket and insulated pants I can push that even lower to maybe 30. For colder weather I think I would get about a 20 degree something and then with my down jacket, etc. maybe I can push it down to 15 or maybe 10.

I will see how my current system goes as it gets colder and will think about the investment of a nice Nunatak for a 20 degree quilt. But I agree spending a lot to save a few ounces from the Kilo Flash seems silly. I got it on clearance for about $55, so I can't complain about the warmth or weight to cost ratio!

Thanks again.

[Curt Peterson]

There are no roomier backpacking bags than the MontBells. They all have their own specs, but the UL Super Stretch series are the most roomy bags on the market by far. They're light as well, so it's a rare piece of gear that is both roomy and lightweight. The Longs in particular go up to something like 75" girth. That is so far beyond what most manufacturers call wide it's not even close. Many "wide" bags are 64" or sometimes 66".

Maybe there are some here that will chime in, but I personally do not know of a single person that has actually used a MontBell stretch bag and ended up returning to any other brand.

[Lynn Tramper]

"Maybe there are some here that will chime in, but I personally do not know of a single person that has actually used a MontBell stretch bag and ended up returning to any other brand."

OK, I'll chime in ;)

The Montbell SS I tried was no where near as good in the warmth:weight ratio as my WM bags. Also, the Superstretch was only 'roomy' when zipped up. When used as quilt in warmer weather it was actually too narrow for moi. They are a pretty good bag in genreal, but couldn't knock WM off my "top bag" pick.

[Troy Ammons]

You need to climb into a Montbell SS bag.

I am 6-3 and 235, plenty big enough, and very stretchy.

I can hang my arms out, I can actually sit up and almost fully cross my legs and I have long legs.

I can cross them enough to sit up though which is a good thing.

Now I just need a SS bivy to go with it.

Other than that a quilt.

[David Ure]

"Now I just need a SS bivy to go with it."

The Integral Design Bivvies are huge.

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