help a big guy out

I should say….im 6' 1" and 325lbs

I've lost 25lbs recently and working really hard to lose more

It looks like you rolled the bag and then put it in that compression sack. Is that right?

If so. Grabbing a corner of your bag and stuffing it might let you compress it some more.

No. I stuffed from one corner….

And that's a 30L OR rt airpurge comp sack…I don't get it….

I believe that's a synthetic bag

I think if you stuff it really hard it will lose a lot of loft

Better to stuff it loosely

I wonder if there are any studies of loft loss vs stuffing density

You didn't say whether or not you'd consider a new bag. Big or not, that thing weighs more than 7 pounds if I have the right bag! And that's for a 20 degree bag! No wonder it won't stuff more than that.

There are other bags out there that will work for your size that aren't that big or heavy, if you're up to considering them. If not, I don't think you'll stuff your current bag a whole lot more than you already have, regardless of what you do.

FWIW. Including inflation.

If you can by any means invest into a down bag. It IS worth it. Your height won't change (you will need a tall bag no matter what) and most guys tall have broad shoulders so you will need that as well.

Down will save you a lot of weight and goes so much smaller.

You don't need to spend a ton either, there are good but reasonably priced bags out there.

But I hear you….my husband is 6'4". All but one bag is down that he uses.

yeah, i actually started this post with the idea in mind that i could get some suggestions on bags out there for me that will

pack small enough to fit in my deuters bag compartment

be light

fit me into

not cost more than 200 bucks

also, it only needs to be 3 season…i'm not up to winter backpacking yet

but lo and behold i got sidetracked on my current(crappy) bag

the coleman does keep me warm but it's too big/heavy

but i was curious if i could get it smaller than that

i really hate packing that thing strapped onto the bottom of the bag

thanks so much for the help so far guys…mucho appreciation

I am a big guy, and I don't generally fit into or like the confines of the average mummy bag. I have a few sleeping style/bag suggestions –

– Quilt – You will save a lot of pack weight and can customize to fit your body and sleep preferences. Might be worth a shot.

Off the Shelf

– Kelty Coromell 25 (down) – this is a generous down sleeping bag (72 inch girth) although it isn't the lightest thing out there. It packs down to a reasonable size, and with the 50% off coupon for Dept of Goods was as low as $85.00.

– Mountain Hardware Extralamina – Again not the most compact thing out there but it does pack up pretty small comparably. It has a generous cut (hence the "extra" in the title)and uses a synthetic insulation.

– Cabela's Boundary Waters bag – These get high ratings and have been rated by Backpacker as a good choice for bigger campers. They have two temp models available. The price is somewhat high (IMO).

– Northface Hotlum XL. Like the Extralamina this also has a shoulder girth of 68". It is a 15 degree down bag, and you can generally find them for under $200.

It seems to me that for the larger crowd, the sleeping bags seem to hover right around 3lbs for the off the shelf models. The previous list I have provided is by no means exhaustive, so please add additional feedback and comments. I know this is BPL, but I find that I can't seem to break 3lbs for a sleeping bag that accomodates broad shoulders at a reasonable price. Just my opionion…Feel free to heap on scorn. :)

Brett,

The Marmot Sawtooth Long X-Wide bag may be pretty close to what you are looking for. A little over $200, but would probably be one of the lightest bags that would fit you right now. And it is a 15 degree…

You can end your search with a long sized MontBell Super Stretch bag. Not the cheapest, but you can find them for sale used (one sold here earlier today). Simply the best big guy bag on the planet as far as I'm concerned. Tried literally 20+ bags over 15 years in my search and nothing – nothing – even comes close. Check the max girth specs. Even most companies' wide bags won't come close to a MontBell bag. Most of the their clothes are famously smaller reflecting their Japanese roots, but for some reason their bags are HUGE – in the long size in particular. My backpacking partner is 6'5" and close to 300 and has room to spare. I was super comfortable at 280+. Now at 240 I feel like I could fit another person in there. Especially if weight is a concern, I doubt there's another width:weight ratio in the world that can touch a MB bag. My go-to bag is a #2 at 2 pounds for a realistic 25 degrees. After 10 or more years of searching I finally found them about 8 years ago or so. Since have collected 3 and they'd be the last thing I'd ever swap from my gear kit. I'm a fan, if you can't tell :)

It costs double, but it's a full POUND less AND over 10" wider than the Marmot. That's a ton of girth increase in a sleeping bag world that is typically measured in 2-4" increments.

http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=796&p_id=2321110

What temps are you looking for? You can likely get much lighter (and cheaper). 15 degrees is winter for sure.

Even if this won't fit you here's something to think about.

This guy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/veriest1/RobPose.jpg?t=1296903432

Pushes this:

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/bagdetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__ProductID=BIG3001&code=GF7

Into the mid 20's easy with no bivy and a cheap thermal shirt from Wal-Mart in addition to the clothes in the picture. From what I've seen the extra body mass really helps when it comes to bag ratings. He's a member here so I'll link him to this thread.

The long has a 73" girth at the shoulders according to the BA website. The price is right too.

EDIT: Backcountrygear.com has the weight and size compressed wrong. It's 2lbs 15 oz. and compresses to 8×7 for the long according to BA. Here's the link:
http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Bag/fishhawk30

Hey Brett,

I'm a big guy too. Right now I'm about 370 lbs and am right at about 5'10" and in the process of losing weight. Larry sent me this link and I'll tell you what works for me. I use the Big Agnes Fish Hawk sleeping bag. You're 6'1" so you'll need the long version they sell.

The Fish Hawk can almost make it all the way around me at this weight and I'm heavier than you are. As stated I can use this bag in the 20's while wearing all my clothes and I'm pretty comfy. It's a 30 degree rated bag. It will very likely fit all the way around you just remember to order the long if you go this route because the regular version is for people up to 5'10" and you'll be too tall for it.

-Rob

Btw the Fish Hawk does compress quite nicely and weighs just a tad over 2 lbs.

– Kelty Coromell 25 (down) – this is a generous down sleeping bag (72 inch girth) although it isn’t the lightest thing out there. It packs down to a reasonable size, and with the 50% off coupon for Dept of Goods was as low as $85.00.

$65 shipped at Sunnysports <– oops, this is a synthetic model, no good

Ive gotta nearly new Montbell Super Stretch #2 25 degree down bag im willing to sell. It weighs 2 pounds 8 oz and stuffs down quite small. When compressed, it fits in the sleeping bag compartment of my Deuter Futura pro 42 along with my BA Flycreek 2. It is in perfect shape with only 2 nights in it. I would let it go for $150. Im 6'1 230lbs, and me and my wife, 5'3 130lbs can fit in and zip it up. I can sit indian style in it too. I just bought a lighter bag so i dont need this one anymore.

Have you considered a quilt? You can save a lot of weight and volume if you get rid of the bottom part of your bag.

Jacks r Better makes two big quilts, one of them is under two pounds and probably packs pretty small. Just an idea…

i'll look into the quilts

i don't really know what you guys mean when you say quilts

i'm just picturing a blanket

Scott, pm me about that bag

thanks to all for your help…that Big Agnes really looks nice

Eugene –

You linked to the synthetic version, which is cheaper. I was referring to the down version which is a tad more expensive.

Generally a quilt, in this sense, is a mummy bag with no zipper, no hood, and no bottom until you get down around the knees – the only part that's unmolested is the foot box.

You can drape it over your upper body if it's warm enough but most quilts have the option of being tied down to a sleeping pad to make a mummy bag shaped enclosure without a hood.

Why would you do this? Obviously weight is one but also the versatility of only using what you need and being able to vent really well. Often times people put the down that would be underneath you in a typical bag on top since compressed down (like when you lay on it) offers no noticeable insulation properties. Note that the Big Agnes bag mentioned earlier just has a sleeve for a pad on the bottom, that is, no down is underneath you – just fabric.

Golite (40% off right now), JRB, Mountain Laurel Designs (synthetic), and various other cottage manufactures all sell quilts.

@Marc

Good catch. I assumed that they would all be the same. That's odd that they'd do that and retain the same name.

just wanted to come back to the thread to say thanks again to everyone for their very helpful input

i ended up buying the MontBell super stretch 2 off of Scott

got it in the mail today and i love it…

it fits well and packs down crazy small

thanks again

Thats great Brett, glad you like it. See ya on the trail.