winter sleeping bag

[Original Woody]

I'm trying to find a good down winter sleeping bag (been looking at -40) and tried on the Marmot CWM and Western Mountaineering Bisonbut I can not fit into them. They are just to tight around my feet and upper body.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a wide winter bag?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[DougPaul]

The EMS Mountain Light bags used to come in -20F (shoulder girth 62 in) and -40F (similar girth) models which I found to be pretty roomy (maybe even too roomy for me...).

They seem to have discontinued the -40F bag, but the current -20F model has a shoulder girth of 65in and hip girth of 58in. There is also a long model. http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3981925

Doug

 

[J.Dub]

+1 for the EMS Mountain Light series. I have two, in -20 and 0 degree ratings. Get your bad self down to your nearest EMS and climb into one and see how it fits.

Do you really think you need the -40? They're more expensive, weigh more and take up more room in your pack. Depending on what you wear when you're sleeping, I'm wondering if you could make do with a -20.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

And don't overlook Beans. They make an excellent bag, with realistic temp ratings.

 

[DougPaul]

Do you really think you need the -40? They're more expensive, weigh more and take up more room in your pack. Depending on what you wear when you're sleeping, I'm wondering if you could make do with a -20.

Temps in the Whites do occasionally reach -40F at night. I personally have been out for a -30F night. And I have been out on day trips where the high for the day was ~-15F--don't know how cold it got at night.

IMO, one should have at least a -20F bag if one wants to be able to camp out on most nights. A -40F bag is better. One can also make a -40F or so bag by putting a lighter bag inside a -20F or 0F bag and only carry the lighter bag when colder weather is expected. (However, 2 bags are heavier and bigger than one lower temp bag.)

There is additional info in the following threads:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33169
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14481
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8069
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6164

Doug

 

[TomD]

Check these out-
http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=717&CFID=2233026&CFTOKEN=61450496

They make a "broad fit" that is bigger than most others I have seen online. No personal experience-just looking at the specs.

I hear good things about ID. For more than a grand, it better be pretty good.

 

[Brambor]

stephenson warmlite

Warmlite will take measurements and make you the bag you want.

 

[Dunbar]

I bought a -40 bag for winters up in the Adirondacks. If I were to buy again I would probably look at a -20 or -25 to save some weight and bulk. The -40 can also be too warm at times. I figure if the weather forecast is calling for temps below -20 I may just not want to camp out.

The bag is a Feathered Friends. It doesn't seem overly spacious to me, so I'm guessing that if the WM doesn't fit well the FF probably wouldn't be any better.

 

[DougPaul]

I bought a -40 bag for winters up in the Adirondacks. If I were to buy again I would probably look at a -20 or -25 to save some weight and bulk. The -40 can also be too warm at times. I figure if the weather forecast is calling for temps below -20 I may just not want to camp out.

I have several bags with different ratings and choose according to the expected conditions (plus a reasonable margin).

My night out at -30F was an interesting experience. I recommend it, at least once...

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Warmlite will take measurements and make you the bag you want.

Warmlite bags have built-in vapor barriers, which you may or may not prefer.

Their standard size bags are available in 4 different girths.

Doug

 

[swamp]

Feathered Friends brother. They'll cut the bag to your specs and their temp ratings are conservative.Hugh Hefner swears by them.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I have several bags with different ratings and choose according to the expected conditions (plus a reasonable margin).

My night out at -30F was an interesting experience. I recommend it, at least once...

Doug

I also recommend it. My coldest nights were attending an ice climbing festival in Canada (Festiglace')where it was -40° on both nights. I have camped in the cold, but it was an interesting experience. Fuel doesn't want to flow in stoves and lanterns, trees snap and bang all night, and I awoke with a fresh layer of snow inside the tent each morning just from breathing.

We thought we were hardcore until the troop of girl scouts walked by...felt pretty humbled after that.

I researched getting a very cold bag in the past, and came to the conclusion that the number of times I'd actually need it were so few I'd be better off getting a cold bag and nesting it with a larger one for those few nights. I had 3 in Canada (the outer was a thick fleece liner bag), and only my lips (the only exposed skin) were chapped/burned in the morning.

My current recipe is a synthetic 0° bag nested inside a 15° down bag with an expander panel.

 

[DougPaul]

My current recipe is a synthetic 0° bag nested inside a 15° down bag with an expander panel.

If you combine down and synthetic bags, it is better if the down bag is used inside the synthetic bag. That way the frost forms in the synthetic bag and does not degrade the down. Down also expands to fill the spaces inside the synthetic bag better than the other way around.

Doug