0 Degree Sleeping Bag for Big Guys

[Brandon.miller.4]

Searched and found only older threads.

I am purchasing a new 0 degree sleeping bag and pad for an idaho elk hunt in November. Price is not a major factor. Priorities are warmth, enough room, and weight. I have heard good things about Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering. Currently I use a NEMO disco 35 degree bag and a sea to summit pad. Im good to about 25 degrees with this system and a puffy. I bought the spoon shaped bag because I have a large build and for comfort. However, with warmth being the biggest factor for this hunt, I want a traditional mummy bag that will still fit me.
I am 6'1", broad shouldered, athletic 225lb with a 34" waist. (think Linebacker build), so I fear some bags may not work well for me.
Please provide some insight as to what bags and pads have worked well for you in cold temps (10-20 degrees), and what roomier options are out there.

Thanks!

 

[FishfinderAK]

Enlightened equipment 0 quilt and insulated Nemo Tensor pad.

 

[280ack]

Nemo sonic -20 deg down bag. Why not stay with Nemo, I have the 0* version and like it a lot.

 

[Bearsears]

I have a big build also (broad shoulders and larger waist than you) although Im not as tall at 5'10".

The Stone Glacier Chilkoot series is the most comfortable mummy bag Ive ever had. I run a 15 degree for everything and if it gets in the single digits I just add my puffy layers. The Chilkoot is really wide in the shoulders and waist/hips, but tapers down after that to stay efficient. They had there bags independently tested at K State https://www.stoneglacier.com/blogs/...cy-is-tough-to-find-in-the-sleeping-bag-world and the 15 degree bag lower limit rating is 8 degrees, the extreme rating is -29. The 0 degree bags lower limit is 0. and extreme rating is -39.
Lower limit is defined as "Lower limit of the range in which the user is in a curled up position and not feeling cold. Uses the metabolic rate of a male which is typically higher than a womans." Extreme rating is defined as "Lower limit of the range in which the user is in a curled up position and is at risk of health damage due to hypothermia. Uses the metabolic rate of a female which is typically lower than a man’s."

If you can find one of these bags, Id give them a serious look. Ive been running mine for 2 years now and I have zero intention to change a thing.

As far as pads go there are a lot of options. In my opinion, the exped downmats are really hard to beat. Some others think the Thermarest xterm is more comfortable. Whatever you get, Id recommend a pad with a VERIFIED R value of at least 6 or higher for the conditions you are going into. Good luck.

 

[*zap*]

Probably a wm semi-rectangular bag would be good, many different pads but many people like the thermarest light/warm pad. I like as wide a pad as possible. Definitely a long bag...good luck.

Specification Chart | Western Mountaineering

www.westernmountaineering.com

It is, imo, important to be used to sleeping in your bag so you may need to do that also before your trip. Yea5rs ago I had a hard time getting used to sleeping in a bag so I slept in one every night for months till I had no problems with it.

I am 6' 205# and the same waist as you....kodiak long and versalite regular both work fine for me but I prefer the long for very cold...you might look at your current bag measurements and compare to what wm or ff offer...

My versalite is many, many years old and I sent it to wm for a few repairs and a down top off/overfill.....they sent it back with that done and no charge.

WM offers gore wind stopper also for an option on some bags...I imagine it helps keep body heat in.

 

[sneaky]

I'm 6'3" 220 and use a WM Kodiak long bag. SG bags don't interest me at all. Not paying WM or FF prices for an Asian- made bag.

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[Bearwhisky]

Kifaru slick bag for synthetic, stone glacier chilkoot or WM for down


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[Brado16]

Take a look at the WM Bristlecone if your looking for a bag with plenty of room. I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs and have the long and feel like the bag is almost too big. Plenty warm and great option if you feel claustrophobic im mummy bags. Weight and packability still pretty reasonable given the size.

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[Bearsears]

I'm 6'3" 220 and use a WM Kodiak long bag. SG bags don't interest me at all. Not paying WM or FF prices for an Asian- made bag.

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I here ya but I think a lot of guys just flat out cant afford a FF or WM. Especially if they are just getting into this or need to buy a lot of other gear also. While I try to buy as much American made stuff as I can, sometimes I cant justify spending another 1,2, or 3 hundred dollars more when there is another quality product out there that's "Asian" made. As example the bag you recommended lists for $805 for a 6' 6" and $830 for a 7' a limited search and I found the 6' 6" one for $700. The Stone is $550 for a 15 and $600 for a 0.

While I'm not going to argue that the Stone bag is of the exact same quality as a WM or a FF, its also not a piece of junk China knock off. Its built with high end premium materials: Pertex shell, 850+ 90/10 goose down, ykk zippers, dacron tape, etc. Its also designed well and is using a good stitching method to provide durability.

All of us in general are using a ton of non american made products on our hunts especially almost every stitch of "high end" hunting clothing we all love. To each his own. I think WM and FF are absolutely amazing bags and worth the money. I just also think the Stone bag is a quality product that I have never wished I had something else while using it. Happy Hunting all.

 

[Totoro]

For me; EE for quilts and WM for mummy.

Both in 850 downfill, are stoopid warm!

 

[WeiserBucks]

Feathered Friends Ibis.

 

[wyosteve]

X2 on the WM Bristlecone!

 

[Decker9]

I love my Wm antelope, super warm, but roomy it is not. I’m 5’11” 160lb and find it quite constricting from the waist down, and especially from the knees down.

Putting clothes on in the bag is a fight even at my size.

I also run a down taiga bag made out of Vancouver BC. It’s on par with my WM bag in every aspect, but at half the price. Might be worth checking out as well.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Kifaru slick bag is plenty of room but it comes with some added weight and bulk. Shoulders are 60 inches and plenty of room for my size 50 shoulders. if cost wasn’t an issue I would look a western mountaineering for those temps.

quilts? Meh. You will either love or hate them. You may be quitecold trying to figure that out. For below freezing (or below 45-50* really) I like a bag.

 

[carsonkeys]

Searched and found only older threads.

I am purchasing a new 0 degree sleeping bag and pad for an idaho elk hunt in November. Price is not a major factor. Priorities are warmth, enough room, and weight. I have heard good things about Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering. Currently I use a NEMO disco 35 degree bag and a sea to summit pad. Im good to about 25 degrees with this system and a puffy. I bought the spoon shaped bag because I have a large build and for comfort. However, with warmth being the biggest factor for this hunt, I want a traditional mummy bag that will still fit me.
I am 6'1", broad shouldered, athletic 225lb with a 34" waist. (think Linebacker build), so I fear some bags may not work well for me.
Please provide some insight as to what bags and pads have worked well for you in cold temps (10-20 degrees), and what roomier options are out there.

Thanks!

I have the exact same build down to the pound and this year I'm using a XL 0* Zenbivy light bed and a L neoair xtherm pad. Plenty of room for guys our size. Can't yet speak to how warm it is, but initial evaluations are promising.

I'm coming from a standard size Kifaru slick bag - big mistake. You'd need to go large/wide for that particular bag, if that's in the running.

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

I ended up grabbing a marmot lithium 0. I will report back after the hunt my thoughts on this bag!

 

[Magnum61]

Since this is a recent post and I was searching for bags for big guys, I thought I would add what I've been finding for anyone else searching this topic.

1) "Big" starts at 6'2"+ and 250lb+. 6' 240lbs is the upper end of the average now.
2) Most bag advisors say that you need 10" of extra girth outside of your widest point for comfort and down efficiency.
3) For some reason some bag companies don't give a girth measurement and their Customer Service team is basically lost when talking about it. It's basic math...yet they are lost.

I'm 6'2" 290 w/ 56" chest, 38" waist and 63" of girth around the shoulders. The SG bags won't zip close on me. the Wide Kifaru is similar. The WM Bristlecone is tight. The current options seem to be a EE Conundrum bag/quilt at -10. They can get their extra wide to go 70"+ if you need it.

Hope that's helpful to other larger framed guys.

 

[bowhunthard88]

Check out the Big Agnes Echo Park series!

 

[Carrot Farmer]

Since this is a recent post and I was searching for bags for big guys, I thought I would add what I've been finding for anyone else searching this topic.

1) "Big" starts at 6'2"+ and 250lb+. 6' 240lbs is the upper end of the average now.
2) Most bag advisors say that you need 10" of extra girth outside of your widest point for comfort and down efficiency.
3) For some reason some bag companies don't give a girth measurement and their Customer Service team is basically lost when talking about it. It's basic math...yet they are lost.

I'm 6'2" 290 w/ 56" chest, 38" waist and 63" of girth around the shoulders. The SG bags won't zip close on me. the Wide Kifaru is similar. The WM Bristlecone is tight. The current options seem to be a EE Conundrum bag/quilt at -10. They can get their extra wide to go 70"+ if you need it.

Hope that's helpful to other larger framed guys.

I’m 6’1, 325… El Coyote walked me
Through the process and custom made me a 15* Quilt, XX-Wide x Tall.

Absolutely love it!!!!


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[Magnum61]

Check out the Big Agnes Echo Park series!

Actually I’ve owned the predecessor “Elk Park -20” for almost 15 years.