Sleeping bag...

[opie]

OK...So Im thinking switching from an air mattress and wool blankets to bags. I havent slept in a sleeping bag in ages...It will only be me and my son right now. I envision our daughter joining us but it will never be more than the three of us. The wife has no interest in sleeping outside.

I think having a couple bags that zip together would be ideal. Does that mean I have to stick to rectangular or are there some mummy variations that will zip together?

Im almost 6'4, so I know getting a long bag is a must. Our almost 6 year old son is 4'6 so I figure it would be wise to get him a long bag now and stuff the end with clothes or something to take up dead space.

I like natural insulation, but am not toally sold on down.

Options..recommendations. Im particularly interested in hearing from taller folks.

 

[luk4mud]

I am 6'1" 200lbs and dislike mummy bags. I use a semi- rectangular Big Agnes bag. It is wider in the shoulders, packs real light for backpacking and is plenty warm (rated at 20 I think). When car camping, I use it with a cot and REI pad- sleep like a rock.

Hope that helps.

 

[kai38]

Having worked in sporting good stores over the years I know for a fact mummies CAN be zipped together. You will need a left & right hand zipped bag, unzip them both all the way open, then zip the lower zippers together & upper zippers together.
You can take two rectangular bags and zip together by opening them all the way laying one on top of the other and matching the zippers together. You can use two different degree bags zipped together also. You can place the warmer bag on top. A good insulation pad makes a big difference in sleeping warm also.
There will be more leg room for tossing & turning in the rectangular bags especially with a small kid squirming around all night.

 

[opie]

Thanks. We wont be using them for hiking...so size and weight isnt an issue.

Ive read that mummy bags can be restrictive to people that move around while they sleep. To be honest, Im not sure if I fall into that category.

Claustraphobia(sp) is another story though!!

 

[opie]

I will be getting a couple foam pads to put under the bags. We will either sleep in the tent I got from kai...or under the soft topper on the truck which will be a plywood platform.

 

[Whoknows]

sleeping bags

I love sleeping bags, especially down. I'm 6'1" and I use a mummy. I could easily use blankets or other bedding with the trailer and have. But, all four of us use down bags and sleep well. It's hard to beat for simplicity and versatility. We are prepared for cold (easily handle low 20's) and on warmer nights, we simply leave the bag unzipped and lay it on top.

 

[opie]

Ive been doing a bit of research. Ill be hitting up REI and Cabelas next weekend to try out and make a purchase.

I have found that there is quite a difference in the waist down portion of the mummy bags as far as width. I know Im not going to want anything real tight...

I like the Big Agnes aspect of having a sleeve for a pad...but that also limits your pad choices.

Not sure about down or synthetic....Im not worried the packing aspect so synthetic wins out on that front considering syn. bags are generally cheaper.

 

[7wt]

I suggest trying out any bag before you buy it. Not all bags fit the same. I have a thing for Marmot products but only a few of their bags fit me properly. I tried the Big Agnes bags, in fact I had two of them but ultimately gave up on them. I sleep mostly on my side and that lets air sneak in the bag down my back. The problem is the pad is part of the bag and the pad is semi rigid, it doesn't bend when I do. If I stayed on my back all night long I would still have them. Now I just use a regular mummy bag and a pad. I have a Thermarest self inflater and a foam ridge pad for extra insulation on really cold nights. My bag is only rated to 25 degrees but it works well at that temp and doesn't cook me in the summer. I just sleep on top of it then or unzip it and use it like a blanket. Also, down is the way to go if you can keep your bag dry. If you are in a wet environment you want synthetic.

 

[opie]

Well, S&C just had a couple of pads up so I grabbed those.

They are rectangular so a BA mummy bag is out if I wanted to use the sleeve.

But yes...much time will be spent in different bags set up in tents.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I think zipping together mummy bags defeats the purpose. I hated them until I got my arms around the idea that you "wear" a mummy bag rather than sleep "in" it.
BTW I have a pair of zip together down mummy bags. We have never used them except to try them out at home.

I find a double rectangular bag to be drafty if the weather is cold.

For kids I would recommend a youth bag or an elephant foot bag. The better the bag fits the less dead air, the warmer the sleep. An elephant foot bag is cool if you like light weight cold weather back packing. You use it with a down parka instead of a regular bag, basically it is a waist length bag. SO you might find a use for them after the kids grow up.

 

[mmccurdy]

My wife and I have a pair of Slumberjack "woodsman" rectangular bags. We have one 0-degree and one -20, and we generally zip them together and put the thicker side up if it's colder. We've never been cold in these things, but our coldest night was probably in the teens or low 20's.

They are oversized, so I don't imagine your height would be a problem. You can find these easily on Slumberjack's site (not sure I'm allowed to link directly here). Good luck...

 

[opie]

Well, went to the REI in Ann Arbor and grabbed a Big Agnes Buffalo Park bag. It was their last one. I found another online that comes with one of the BA Air pillows free. So Ill be able to zip them together.

I tried the Encampment, but felt it was more bag than I need, insulation wise.

LOTS of room Buffalo Park. And as a bonus, the ALPS pads I scored of Steep and Cheap for $25 each will fit in the pockets of these bags!!