hey folks - so far i've been doing some canoe based camping to get into the backwood, and have been able to get away with a heavier square cut bag for summer. but now i'm shopping for a winter bag for some hikes, and wondering about snugness. normal bags have a shoulder girth of about 60", and on my large frame and shoulder girth of 55", this is quite snug. So I was looking at some Big Agnes bags cause they have a shoulder girth of 70". However since I'm looking at winter (0*) bags, I want to be sure I'm not getting too loose there. The problem is that the 60" feels a bit claustrophobic. Am I being a wimp about the 60" bags? What kind of clearance do you normally have?

thanks!!

I can't use less than 64". Any smaller, I get claustrophobic. I can't wear a lot of clothing inside the bag for the same reason. I'm about 5' 11" 200 Lbs. The 64" bags I have now are both Western Mountaineering. I've never measured my shoulder girth, so I just asked my wife to get the tape (53"). If at all possible just try the bags out in person which may be next to impossible if you don't have a store that stocks the bags you are looking at. 0* is pretty cold. Make sure it will keep you warm enough, but comfortable. What is uncomfortable is waking up in the middle of the night feeling claustrophobic. Been there done that. I couldn't handle a 60" WM bag, because the 62" felt too small. A 70" for someone my size would seem way to big. I'm hardly ever out to less than 20 degrees, and my coldest bag is rated for that temperature and it works well.

What really helped me out in really cold weather was wearing something on the head that will stay put while you sleep. Pick your poison, but make sure it is warm and will not come off during the night.

Make sure you are really prepared and know what you are doing before you venture out into cold weather.

Jon

Thanks Jon - that's perfect info. And yeah, I'm not underestimating the winter hike at all. I did one when I was in Boy Scouts around age 13... I'm not sure if I didn't listen or if no one warned about the hardships of winter camp, but I ended up going out to camp with the troop in 6 inches of snow, night time temps of probably about 10 or 15, with a 40* bag and some blankets. I've never shivered so much or gotten up to pee so much in my life! lol I was wearing probably 5 layers of clothes, my bag, and several layers of blankets.

I learned two very important lessons that night: the importance of a properly rated bag and the importance of good ground insulation (I think I might have actually had enough top insulation, it was the snow under me that was getting me probably). Never to underestimate that again - just glad I survived the night so that I could learn that lesson. (and reason #239 that now that my son is in scouts, he'll never be doing the camps without me)

Check out our Winter Camping forum for advice on bags. A bag that is too big will take more body heat to keep warm in since there will be more air to warm up. That is the theory anyway. I like a long bag even though I am only 5'10. I hate having my feet all the way at the end. I've been advised to get a shorter bag, advice I intend to ignore.

Sounds like you needed a good pad. I use two-a closed cell Ridgerest under a Thermo-Rest. Some people carry a DAM, a down filled air mattress.

For winter camping tips, get a copy of Allen & Mike's Backcountry Ski Book. Much of it is about camping and well worth the price even if you aren't interested in skiing. I got mine from Amazon for about $10.

Winter camping is a whole different world as you found out. You can die if you screw up and aren't prepared. Don't mean to be too dramatic, but every year we read about rescues of unprepared winter campers and hikers. It's not rocket science, but it does take a certain level of skill and gear, more so than your average summer weekend where almost anything will do. For example, I think I need a serious winter tent. Some people don't, but I camp alone, so I like having a nice sturdy tent, even if I do have to drag it along (literally, since I ski with a sled).

Anyway, a good bag is just the start for putting together a winter kit. Any more questions, about winter, please post them in the winter forum. It helps to keep them from getting lost in the mix.

Thanks Tom!

One more thing. For winter, buy the best bag you can afford, even if it means spending less on some other things. Sometimes you can find great winter bags on eBay or Craigslist (my preference). The reason is that people will buy a bag for one trip, then sell it (like a once in a lifetime trip to Denali) or they try winter camping and realize they don't like it. I got my winter parka that way-like new, half price with one bid on eBay. The reason is simple-not many eBay shoppers need a parka good to -20F. The same is true of bags.

They obviously don't live in Minnesota or Wisconsin. This past winter I had to wait a couple of mornings until it warmed up a little to go skiing since -24F weather isn't my first choice for recreational skiing, but if I'd waited for the day to get even as warm as 0F I'd have never gotten out on the trails.

Or Canada. The people on wintertrekking.com go out regularly in -30C weather, but they use hot tents with stoves in them, which is a whole different kind of camping.

yeah not so sure i'm crazy enough for -24 yet... here in ohio, -5 is something to talk about, luckily

The bag I use is a Western Mountaineering Alpinlite. It is rated for 20* which is a meaningless number to me. Although I can take it down to 15* and be comfortable, my wife is the opposite. She has to have a bag that has a much colder rating. If its 30 or 40 out, she'll take a 15* bag. Your better off, probably to take a little "extra bag" than to have less. But for me, I've been sleeping out in the woods a long time and am comfortable with what I carry.

You may not need a 0* bag for your area, but I am not familiar with it. We have pretty mild winters in Missouri and Arkansas. In Northern Arkansas, 7o* days are not uncommon in December. Not a whole lot of moisture.

I use a 1.5" Thermarest Prolite while on the trail. Sometimes with a thin 1/8" foam mat underneath it.

I'm not advertising for Western Mountaineering or Thermarest. It's just what I have found that works well for me. I am unfamiliar with other mfg's.

Try the stuff out in the backyard before you head out. If it fails, a hot cup of coffee is a few steps away.

Jon

What i would do is go to REI or an outdoor store an ask if you can try out some bags. Find out the right width and then go online and get one. That what I did. Also for temp of bag to get, determine how cold or warm you sleep. I go a 20* bag because i wanted something i could use all the time. My bag has a foot zipper, nice on warmer nights.