View Full Version : What Bag/Quilt for claustrophobic Sleeper
Hi,
Is there a down quilt out there that is a rectangle with a two way zipper around the bottom where your feet would go? Like the big old fabric bags but lighter and able to pack down to a reasonable stuff sack.
I have a marmot double wide and like other mummy bags, I get in it and after a few minutes zipped up I panic and have to open it up. I got the mummy to replace my old one and can't use it for that reason. I use to use a synthetic rectangular bag that I would use either like a blanket or open the bottom area so I could stretch my legs and allowed me also to cool my feet off ( they run hot ). But that thing is way too big and clunky and since I got a smaller and lighter backpack it is too big to carry. Mummy bags are hard for me also as I turn frequently and sleep on side or stomach.
I spotted the jacksrbetter shenandoah or hudson valley model which may be close although I can't tell if they open flat or not like I want.
I use a big agnes insulated air mattress for a pad.
Mountain Wildman
03-30-2010, 16:06
Big Agnes, Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends offer wide bags.
white_russian
03-30-2010, 16:22
mont bell.....
About a bajillion bags open all the way or almost all the way flat, and to me a quilt is automatically flat. I think you have lots of choice, and just have to touch & feel or ask.
Personally, I use an EMS Thaw 40 down bag, opened up as a quilt, and a BA insulated air core.
http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=795&p_id=1121806
I got one before they "spiraled" it. Weighs 1 lb. good down to about 50 degrees. I use it in conjunction with another bag or clothing for extra warmth.
butts0989
03-30-2010, 16:43
JRB quilts are amazing, and i would highly suggest them. i dont know how picky the people on this forum are about weight but im pretty picky. I slept a night in my friends nunatak arc specialist and fell in love. check out some of there quilts, they are without a doubt over priced but are really good quality.
boarstone
03-30-2010, 17:33
...and if all that don't work, see a hypnotist...they really can help w/this issue...the money/time spent is worth it when panic issues are involved..trust me, I know!
Nunatuk backcountry blanket
srestrepo
03-30-2010, 22:07
i use a JRB bikers quilt i think its the predecessor quilt for the shenandoah. its plenty wide for me and my 67 inch chest. i use it a lot especially when i hammock. its a rectangular cut, rectangular footprint, and it opens up plenty wide. and is very warm and light as its awesome 800+ goose down and its rated to approx 40 degrees. very conservative rating.
i also use a marmot sawtooth x-tra wide long 15 degree for most of my winter romps.. this sleeping bag is super wide and fits me great with some layers on, and in extreme measures i use this bag with the bag below this one inside of it for extreme cold protection. very very comfy
finally i use a sierra designs arrow rock flex 30 for early spring and early fall. it stretches beautifully and it fits me like a glove, plenty of stretch and very comfy.
Quilts are good for restless / claustrophobic sleepers but are drafty in cold weather. However, the Montbell UL SSDH line solves the problem without the drafts. I have a WM Alpinlite large cut bag, two MB UL SSDH bags, & JRB quilts. I like the quilts best in summer & in my hammock, but I prefer the MB bags in cold weather
skinewmexico
03-30-2010, 22:26
I use the straps on my Golite Ultra quilt, and it's not drafty in winter. Get a quilt. Nunatak is great, if you've got the money. I can't believe people are recommending a super tight, but stretcy, Montbell.
I really like my Big Agnes +20 Skinny Fish. It is made big (66"girth), and has a dual zip, so you can open the side zip at the bottom while leaving it closed on top. I got mine for just under a hundred dollars; prices vary greatly. ~K2~
I use the straps on my Golite Ultra quilt, and it's not drafty in winter. Get a quilt. Nunatak is great, if you've got the money. I can't believe people are recommending a super tight, but stretcy, Montbell.
Joe, I had a Golite Ultra. I had a regular size (maybe too small for 5'10 215 lbs?) And although not claustrophobic being a quilt, it was pretty minimal coverage for me. YMMV
I then got a montbell ss ul downhugger. Regular size. LOVED that bag. I hate the confines of a traditional mummy and felt like I had all kinds of room in that puppy, even being a bit..portly. It could be unzipped to use like a quilt if need be too (if you can deal with the hood).
I measured my old bag and it is 62 wide and 75 long which was a comfortable bag for me. It however won't fit in my latest pack which is closer to 3000 cubic inches. My old dana teraplane frame pack had the room but at 7ish pounds forget it lol.
I tried a montbell strech bag and it was too tight. I ordered the marmot from advice of the girl at the outdoor supply place as she said it had the most room for a mummy bag.
Hard to figure out what to buy as they are mostly mail order so you have to buy sight unseen and not cheap either.
I am hoping to get something around the same size as my old rectangle. I spotted jrb big quilts and the nunatuk backcountry blanket but the pictures were hard to tell if the foot box was closed in or open. I guess you can open them out flat?
The nunatuk looks kinda expensive.
Forgot to say thanks for the help so far, still have to research alot of the suggested bags :)
skinewmexico
03-31-2010, 22:50
Joe, I had a Golite Ultra. I had a regular size (maybe too small for 5'10 215 lbs?) And although not claustrophobic being a quilt, it was pretty minimal coverage for me. YMMV
I'm the same size. Thought the regular was too small, sold it and got a large.
And Nunatak are very expensive. Last for 20 years though.
+1 golite ultra 20+ quilt
here's another option
http://warbonnetoutdoors.com/topquilt.php
this is another option
http://www.theperfecttrees.com/products.html#burrow
stormcrow would custom make you a top quilt if you don't like the looks of the burrow
Have you considered any of the bags that have the zipper on top? Don't know if any mentioned so far are like that. I used to have a problem but am usually ok now if I can just get an arm out of the bag easily. I used to just use reguar bedding-sheets and blankets-because we mostly canoe camped. Thermarest has someting like that but it might be heavy. Something to think about though.
+1 on hypnosis, not as wierd as it sounds.
peter_pan
04-01-2010, 21:03
Hi,
Is there a down quilt out there that is a rectangle with a two way zipper around the bottom where your feet would go? Like the big old fabric bags but lighter and able to pack down to a reasonable stuff sack.
I have a marmot double wide and like other mummy bags, I get in it and after a few minutes zipped up I panic and have to open it up. I got the mummy to replace my old one and can't use it for that reason. I use to use a synthetic rectangular bag that I would use either like a blanket or open the bottom area so I could stretch my legs and allowed me also to cool my feet off ( they run hot ). But that thing is way too big and clunky and since I got a smaller and lighter backpack it is too big to carry. Mummy bags are hard for me also as I turn frequently and sleep on side or stomach.
I spotted the jacksrbetter shenandoah or hudson valley model which may be close although I can't tell if they open flat or not like I want.
I use a big agnes insulated air mattress for a pad.
BigKaT,
All Jacks R Better quilts open flat.
Pan
WalkSoftly33
04-01-2010, 21:09
+1 on Montbell UL Super Stretch or the newer version.
Got a #2 rated to 25* on sale and it is comfy and hugs you while not smothering/constricting you at the same time...hmmm if ONLY I could find a girl like this...haha!
I have heard great things about quilts as well, being able to kick a leg/arm whatever out when you feel cramped, no personal experience though.
I was looking at the Jacksrbetter Mt Rogers. It's 85” x 61... since it lays flat and has the draw cord also , I am thinking it might work.It looks like I can scrunch (tech term) up the bottom to form a foot box and leave some of the lower area open I can put my feet in and out of the foot box area overnight. Has no zippers I guess which would be perfect.
I have my inflatable air core big agnes mattress to insulate me from the ground and also my eva pad for colder times. I love that air mattress :)
Another part of my problem is I have a metal plate in my ankle so it aches sometimes and I have to strech the ankle and tendons periodically over the night which a traditional bag won't allow. It doesn't bother me hiking or running, just at night occasionally. If I ever get health insurance I will have it taken out lol
I have the same problem as you. Some of the stuff mentioned in this thread are good, but can be expensive, depending on your budget. If your budget is like mine, look at the Campmor Down rectangular, they come in 0 and 20 degree bags, regular and long lengths and run around $150-. In the summer, I use a Slumberjack Talon long 40 degree bag. They're cheap (yup its slumberjack), but are comfortable, inexpensive (about $60-) , are light and pack down small. I've had mine for four years, used countless times and is holding up well. Don't let the brand and price fool you on this one.
Skidsteer
04-10-2010, 18:41
I was looking at the Jacksrbetter Mt Rogers. It's 85” x 61... since it lays flat and has the draw cord also , I am thinking it might work.It looks like I can scrunch (tech term) up the bottom to form a foot box and leave some of the lower area open I can put my feet in and out of the foot box area overnight. Has no zippers I guess which would be perfect.
The JRB quilts have drawstrings on each end so you can cinch them up to make a footbox if desired. The omnitape closure lets you decide how far up you want to seal it. Very versatile.
I have a Katahdin quilt and love it.
skinewmexico
04-10-2010, 21:03
You could also try one of the overfilled Luxurylite (center zip) sleeping bags on closeout for $99. They're pretty roomy.
I haven't seen enLIGHTened equipment quilts mentioned.
This thread has great recommendations.
I will have a quilt made at some point. It will have a zipper or velcro "foot box".
I also can't stand a mummy bag. That said, I have a Mont Bell super stretch and I love it. The inner material is nice to the touch, and this type sleeping bag stretches so much every direction, moving with you, there is no sense of confinement.
I am also going to try out the Cascade Designs Haven 20 F, not because I have too much money on hand, but because it sounds more like slipping into an elephant's foot sleeping bag and a sweater, at the same time.
I want to try it. I have a big REI dividend. If I do not like it, I will: a. sell it in the forum, or b. have a NLP specialist unlock my problem about mummy sleeping bags.
NLP neurolinguistic programming is much more effective than hypnotism, which is, I believe, only the power of suggestion. NLP, I understand, changes your thinking by opening new pathways shut off by a habitual pattern.
See? There are so many ways to deal with this problem.
Also not mentioned, a woman's sleeping bag has more wiggle room.
traildust
04-11-2010, 16:42
Big Agnes for me and her.
http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=795&p_id=1121806
I got one before they "spiraled" it. Weighs 1 lb. good down to about 50 degrees. I use it in conjunction with another bag or clothing for extra warmth.
First tell underfill on the bags history...been stated on many boards first off.
To pay top dollar for that ...well?And my WM mitylite has MUCH more room than a MB.
FamilyGuy
04-11-2010, 23:53
To pay top dollar for that ...well?And my WM mitylite has MUCH more room than a MB.
Stop pulling people's legs. Funny stuff.
Stop pulling people's legs. Funny stuff.
If you like junk ...buy it.
FamilyGuy
04-12-2010, 12:04
You make a comment that your WM is wider. It's not. The SS baffles push the bag a full 10" wider if required. So short of erroneous info, maybe you could post a comment on why your WM would be good for a claustrophobic sleeper.
I think I like the Mt Rodgers , it sounds almost perfect.
Do they ever go on sale? or do they stay the same all year?
JRB usually has a sale between Thanksgiving & Christmas