tall sleeping bag shorter person

[squeezebox]

Earlier this week I puled out of the closet my 2 yr old rei sub kilo sleeping bag.wanted to see how it fit. It was uncomfortably tight. I'm 5'8" medium build I spent most of a day surfing about sleeping bags, I noticed that most long bags are 64" shoulder girth rather than the 62" girth of regular bags. So when I went to Rei I test rode the regular and long bags, the extra 2" really made the difference. I also appreciated that I could pull the top of the bag up over my head instead of only up to my chin, heck with that mummy face hole. An extra 4 oz. So I'm a shorter person in a tall bag and like it. By the way I'm a side sleeper.

[RedBeerd]

When I bought my first sleeping bag I bought a tall one without knowing. I've used it for about 4 years now without much of a problem but you can get a regular sized bag fit to your length and get a wide. Im not sure how less efficient a longer bag is on a shorter person id be curious to see what some of the vets say here

[MuddyWaters]

Some people prefer long bags,they put their clothing and shoes in the bottom so they are warm in the morning.

[LIhikers]

Squeezebox, if you want a lot of room without going to the long size check out the bags by Montbell that have the stretch feature.
That's what I switched to because I roll around in my sleep a lot and I love it!

[LIhikers]

.......... Im not sure how less efficient a longer bag is on a shorter person id be curious to see what some of the vets say here

Having extra room in the bag just means it'll take a little longer to warm up

[Coffee]

I suggest trying out the long bag in cold conditions. I am 6'1" and have a Marmot Helium Long. It is both too long and too wide for an ideal fit and I get cold well above the 15 degree rating without wearing additional insulating layers like my down parka and down socks. It isn't terrible and it is what I have and will use next year but it isn't ideal.

[Sailing_Faith]

I too prefer a long bag. I am 5'10" but have relatively broad shoulders... I have a few different bags, and it is surprising how differently they all are sized.

very much a "test before you buy" item.

[Namtrag]

I can hardly even get a Marmot Helium to zip all the way, so I am going to get a quilt instead.

[4eyedbuzzard]

WM makes several bags that have 64"+ shoulder girths in 6' lengths.

[RF_ace]

the north face hightail series 64inch shoulder and on sale at mountaingear.com

[daddytwosticks]

WM makes several bags that have 64"+ shoulder girths in 6' lengths.

Like my WM Megalite. It's six foot lenght is perfect for my six foot height. Penty of wiggle room.

[Drybones]

I suggest trying out the long bag in cold conditions. I am 6'1" and have a Marmot Helium Long. It is both too long and too wide for an ideal fit and I get cold well above the 15 degree rating without wearing additional insulating layers like my down parka and down socks. It isn't terrible and it is what I have and will use next year but it isn't ideal.

I have both the Sub Kilo and Helium, I thought the Sub Kilo was too tight at first but once I got used to it I like it's size better than the Helium. I'm also 6'1" and I like the length of the Helium but it could be a tad narrower. I sleep warm in the Helium at 15 degrees in boxers if in a tent, sleeping in shelters is much colder.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I have the sub-kilo as well and agree that it is very narrow, I got used to it but I'm not thrilled with it. Also just to warn you, my Sub Kilo was marketed as a 20 degree bag, but I would say it's closer to a 35-40 degree bag.

As far as Long bags go, there is no problem using them if you are shorter. Once you are inside the bag simply grab the middle and pull it snug so that your feet are in the foot box and the extra length is somewhere around your waist.

[Ercoupe]

Long bags in single wall tents tend to get damper from tent contact. More weight, more to stuff. But it must fit you. I would rather have too long a bag than too narrow a bag.

[Don H]

I agree with LIhiker on the Montbell bags, I have a 1, 3 and 5 in UL Super Spiral http://www.montbell.us/products/list.php?cat_id=1002

Other makers like Feathered Friends and Wester Mountaineering sell bags with a multitude of dimensions. Like me you need a short bag with a wide shoulder. They are out there. You don't want a long bag, it just more room for your cold feet to warm up at night.

By the way, you're asking some good questions here and by asking one specific question at a time you're probably getting better input.

[DaBrownie]

Just buy a wider bag.

[leaftye]

Having extra room in the bag just means it'll take a little longer to warm up

That's not all it means. The bag I used on my last trip was a spacious zero degree bag. Even though nights only dropped to about 40, I couldn't fully warm the bag. Parts of the bag would get cold, which wouldn't be a problem until I moved my legs into that part of the bag or moved enough to allow air to circulate.

I also appreciated that I could pull the top of the bag up over my head instead of only up to my chin, heck with that mummy face hole. An extra 4 oz. So I'm a shorter person in a tall bag and like it. By the way I'm a side sleeper.

Breathing into a the insulation is a bad idea. Even synthetic insulation will lose effectiveness as it accumulates moisture from you breathing into it. Keep in mind that unless you're a very warm sleeper, you need a warmer bag to make up for the inefficiency of a bigger bag and from breathing into it.

[4eyedbuzzard]

That's not all it means. The bag I used on my last trip was a spacious zero degree bag. Even though nights only dropped to about 40, I couldn't fully warm the bag. Parts of the bag would get cold, which wouldn't be a problem until I moved my legs into that part of the bag or moved enough to allow air to circulate.

Most larger mummy and even semi-rectangular bags aren't THAT over-sized where this typically becomes a problem unless you are in a bag that is just WAY too big or a full rectangular. I'm not huge 6'0" 185 lbs, but I use a 6' x 64" wide shoulder girth bag because otherwise I can't free my arms enough to operate the zipper from the inside on anything smaller. And if you can't use the zipper - the bag is too tight. You want enough room where you don't compress the inner fabric against the outer, which is definitely worse than too much room.