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  • Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

    My quest for the perfect sleeping bag continues. At 6'3" most of the bags get eliminated right away. I also don't like mummy bags which removes another big chunk of options. Being cheap doesn't help either but I am squaring myself with the fact that I might have to drop some coin on a sleeping bag. (Its discrimination I tell you!)

    Anyway, the thought just occurred to me that because I am looking for a rectangular bag anyway it probably wouldn't be that hard to make one. I can make it as long and wide as I want and use whatever fill I want.

    Has anyone ever pulled this off or even had one custom made?
    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
    – E. B. White

  • #2
    Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

    i like the idea of it,
    what are your requirements? temps/size, etc..
    would altering an existing bag be an option? like adding extension for your feet,

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    • #3
      Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

      James - I haven't done either....but I would imagine a custom made sleeping bag might be very pricey. With a DIY bag, purchasing the materials and doing all the sewing/baffle work required would be a job (if you're real good with thread, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad) What about using a store bought down comforter, folding it in half and sewing a zipper down the side/bottom? In AZ, a lightweight down comforter "bag" might be all you need.
      2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
      Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
      Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
      Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

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      • #4
        Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

        I did a search for "tall man sleeping bag" and there are quite a few forums where people are talking about using comforters. It must work.

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        • #5
          Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

          In the days of the bamboo curtain before China gifted the world with good quality low cost goods, it made sense to make your own sleeping bags and camping gear. Today, it is hardly worth the effort or cost to DIY a sleeping bag. You can decide to do it yourself for about $300 or buy an excellent bag for less than $200.

          Check out Cabellas or some of the other high end retailers who cater to comfort hunters. They still have the big square toe sleeping bags - flannel lined and for big men. They are as bulky as a polar bear, but if you are car camping, they must be more comfortable than a fluffy bed with a big fat Dutch wife.

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          • #6
            Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

            I'm a fan of rectangular sleeping bags myself as I don't find mummy bags comfortable, Coleman and Wenzel make a couple of big & tall bags that are warm and comfortable. I'm saving up for a Butler bag though.

            http://www.butlerbags.com/cms/index.php

            Should be the last one I ever need.

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            • #7
              Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

              I am 6'2" and wear 3Xl shirts. I really like the Teton Sports Celsius line of sleeping bags. Big, long and lots of room. Rectangular bags with a mummy hood.
              http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Celsius...TON+sports+XXL
              Nights camped in 2019: 24
              Nights camped in 2018: 24

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              • #8
                Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                Originally posted by 05Kingquad700 View Post
                I am 6'2" and wear 3Xl shirts. I really like the Teton Sports Celsius line of sleeping bags. Big, long and lots of room. Rectangular bags with a mummy hood.
                http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Celsius...TON+sports+XXL
                Wow, you are one BIG dude! 3XL and 6'2' When a guy like that makes a recommendation for a sleeping bag, people are going to listen. This is a man who could wrestle the hide off of a grizzly bear and use it for a blanket (although it might be too small for him).

                I had a look at the Teton. Although the last thing I need is another sleeping bag, the Teton was very alluring. So spacious and comfortable looking AND affordable. The photo showing two zipped together made me think of tucking my little squaw next to me in a double bag. Man, who would ever want to go home after camping like that?!
                Last edited by Mike; 09-19-2014, 08:39 PM.

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                • #9
                  Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                  Originally posted by terasec View Post
                  i like the idea of it,
                  what are your requirements? temps/size, etc..
                  would altering an existing bag be an option? like adding extension for your feet,
                  When the nights get cold I like to be able to have my head inside the bag. I used to have a bag long enough to do that but that was a long time ago and I am starting to think that I was shorter then. :neutral: I am 6"3" now so that is 75". I figure I lose about a foot of length for the bag to get over my feet and head and since I don't want it to be just big enough for me to fit I figure it will have to be at least 90" Most of the bags that long have the hood that goes under your head but the top doesn't go that high so I don't think it would really work for me.

                  I have always gotten a 0 degree bag...it doesn't get colder than that in Arizona and I usually sleep pretty warm anyway.
                  “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                  – E. B. White

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                    Originally posted by 05Kingquad700 View Post
                    I am 6'2" and wear 3Xl shirts. I really like the Teton Sports Celsius line of sleeping bags. Big, long and lots of room. Rectangular bags with a mummy hood.
                    http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Celsius...TON+sports+XXL
                    How does the hood work? I have always been leery of this style because of it. Seems like it would just be short on top.
                    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                    – E. B. White

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                      I've always been a "head completely under the covers" type of sleeper. I'm 5'4", but have always needed an extra 6-12 inches of cover so that I can tuck it under my head (prevents the covers from slipping down, and creates a pocket of air around my head). I have found that the only way I can manage this is to sleep in the fetal position - regardless of a sleeping bag or regular bed and covers.

                      For DIY, perhaps adding to the top of the bag (rather than the bottom) would work better. That would allow you to customize the fabric and thickness around your head. Also, having a seam around the feet/ankles would drive me nuts all night - every time I moved my feet, they'd be hitting that seam. If you arrange the seam to hit around your neck, you wouldn't notice it as much.
                      “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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                      • #12
                        Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                        6'4" and well north of 300lbs here. I use strictly a rectangular bag, when I use one. Mostly I either have it unzipped into a blanket form or use a lighter blanket if it's not too chilly. The way I tend to move about, even a big rectangular bag is too confining. I have a Jumbo bag in camo that works well, and is rated as a zero degree bag. All I need in Florida.
                        Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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                        • #13
                          Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                          Sudden thought. If the rectangular bag with the hood is long enough AND you use a pillow - how about flipping the bag so the hood is on the top. Then you can use it to cover your head and your pillow will control the temp under your head (maybe a memory foam pillow for added warmth).
                          “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                            One of the things that I liked most about it was the hood. I can use it if I am cold enough, but if it's warm, I just leave it loose and you can't even tell it's there. When I zip 2 of them together, they are the size of a king size bed. The only draw back is the way they are made, the zipper is in the middle when zipped together. Unlike reg rectangular bags that zip down the side and bottom, they only zip down the side. Here is a youtube video of the XXL.
                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYaZPySHogw
                            Nights camped in 2019: 24
                            Nights camped in 2018: 24

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Custom or Self Made Sleeping Bag

                              Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                              Sudden thought. If the rectangular bag with the hood is long enough AND you use a pillow - how about flipping the bag so the hood is on the top. Then you can use it to cover your head and your pillow will control the temp under your head (maybe a memory foam pillow for added warmth).

                              I have done this with a certain 'semi-mummy bag' that I have. It's long enough for me.
                              Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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