Sleeping bag suggestions for 6'5' fella

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Hello all,

I've been a visitor of this forum for a couple of months now and I thought it was about time I said hello.

I've recently treated myself to a Hilleberg Staika which I have wanted for some time now. My biggest headache though is finding a suitable sleeping bag.

I'm 6'5' tall and broad shouldered. I've searched high and low for a 4-season sleeping bag, one that I will mostly be using in the winter, but I've come up against a brick wall time and time again.

The closest I got was this;
http://www.military1st.co.uk/sb058-sg-xl-highlander-voyager-super-lite-xl-sleeping-bag-scarlet--gunmetal.html
But it was still not long enough.

Does anyone happen to have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance.
 

brambles

Settler
Apr 26, 2012
771
71
Aberdeenshire
I am also 6'5'' and the best fit I have ever had in a sleeping bag is my Carinthia Defence 4 200. It is also very warm although not specifically rated 4 season, you would go some to need more in a usual British winter and if you do need more there is the Carinthia Tropen 200 summer bag which can be used in conjunction with the Defence 4 to give a total of -35C comfort. As a synthetic it can be bulky although the compression bag is very good and will probably work out as the most cost efficient as well for a winter bag that actually fits.
 

hughtrimble

Full Member
Jan 23, 2012
458
78
UK/France
I was going to suggest the Carinthia above also, but rather the Dutch military surplus version that can be had for a mere fraction of the cost, but also made by Carinthia (some other manufacturers also make them, but why go for anything other than the Carinthia copy of Carinthia's product!). The XL bags are around, just hunt a little.

Should come with a stuff sack, liner, light sleeping bag and thicker sleeping bag.

Edit: just weighed mine for an upcoming trip

All Dutch military surplus copies made by Carinthia:
237g Carinthia sleep bag compression sack
1750g Carinthia Defence 4
1204g Carinthia Tropen
529g Carinthia liner
 
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baggins

Full Member
Apr 20, 2005
1,563
300
49
Coventry (and surveying trees uk wide)
Also have a look at PHD down bags, they can custom make them to fit and warmth and are superb quality. My good lady bought one last year as she is very short and had a extra short bag made up, loves it and it wasn't much more than a lot of other premium bags.
 

Laurence Milton

Settler
Apr 7, 2016
605
170
suffolk
Would the 90 Arctic British Army bag (large) be big enough ? I'm quite large at 6 foot 4 inches and fairly broad and it does me. Cheap at around £30, tough, very warm. Possibly a bit heavy or bulky for some....
The Dutch Army Carinthia bags as HughTrimble mention are excellent if a little more costly?
 

hughtrimble

Full Member
Jan 23, 2012
458
78
UK/France
The Dutch Army Carinthia bags as HughTrimble mention are excellent if a little more costly?
Let's just say mine was into triple figures...so yes, a little more costly! But it was the full set rather than just the Defence 4 alone, which some sites do sell as a standalone bag, and the same for the Tropen. There are the non-Carinthia-made ones of exactly the same pattern that should be made to the same spec but made by other contractors, and they go for a bit less.
 

Hibrion

Maker
Jan 11, 2012
1,230
7
Ireland
Have you considered contacting a UK brand like snugpak and asking can they make one a little longer for you?
 

david1

Nomad
Mar 3, 2006
482
0
sussex
I spent a few nights in the lake district Freezing my ar*e off, never again will I be caught using the wrong thermal protection. buy a bag that will keep you warm.
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Yup, you can't make something out of nothing. Too warm? Open it up.
I'm only 6'2". I don't know how long my barrel bag is.
BUT, there's room at the bottom for tomorrow's clothes and my boots at -10C.
 

brambles

Settler
Apr 26, 2012
771
71
Aberdeenshire
Have you considered contacting a UK brand like snugpak and asking can they make one a little longer for you?

It's not just length that is the issue, for the bag to fit it has to be considerably wider across the shoulders. I have bought "long length" bags before but they are useless without adequate width in the shoulder and chest.
 

Hibrion

Maker
Jan 11, 2012
1,230
7
Ireland
It's not just length that is the issue, for the bag to fit it has to be considerably wider across the shoulders. I have bought "long length" bags before but they are useless without adequate width in the shoulder and chest.

Ask them to make it wider then. Snugpak do the expands panels for this too.
 

Dave Dickinson

Tenderfoot
Jun 28, 2017
50
0
Rochdale UK
I use the large bouncing bomb arctic bag I'm 6.3 and 16stone and it's fine on me. It's bulky and heavy though but comfortable and warm. If too warm I open it up. I've slept in my bivvy before now on top of the bag on a warm night
 

bilmo-p5

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 5, 2010
8,168
9
west yorkshire
Alpkit do XL bags but I've not used one. I'm 6'6" and use a 3 season Macpac Endeavour which is excellent and works well in the winter with a suitable liner.
I got it from ebay and I think it's worth running an ongoing search in the sleeping bags category for, '4 season XL' or something similar.
It worked for me. :)
 

mowerman

Full Member
Aug 23, 2015
128
18
Shropshire
I'm 6ft 4 and around 17 stone.
I use an Andes nevado 400 XL sleeping bag from Amazon. Plenty long enough and plenty of room and there is even a hood and still loads of room.
It cost me about £20 delivered and is not too heavy but it is a bit bulky, however this is to be expected because it is 1.5 times the size of a normal sleeping bag.
On the down side, I do not rate it as a 4 season bag. However, if you team it up with an alpkit hunka XL bivvy bag and a decent mat then you will be as warm as toast.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,151
1,544
Cumbria
A lot of the good, main brands do xl versions of their sleeping bags. Have you looked at rab, ME, marmot, mountain hardware for example? Last two are american brands so might be harder to source. My marmot bag in xl is huge. I'm 6'5" tall but not really broad. I can sleep with my arms inside the hood above my head and my feet aren't touching the bottom. It supposedly only for up to 6'6" but it's longer than that. Girth is huge. I reckon I could get someone else in it with me. The Americans do a lot of things bigger so when they say their sleeping bag is xl it really is.

Other than that you can get alpkit in long but I don't think they're that wide, wider than standard but not much.

PHD will do whatever size you ask for. Made in the uk too. Just get your wallet open they'll empty it for you. Mind you tyre OP bought a Hilleberg tent so I reckon money for the right solution isn't an issue. Go on, treat yourself to a custom PHD. It'll match the quality, performance and status of your Hilleberg tent!

PS if you don't want to spend then I guess there's a military brand sleeping bag out there for you. If it's like any military kit I've seen it'll be durable, heavy and bulky.
 

Chrisp955

Member
Aug 7, 2017
21
0
Runcorn
I'm 6,3 16+stone I use a rab Andes 1000 and iv camped in -17 with no problems. But unless you use a good air mat our roll like a thermorest you will still be cold. You lose most of your heat through the floor
 

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