Sleeping bags come in all different shapes and sizes, but like most other products, they’re targeted at the middle of the market, and it can sometimes be difficult to find really short sleeping bags, or really long sleeping bags. Part of it is just knowing which manufacturers make their sleeping bags in particularly long sizes. Of course at a certain point you might be too tall for just about all sleeping bags, and then a custom order might be called for.
Long Sleeping Bags
What to look for from a long sleeping bag.- Insulation Type – Regardless of the length of your sleeping bag, you need to decide on what kind of insulation you want your sleeping bag to have. Down is a lighter, more compressible option, but it tends to cost more. Synthetic insulation is cheaper, but also heavier, though it also performs better than down when it gets wet.
- Long Sleeping Pad – If you’re looking for a long sleeping bag then you’ll likely need a long sleeping pad as well. Sleeping bag and sleeping pad lengths tend to be in roughly similar increments, so whatever sleeping bag length you end up, you should be able to find a sleeping pad length that is roughly similar to accommodate you.
Best Long Sleeping Bags
Some of the best long sleeping bags on the market.- Therm-A-Rest Alpine - First up, a down blanket from Therm-A-Rest that will keep you warm down to 35 degrees. A blanket, or quilt, works with straps on the bottom, rather than sleeping bag. Quilts are difficult to make work in cold conditions, but with a minimum temperature rating of 35 degrees you wont be using this for anything but summer camping. The quilt is filled with 700 fill down, and doesn't have a hood, so if you're an inch or two taller than the maximum of 6 feet 8 inches, you wont have too much to worry about. The whole thing weighs 1 pound 8 ounces, or 680 grams.
- The North Face Bighorn Bx - A good, solid and very reasonably priced long sleeping bag from The North Face. The regular length for this is 6 feet 4 inches, while the long goes all the way to 6 feet 8 inches, which is about as long as you can expect to find on a sleeping bag. It uses synthetic insulation, and has a minimum temperature rating of 20 degrees. At 3 pounds 15 ounces, or 1.78 kilograms for the regular length it's not the lightest sleeping bag in the world, but it does get the job done for those taller people.
- Mont Bell U.L. Super Spiral Down Hugger #1 - There are just a few select sleeping bags that go longer than the industry standard for a long sleeping bag, which is 6 feet 6 inches. And if all you need is 6 feet 6 inches, then this sleeping bag from Mont Bell is a good example of that length. It uses 800 fill down, and has a minimum temperature rating of 15 degrees. It also has a water repellent exterior, to help keep the insulation dry, and a couple other features like a draft collar that will help to keep you warm. But what stands out here is a very impressive weight of just 2 pounds 7 ounces, or 1.1 kilograms for the long size, which compares very favorably to the two sleeping bags above, relative to warmth.
