Camping usually requires leaving your daily conveniences at home; however, you can still squeeze yourself into a cramped sleeping bag to go out. Many sleeping bags are available in both longer and larger sizes. They are available in a variety of “standard” dimensions (typically 60 or about inches around the shoulders and 58 inches around the hips) since the manufacturers realize the fact that camping gear comes in many sizes and shapes.
Digging through the data specifications to determine the most suitable sleeping bag that fits your sizing preferences can be overwhelming. We asked over a dozen plus-size COOP participants (ranging from XL to 4X) to evaluate REI’s top large, comprehensive, and long sleeping bags. They spent three seasons chasing the best of it, and after all, was done, these were their top five choices. Please ensure you’re up to speed with the best way to pick your sleeping bag. Read our buying tips on wide bags, then head to our top picks.
Testing Results The only thing you can’t do is bring your bed to the camping area; however, this is a great alternative. The massive and feature-rich Agnes Echo Park 20 is big Agnes Echo Park 20 is the most oversized bag in our tests with a hip circumference of 74 inches, more than a foot and a half more comprehensive than most traditional sleep bags. It’s not just the one reason for it to be a REI Co-op Editors’ Choice Award winner. “I don’t have to adapt my 2X body to fit in this bag as I have in the past,” states one Montana-based test participant. “I have a 40-inch waist, and the Echo Park is still a luxury fit.” The shoulder circumference in the Echo Park 20 is just as luxurious, at more than 6 feet. Thanks to the double zippers that allow access via either side, it is possible to put the top down as if you were at home. “Better than a five-star hotel,” claims one editor.
The main attraction of this model Echo Park 20 is its variety of features. You can unzip both sides for effortless cooling on hot evenings. Use those two pockets on the top corners on cooler nights to draw the bag in tight around you, like the cocoon. Slip an extra pillow (or make up your own with leftover layers) inside the sleeves inside the hood to create an extra cushion under your head that will not slip out during the dark. A different sleeve in the lower part of the Echo Park 20 secures a sleeping pad (up to 30 inches wide) so you don’t slide off the mat. “If I could give the features an 11 out of 10, I would,” one of the testers. “Everything seems to make sense. It’s a very effortless design.”
Over two and two-and-a-half kilograms of material insulation inside Echo Park 20. More than two and a half pounds of synthetic insulation in Echo Park 20 should keep the majority of sleepers warm during three-season adventures. However, all of it adds to. The size and the many options offered by the Echo Park 20 sleeping bag indicate that it could be more lightweight and easy to pack. (One tester complained at the way that this sleeping bag didn’t fit into the panniers of his motorcycle even when it was packed inside the 20-inch sack included. bag.) This is the price to pay for a lavish lifestyle. Purchase this here.
Bottom Line: Sleep in the lap of luxury with the Big Agnes Echo Park 20, a roomy sleeping bag with many features that make the car campground feel like home.
Evaluation The results: “I finally feel like I fit in,” said one punny Virginia-based test subject after an epoch of wearing the Trestles Elite Eco 20. “That sounds superficial, but this bag gives me lightweight and efficient equipment like my smaller friends have.” With the Trestles Elite, Marmot maintains the traditional mummy-shaped shape (tapering to the feet) to reduce the weight and bulk but also increases the measurements essential to consider: shoulder and hip circumference. Even though it is very little (about half the weight of one-gallon of milk) and weighs less than three pounds, the sleeping bag has enough room for two-x campers.
The new Trestles is a different beast from the previous one. It’s a highly slim, clean sleeping machine. Marmot uses a new HL-ElixR(tm) Micro-synthetic insulation that reduces the weight by nearly 1 pound. It’s also cleaner since the synthetic filling in the bag, unlike the prior one, is made of fibers of more than 96 percent recyclable materials. Another new year’s edition improvement is the soft nylon lining (and the shell) material–“it’s more supple than butter,” according to one tester. It’s constructed from recycled 20 percent of materials.
The pros at camping recognize that synthetic insulation is known to be heavier and bulkier bulky than down (learn more here). However, the loft it lacks makes up for waterproofing and lower cost. You don’t have to pay many C-notes to purchase Trestles Elite Eco 20. Trestles Elite Eco 20. For $179, it’s among the cheapest bags on our tests. It’s an incredible price for a sleeping bag that’s also among the most eco-friendly here.
- Bottom Line: The Marmot Trestles Eco Elite 20 is light and small enough for backpacking but roomy enough to accommodate larger sleepers.
- Best test report One test subject was kept in her bag for the best part of the day due to the relentless rain that poured down throughout the Allegheny Mountains. “But it wasn’t so bad,” the tester says. “I could park a car in this thing and have space for the roof racks.” Editor’s note: That’s the optimism we could all benefit from a backpacking companion, especially in bad weather.
