Sleeping bag size selection guide

Share on Facebook Share on Facebook

The woes of fitting a sleeping bag online

We're often asked about sleeping bag sizing. Especially large persons struggle to find a big enough sleeping bag, but an oversized bag means unnecessary weight and reduced warmth for a slender person.

Manufacturers often state a width at the shoulders, but it's a flat measurement. We are three-dimensional and your length affects fit as well, so theory only gets you so far.

Efforts to help our online customers has been a cornerstone of Varusteleka since the start and also one of the reasons we've been successful. Here's another piece of customer service with our flavour: two employees of different sizes went through our sleeping bag selection and share their thoughts.

A close-up of a person that appears to be lying on a couch under a sleeping bag that has been pulled up so that only the upper part of the face is visible. The person has a frightened expression on his face.
Santeri suhtautui kokeiluehdotukseeni viileänrauhallisesti.


Testing procedure

Santeri is 178 cm tall with a 108 cm chest and 88 kg weight (5' 10" height, 42.5" chest, 194 pounds, usually wears a size Large. Lauri is 186 cm tall with a 133 cm chest, big guy and 3XL according to charts (6' 1" height, 52" chest).

The following chart includes our selection at the time of writing, and by the time of completing the tests we were able to list them according to size. Where the chart says "small", it's unusable, "snug fit" means that the bag is usable, "fits well" means an optimum size and "loose" will be a good choice if you want to use an inner bag or otherwise want some extra space.

BagSanteri (Large)Lauri (3X-Large)
French M63SmallSmall
Mil-Tec 3D HollowfiberSnug fitSmall
Carinthia Defence 1Snug fitSnug fit
Carinthia TropenFits wellSnug fit
Brit. Jungle Sleeping BagFits wellSnug fit*
Carinthia Defence 4Fits well185 cm snug fit, 200 cm fits well
Carinthia SA M05Fits wellFits well
Carinthia Defence 6Fits wellFits well
US IntermediateLooseFits well, shortish**
US PatrolLooseFits well
Savotta YukonLooseLoose, shortish***

* Head pokes out, as I like in warm weather. More space in the leg area, chest space more limited.

** OK width, but significantly shorter than the Patrol Bag, even too short for my taste.

*** Fits 1.5 Lauris, no extra length though.

A male standing with a sleeping bag hanging from his left hand. On the background a sales shelf of sleeping bags in a store environment.
Lauri knows outdoor gear and helps customers in our shop. Here he's extending a helping hand towards folks on the Internet.


Special notes and tips

If you're a very large person, the shorter and lighter bags from Carinthia may cause claustrophobia, so a surplus US Patrol bag will be a better choice for summer use. However, the roles are reversed when you look at something for colder weather: Carinthia Defence 4 and 6 as well as SA M05 are the better choice compared to the US Intermediate bag, especially if you're taller than average. When given a choice in length, choose the longer one and the bag is often wider as well.

Read also

Related products

US MSS Modular Sleeping Bag System, 4-piece, surplus
US MSS Modular Sleeping Bag System, 4-piece, surplus
179.99 USD
The US Army modular sleeping bag complex is a very good system for the buck. Here's the whole package: the Intermediate Bag, Patrol Bag, Gore-Tex Bivy Cover and the compression sack.
British jungle sleeping bag, surplus
British jungle sleeping bag, surplus
29.99 USD
A small and lightweight sleeping bag for summer use. The specialty of the Jungle bag is the blanket feature. Also works like the American Woobie!
Carinthia Defence 6 Sleeping Bag
Carinthia Defence 6 Sleeping Bag
288.99 USD
A real heavy-duty arctic winter sleeping bag, the Defence 6 is designed for extremely cold conditions and is a sure bet for the northern climate!
Carinthia Defence 4 sleeping bag
Carinthia Defence 4 sleeping bag
239.99 USD
The Defence 4 may be Carinthia's best all-around sleeping bag. Designed for cold and nasty weather, it's no surprise that (among others) also the Finnish army adopted this very model! This here is a reliable choice, designed for very demanding use!
Carinthia Defence 1 Sleeping Bag
Carinthia Defence 1 Sleeping Bag
155.99 USD
The most lightweight bag in the Defence family, the Defence 1 is intended for summer and early autumn/spring. Very lightweight and packs into a super tight bundle!
Carinthia Tropen sleeping bag
Carinthia Tropen sleeping bag
169.99 USD
The Carinthia Tropen is lightweight and very breathable sleeping bag for summer and indoor use. Equipped with a mosquito net to shield you from bugs. It's difficult to imagine a better summer sleeping bag, this is top-tier military quality for the demanding user! Issued by the FDF in peacekeeping missions.
Carinthia Finnish M05 Sleeping Bag, Olive Green
Carinthia Finnish M05 Sleeping Bag, Olive Green
239.99 USD
When you're looking for a year-round sleeping bag, you know you can't go wrong with current issue Finnish army gear. These are made by Carinthia, the model is in use by our armed forces. Included is a liner and a compression sack.
US MSS Patrol Sleeping Bag, Olive Drab, surplus US IMSS Patrol Sleeping Bag, Grey, surplus
US MSS / IMSS Patrol Sleeping Bag, surplus
US MSS / IMSS Patrol Sleeping Bag, surplus
49.99 USD
The US Army modular sleeping bag system is among the best there is. This is the outer Patrol bag and can be used alone in warmer weather.
US IMSS Intermediate Sleeping Bag, Gray, surplus
US MSS / IMSS Intermediate Sleeping Bag, surplus
US MSS / IMSS Intermediate Sleeping Bag, surplus
59.99 USD
The new US Army modular sleeping bag system is probably the best there is. This is the inner Intermediate bag and can be used alone in coldish weather. Essentially a three-season bag.
Loading...