High Sierra Topix

have him sleep at home in the bag, even unzipped. Think of it as an experiment. If he can't, ok, maybe he's bound for a quilt. And his own spacious tent. I know my friend opening the zippers at night every 2 hours was not ok. Sooo, if he goes, he brings his own tent.

Rlown wrote:
have him sleep at home in the bag, even unzipped. Think of it as an experiment. If he
can't, ok, maybe he's bound for a quilt.

Or it could be an anxiety disorder, which is psychological, and will have to be dealt with
professionally.
Had a friend experience an anxiety attack out of the blue once, the combination of the
sound of thunder and being under a tarp, made him feel claustrophobic, he just needed to
get out of the backcountry immediately, which we did.

maverick wrote:Or it could be an anxiety disorder, which is psychological, and will have to be dealt with
professionally.

Pretty sure that's what I was getting at in my prior post. His doc thought it might be panic-based. That's what the Xanax is for.

The sleeping bag at home test would disprove that theory... maybe..

Or, he just doesn't like feeling trapped in a sleeping bag. I don't, and I can tell you that I definitely do not have an anxiety disorder. Since I treat those a lot, I know what they are, and what the symptoms are, and not everyone who dislikes closed-in spaces meets those criteria. If he's not freaking out in cars, small rooms, crowded places, or experiencing anxiety in other settings - nope.

Just give the guy a pass to use the bag unzipped and let him breath easier.

test the bag at home. unzipped and zipped. It's the first step. If that's ok, and then at altitude, when it's cold out, see what happens. Quilt might be the answer, but.. you never know. I was feeling a bit trapped in my older REI bag, but heck, I know I need to be warm. That's when it becomes a mental game i guess. I choose warmth. It didn't matter to my friend zipped or unzipped above 8200'.

BTW, I don't know anyone that I hike with who cinches up their bag completely in the Sierra during the high season, unless It's really friggn cold. My badger is always unzipped.

Once when fully zipped up and hood fully cinched, I must have woke up from a dream and my zipper stuck and I freaked out. I was not alone so my tent partner "saved me" before I tried to rip the bag apart. When I had poor sleeping bags the zippers would always stick, so I became quite anxious. Now I have a Western Mountaineering bag - cost a bloody fortune, but they sure have well designed zippers and zipper baffles. I have never once had a stuck zipper in this bag. I have been told, if you are right handed, get a left zip bag, and if left handed, a right zip bag. This seems to work for me.

Yes, I am one of those ultra-cold sleepers. I totally zip up and cinch the hood on my 5-degree Western Mountaineering bag in the Sierra as soon as it hits 40-degrees.

My pseudo-claustrophobia depends on how restricted my arms are. I can be in a small space, but the minute I cannot freely move my arms, I get a bit freaked. I do not like small caves! But like others said, it is a mental exercise - I have learned to deal with my sleeping bag. I really like to be warm. It takes a few nights out before I sleep well.

arm restriction is the key. hence my WM Badger, but a 5 degree bag, WD? wow.

I have to admit, at times I felt claustrophobic in my mummy bag. Last year I got a Sierra Designs Backcountry and love it. Super roomy and comfortable.

By the way - if you use them properly, you don't get cold in quilts any more than you do in a bag. They are actually easier to tuck in snugly, not having miles of fabric or zipper teeth to get in the way.

Thanks for the input everyone, appreciate the help!