Hi digimark,
To recommend the best manufacturers will certainly get you some really good equipment, but it could be an expensive business. Most of the expensive kit provided by the best manufacturers have essentially designed their kit to be used in the most demanding conditions for very experienced mountaineering types who regard the overall weight of the kit to be key. For example a titanium stove may cost $200 over the cost for the standard version because saving 6 oz is worth it. Good Down kit is expensive because it is lightweight.
High performance tents are made to exacting designs and materials to survive hurricane force winds on the side of Mount Everest. For the very best in tent manufacturers there is Terra Nova, Hilleberg, Vaude, MacPac, Force Ten, Mountain Hardwear, TNF, Exped and Marmot. All of them are excellent manufacturers and I have probably forgotten to list another half a dozen or so others.
The following tents for example will stand up to the most difficult weather conditions (used in expeditions) and will double up for family use. There are expensive though!
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&product=2228601http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&product=22222Sleeping bags are again subject to the cost/performance ratio. The lighter/warmer bags cost a lot more. I would first decide what temperatures you will likely expect and work from there.
Again the best manufacturers are Marmot, Rab and PHD designs for the very best. (very good expedition kit) with TNF and Mountain Hardware and Mountain Equipment being superb also.
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&product=21862http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/As you said being a larger fellow you may find the following sleeping bag useful, the Snugpak Expanda Panel system allows Snugpak Softie range of bags to be made slightly larger if you find that the other bags are a bit of a tight fit.
Snugpak Sleeping bags from the Softie range are synthetic and one of the best performing synthetic bags available.
http://www.snugpak.com/30_codegreen/31_15_expandapanel.htmAgain there are so many other manufacturers making excellent sleeping bags.
The best known sleeping pad are actually known by the manufacturer; Thermarest. These are pads are self inflating and available in various sizes and thickness.
For car camping;
http://www.thermarest.com/product_selection.aspx?cID=3There is also a manufacturer called Exped who manufacture a range of Down filled mats called Downmat, probably the best for lightweight mountain winter camping; rated to -40 degrees Celsius.
http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/b43HomePageE?openframesetFor the best lightweight cooking gear there is MSR, Primus and Snowpeak.
http://www.msrcorp.com/http://www.primus.se/http://www.snowpeak.com/gears/gear.htmFor an excellent review site you probably couldn't do any better than
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/Hope this helps. (Hope nobody complains that the suggestions are a bit Euro biased)
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