Sleeping Bags

You will have to make a few decisions when it comes to a sleeping bag, but choose the best one that you can afford. Go to an outfitter and actually lay in the sleeping bags. Before making your decision, consider the sleeping bag’s

  1. Degree
  2. Fit
  3. Material

Degree

You will need a 0-20 degree sleeping bag for cold weather. A good goal weight for a cold weather sleeping bag is around 3 lbs. You will also need a 40 degree sleeping bag for warmer weather. A good goal weight for a warm weather sleeping bag is around 1 lb.

Some hikers choose to buy a 25 degree sleeping bag and add a silk liner to give it another 10 degrees of warmth. You need to be careful buying just one sleeping bag though. It gets quite breezy and cold in the mountains. Imagine being awake half the night trying to stay warm. It really depends on how well your bag insulates you and how much heat you radiate.

The Fit

A critical note about sleeping bags is that it should fit you. A lot of thru-hikers select a mummy-style bag that fits around the head rather than a rectangular bag. Additionally, if you are a small person, you need a small sleeping bag to fit your size. Women should select bags made for specifically for women. You will be warmer and sleep more comfortably.

The Material (Down versus Synthetic)

You can select a sleeping bag stuffed with synthetic material or down. There are pros and cons to either one. You be the judge.

Down

  • Pros: Down weighs less than synthetic. It heats up quickly and insulates well from the cold. It’s also easier to compress into your stuff sack.
  • Cons: Down is typically more expensive. If down gets wet it will lose it’s ability to insulate you from the cold. Additionally, down is composed of duck and geese feathers so it is less hypoallergenic than synthetic.

Synthetic

  • Pros: Synthetic materials insulate well. If a synthetic bag gets wet, it can still insulate you from the cold. Synthetic bags typically cost less than down.
  • Cons: Synthetic bags weigh more than down. It’s a little more difficult to stuff a synthetic bag into a stuff sack compared to down.

Other Tips

  • Down sleeping bags are generally considered better all around than synthetic bags.
  • For down bags, the higher the fill rating (e.g., 800) the lighter the bag, so select the highest fill rating you can afford.
  • Regardless of what you choose, camp in colder conditions to see how well your bag works.