If you are wondering how to choose a sleeping bag, you must first consider the different types of sleeping bags.
Sleeping bags are assigned a grade according to the temperature that the bag will be comfortable to sleep in.
This has to do with how thick the bag is when it is expanded fully.
The thickness of a sleeping bag is called the loft.
The most expensive types of bags are usually filled with down.
Down fillings have much more loft than synthetics, giving them the ability to hold body heat more effectively.
Down fillings tend to get flat when damp.
Synthetic fillings are more efficient when wet, but will break down faster.
The design has a big impact on the overall quality of a bag.
A sleeping bag with an efficient design will hold the filling in place so that it lets the filling extend to maximum loft, does not clump, and has very few spots where there is no filling.
Some of the best sleeping bags made with down are the slant box with baffles.
If you are going to buy one with synthetic filling, check out the double-quilt sandwich.
Base the purchase of a bag on your needs.
A large heavy stuffed one will be just as uncomfortable when camping in hot weather as a thin one in cold weather.
If you like to camp in the summer and winter, find a medium bag that contains a cold weather insert.
That way you can just slide the insert in when the weather permits.
They should also have an outer waterproof shell in case the tent is not as waterproof as you hoped! Some of the warmest bags are mummy shaped.
It is confining but keeps your body heat locked in tight.
Rectangular and barrel shaped bags give you the ability to move around more, but do not keep as much heat in.