\u00b0<\/strong>F and higher will probably come in a little lower. It’s common for down bags to cost over $500.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore importantly, is the inability of down to insulate once it becomes wet. If you get a down bag you’ll need to go to every effort to make sure it stays dry. Many bags will have some features that help prevent the down from getting wet, even in soggy conditions. Some down insulation is treated with a water repellent coating. From what I’ve read, these treatments work well as long as the down is not compressed (like when you’re laying on it). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other manufacturers make the outer sleeping bag material water-resistant so that water can’t penetrate the insulation inside. The downside to this is that most waterproof materials aren’t the most comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another thing to consider is that if your down bag is for very cold conditions, most of the water you encounter will probably be frozen. Thus, it will be hard to get your bag wet in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Down bags are very warm, and it’s nice to cut the weight when you’re backpacking. Just know the potential pitfall of losing insulation if your bag gets wet and take the proper precautions to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Synthetic Insulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sleeping bags with synthetic insulation are going to cost much less than those with down insulation. It’s easy to find ISO or EN rated synthetic sleeping bags for under $100. Most synthetic fills also provide good insulation even when they are wet. This can be important if you’re worried about an unexpected storm or frequently visit wet areas. The primary downside to synthetic insulation is the weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A synthetic sleeping bag is going to weigh about 50-75% more than a down sleeping bag. The weight difference becomes especially apparent for warmer bags (those with temperature ratings below about 20 \u00b0<\/strong>F). It’s still easy to find a 20 \u00b0<\/strong>F synthetic sleeping bag that weighs under 3 pounds. However, it’s quite difficult to find a 0 \u00b0<\/strong>F synthetic bag that weighs much less than 4 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI nearly always buy synthetic bags. The biggest factor is the price. I can get a quality synthetic bag for half the cost of a down bag. When I’m in the backcountry I also like to play it safe. I’d rather carry the extra pound or so and know that if I take a spill in the river I’m not going to be in danger of hypothermia because my sleeping bag is wet. It’s one less thing I have to worry about going wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider Your Activities and Budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the end, the sleeping bag you get is going to largely be determined by what you do and how much you can afford to spend. If you’re a through hiker trying to cut every ounce possible to push out more miles each day, then you might want to invest in a down bag. Same for mountaineers that have to carry that weight up snowy, icy peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My guess is that for most of you, a synthetic bag is going to do the trick. You can spend a little less money and have security in knowing that your bag can get wet and still keep you safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re a beginner, I definitely recommend getting a synthetic bag. Don’t drop a lot of money on a down bag and then find out it’s not what you needed. Try an inexpensive synthetic bag first so you can learn what temperature rating works best for you and what other features you like, or don’t like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sleeping bags are great things. They give us confidence and safety in the backcountry. I hope this guide helps you determine which type of sleeping bag will best meet your outdoor needs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Perhaps the greatest backcountry danger is hypothermia. When you’re in the mountains you’re always a misstep, slip, or unexpected storm away from getting wet, then cold, then possibly hypothermic. This<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,8],"tags":[72,78,77,76,75,73],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":573,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions\/573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publiclandsjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}