HEAD TO HEAD
Designed to keep you warm even during sub-zero overnights, a 4-SEASON SLEEPING BAG is an essential companion for backpacking trips or wild camping adventures in the winter months. Here are our top picks.
PACK SIZE AND WEIGHT FABRIC
A lightweight sleeping bag with a small pack size is easier to stash and carry around in your rucksack. Look for a bag with a compression stuffsack to really cinch down the pack size. Shells and linings are usually made from nylon or polyester.
Durable water-resistant (DWR) coatings are often applied to protect the fill. Areas particularly prone to damp, like the base, foot and hood may have additional protection.
CUT
Most bags are available in different lengths or widths, as well as women’s-specific fits. ‘Performance mummy’ bags are slim fitting and highly tapered to save weight and boost warmth. Some may find them restrictive though.
FILL
Down offers superior warmth-to-weight compared to synthetic fills, but synthetic bags are cheaper, easier to look after and remain warm when wet. Some down bags now have hydrophobic fills or coatings to improve performance in damp conditions. Down quality is measured by fill power (FP), but don’t forget to also look at the total weight of down fill in a bag when assessing its warmth.
SHOULDER BAFFLE
A neck or shoulder baffle helps to lock heat in by preventing warm air from escaping around the face.
HOOD
A well-insulated, close-fitting hood is vital in cold conditions. Look for a bag with hood drawcords so you can cinch it in, but ensure they are comfortably placed and easy to use, ideally from inside the bag.
TEMP RATING
Most bags give a comfort limit, a lower limit and an extreme limit. The comfort and lower limits are the best indicators of a bag’s realistic temperature range, but they should only be used as a guide.
CONSTRUCTION
Most down bags use a box-wall construction, which traps the fill inside brick-shaped baffles. Larger baffles give more space for insulation to loft, but smaller baffles can stop the fill from migrating. Angled baffles and zoned construction can reduce cold spots.
STORAGE SACK
In addition to a stuffsack, many bags now come with a larger cotton storage sack that allows the bag to loft and breathe when not in use. This prevents musty odours and damage to the fill caused by long-term compression.
ZIP
A full-length zip makes getting in and out easier, though a shorter zip saves weight. Zips usually have a baffle to prevent cold spots, but make sure it doesn’t snag. Note that if you are right-handed, a zip on the l
