How to choose a synthetic
or a down sleeping bag

A synthetic or a down sleeping bag is one of the first questions you face when you want to buy a new backpacking sleeping bag. That's understandable because without doubt the most important aspect of a sleeping bag is the insulation material.


Insulation fill

A sleeping bag's overall ability to keep the wilderness camper warm depends on its insulation fill. The insulation fill is sandwiched between the sleeping bag's shell and lining via enclosed channels, layers or baffles. It’s important that the insulation material “fluffs up?in the bag, so-called loft. The more loft the more insulating have.

Fill comes in basically two types of materials, natural down, typically goose or duck feathers, and synthetic or man made fibers.



Down

Nothing will keep you warmer than down. Down is light, compressible and an efficient insulator. Down is the finest insulator available.


For dry conditions

However down is more expensive than synthetic fills and unfortunately down has no insulating power when wet. Damp down looses its entire loft, and when fill looses loft, it can't keep you warm. Wet down also takes a long time to dry.


Fill power number

Note that each down sleeping bag has a fill power number that indicates how much space an ounce of down will fill. The higher the number, the loftier and the better the warmth.




Synthetic

Synthetic fill comes in a wide variety of materials with varying combinations of cost, bulk, efficiency and durability.


Warmth to weight ratio

Good quality synthetic sleeping bags are extremely small and has relative good warmth to weight ratio. More moderate quality synthetic bags tend to weigh more and have a larger pack size.


Less expensive

Compare to down sleeping bags even good quality synthetic bags are usually less expensive. The most important aspect however is that synthetic sleeping bags will continue to insulate reasonably well even when wet.




Child sleeping bags

Synthetic sleeping bags can also be machine-washed and is non-allergenic, making them a first choice as a child sleeping bag.

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