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Down or Fibre?
Your sleeping bag is probably the most personal article in your outdoor equipment. It is important that you select a bag with this in mind. The first thing you should think about is what kind of insulation material you prefer, down or synthetic.

Down
Down is still the material with the best insulation to weight ratio. A down sleeping bag is lighter and takes up less room in your pack. Down usually costs more and requires more care. When wet, down loses its ability to insulate and you therefore need to take steps to avoid getting your bag wet. It is also important that a down bag gets properly aired after each nights use to let damp out of the bag and when not in use is stored at home loosely on a hanger rather than in a stuff sack, use the air bag provided.

Fibre
Modern synthetic materials are not far behind down in their ability to retain heat. The advantage that a synthetic bag has over down is its ability to insulate even when damp. Always bear in mind that a damp bag is never as comfortable as a dry one of course and for this reason you should air your synthetic bag after use as you would a down one. A synthetic bag will dry much quicker than a down one and it does not need to be tumble dried to loft up as does a down bag.
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