Sleeping bag: Synthetic or Down?

Sleeping bag: Synthetic or Down, Good question. Let's take a look at both and see what the pro's and con's are for each. But first you need to know how sleeping bags work.

The fill or the insulation that is found inside of a sleeping bag determines its weight, how durable it is as well as how easily it compresses. Sleeping bag insulation works by creating dead air space in between two layers of fabric. Dead air space makes heat and cold much harder to transfer from one area to the other.

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We'll start with the Down bags. Just because I feel like it.

Down sleeping bags are made of the undercoating of feathers on a duck or goose. They're super-light and have excellent insulating qualities. You will want to look for a bag with down from a goose rather than a duck since it has better fill power, which means it will keep you warmer.

Some of the pro's are:

Some of the con's:

Down bags are very well suited for cold, dry climates. They would be perfect in desert areas and other dry climates.

Now a look a synthetics:

Synthetic sleeping bags are basically made of long, single strands of plastic thread. The threads are hollow which makes them lighter and allows them to trap more air. The more air trapped, the better, since that is how insulation does it's job, by creating dead air space which slows down the transfer of heat or cold.

Some of the pro's of a synthetic bag:

Con's of synthetic:

Synthetic sleeping bags are perfect for soggy, wet conditions. You will want to look at these in the winter if you do any snow camping. Although they are not as warm, you can easily add a sleeping bag liner that will increase the effectiveness of the bag. They only weigh a few ounces.

Summary:

Sleeping bag: Synthetic or Down? The answer is totally up to you, but you need to make some decisions based on a few questions.
1. Where am I going?
2. What is the climate where I am headed?
3. Am I sleeping on the ground or in a tent?
4. If the bag gets wet, is the air dry enough to dry it during the day.
5. If I want a synthetic, can I afford the extra weight?
6. Should I get a down bag because I need to save weight and space?

These should help you make a decision on whether you want a synthetic or down sleeping bag. One other thing you will want to keep in mind is that women usually sleep colder than men. So ladies, you may want to take a serious look at down bags or if weather warrants it, a synthetic with a liner.

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