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Choosing sleeping bags

Hood
Most sleeping bags have a hood that can be drawn snuggly around your head in cooler weather. Up to half of your body's heat can be lost through your head, so a good fitting hood can greatly improve the efficiency of your sleeping bag. The hood should have slightly more fill material than the rest of the bag.

Draft Collar
The draft collar is located at the base of the hood. This insulated tube of material is designed to prevent heat loss from around your neck and shoulders whilst sleeping. Rectangular shaped summer bags may not have draft collars, but they are an instrumental part of all winter sleeping bags. The collar should be bulky enough to fill the excess space between your neck and shoulders, but not so bulky you feel claustraphobic.

Zip
Zips should have teeth big enough to run smoothly, without catching on fabric. Right handed people generally prefer left-hand opening bags and vice versa. If you are planning to zip two bags together, ensure one has a right zip and one has a left zip.

Zip flap or Baffle
Most sleeping bags have an insulated flap or baffle that runs parallel to the zipper in order to block heat loss. The flap should be sewn only to the lining material, since sewing through the bag creates holes that allow air leaks. Cold weather bags may have two thickly filled draft flaps. If there is a single flap it should be sewn to the top zipper so it hangs down when you sleep.

Pockets
Some bags come equipped with accessory pockets. Ideal if you need to keep small soft items warm whilst you sleep.

Rectangular Bags
These sleeping bags are more suitable for warmer weather site camping rather than backpacking or expedition use. Most bags in this category have nylon fillings and shell materials, this makes them bulky and heavy for the insulation provided, but they do offer a more room if you need to allow your legs more space when sleeping.

Mummy shaped Sleeping Bags
These are the most efficient at keeping your body warm, but they have a fairly restricting shape that prevents huge amounts of movement while you sleep and are not recommended the claustrophic! The use of a hood plus baffles along the zip and around the neck area greatly increases the heat retention and gives more flexibility for ventilation options to regulator the bag temperature.

Sleeping bags are filled with either natural goose or duck down or with synthetic fibres.

Natural fill
Down is the best natural insulator known. It is light and compresses easily. It can pack small and its loft an be fluffed back with just a couple quick shakes. Down costs more than synthetic fill, and if it becomes wet it loses about 80% of its insulating abilities and takes a long time to dry. Keeping your down bag dry is essential. A well-cared-for down sleeping bag will keep you warm and comfortable through several years of outdoor adventures.

Synthetic fill
is made from small fibres that are treated with silicone to help enhance their loft (Loft is a key factor in determining a bag's warmth. It refers to the thickness or puffiness of a bag. If two bags have the same fill type, features, and shape, the one with the higher loft will be warmer). The fibers also have chambers in them to help trap air. Synthetic-filled sleeping bags cost less and are great for people who are allergic to down. They also continue to insulate when wet and dry quickly. However, synthetic bags weigh more and have a shorter life span than down bags. They often take up more space in your pack as well.