Down Sleeping Bag

A down sleeping bag gives you the most warmth for the least weight and pack size, which is why backpackers and cold-weather campers reach for it. The range runs from ultralight goose and duck down bags for fast-and-light trips to down-and-cotton blends and roomier bags for camp, plus a few synthetic options for wet conditions. Each product page states the exact fill, weight and temperature rating.

Down, blend or synthetic

• Down, goose or duck: warmest for its weight and packs smallest, but it loses warmth if it soaks and needs keeping dry.
• Down and cotton blend: a softer, cheaper middle ground with a little more damp tolerance.
• Synthetic: bulkier and heavier, but keeps more of its warmth when wet and dries faster, the more forgiving choice for wet UK trips.

About the temperature ratings

We show the maker's ratings as given. The category tends to headline the extreme figure, so plan around the comfort temperature instead, several degrees warmer than the limit. Use a proper mat underneath and add a liner for the last few degrees rather than trusting the survival number.

Keep it lofted, keep it dry

Loft is what holds the warmth, so store the bag loose rather than crushed in its sack, and keep down dry in a bivvy or a tent. A mat matters as much as the bag, since most of the cold comes up from the ground.

Build the rest of your sleep system

To round out the overnight kit: a sleeping mat or self-inflating mattress to block ground cold, a sleeping bag liner for extra degrees, a bivy bag to keep the down dry, and a camping pillow for your head.

Free UK delivery and 30-day returns

All UK orders ship free and tracked, processed within 3 to 5 business days and delivered within 10 to 20. If the bag is not right, return it within 30 days of delivery, unused and in original condition, once the return is approved.