If you’ve ever had a pad deflate or slept directly on the ground in cold weather, you know firsthand the importance of an insulated pad beneath you. Further, when you lay on a sleeping bag, you compress the insulation, which impacts its ability to warm you (this is particularly true for down fill, but does impact synthetic as well). As a result, it’s important to choose a sleeping mattress or pad that will protect you from the ground if you’ll be camping in cooler temperatures (typically under 50-60 degrees). Don't head out camping without a quality pad or mattress

The fill weight is literally how much just the down weighs in a bag. In this case it’s less than half the weight of the bag, which indicates the bag has burly fabric and zippers. It also makes for a colder bag — if the fill weight were higher it would be warmer. Answer: The 20-degree rating on this bag means it straddles the ground between the two, representing a very warm three-season bag or a four-season bag in warmer climates. Question: Is there a sleeve for a sleeping pad? The 600-fill of hydrophobic down is wrapped in a durable 50D polyester taffeta liner and a ripstop shell, all of which is shaped into a mummy-style bag that hugs your body in the right places. Features such as the adjustable hood, draft collar, and draft tube work well to hold in your warmth. Clouds? They just don’t come close. Compared to its 20-degree competitors, it measures up favorably, with models like the synthetic The North Face Wasatch 20° Sleeping Bagweighing in at 3 pounds and the down-filled Marmot Ironwood20 at 2 lbs 6.7 ounces.As a ballpark figure, any sleeping bag that tips the scales at under three pounds is your best bet if you plan on carrying your camping kit long distances, though cold sleepers may be willing to go over the three-pound mark for that little bit of extra warmth. Hoodless Sleeping Bags: Hoodless sleeping bags or quilts are more commonly an option for summer hikes, but those who feel overly restricted by a mummy-style bag with a tight hood might prefer to use a hoodless sleeping bag and sleep with a hat on to keep their dome and ears toasty throughout the night. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. As you might have guessed, the higher the number, the better the insulation. But, perhaps more importantly, it also means that the higher the fill power, the less down is required to provide you with insulation, meaning bags with a higher fill power will generally offer similar or better insulation than bags with a lower fill power, but at a lighter weight.

Water-resistant down sleeping bags are becoming ever more common on the market. This one, however, does something that the vast majority of its water-resistant competitors don’t—it’s affordable. Compared to other 20-degree-rated sleeping bags with water-resistant down fills, this bag could easily be classified as a “budget” model and is one of the cheapest in its class out there. Shell Fabric Mummy-style: Preferred for its streamlined design, minimization of weight, and reduction of empty space to be heated up by your body, the vast majority of sleeping bags on the market now take this form. The hood and the tapered shape may prove a little claustrophobic for some, but in winter conditions this style of sleeping bag is by far the most thermally efficient. The material used in your sleeping bag’s shell or outer layer is important for two reasons: protection and durability; and, resistance to dampness and condensation. 1) Protection and durability We tested the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 in a size Regular, which is the men’s version of the sleeping bag. It’s also offered in a Short and Long, so make sure to get the length that fits you. The Cosmic Down 20 is also offered in a Women’s specific version, which is a warmer, heavier, and shorter bag overall. We recommend the men’s and women’s Cosmic Down 20 bag, and you can find it below. Ken Strayer noted that EN standards for testing at 20*F use an R-5 value pad; by comparison, R-2 for 50*F and R-3 for 40*F. I can't find the post right now, but I seem to recall these numbers being supported in another thread by Mr. Nisley. The point, of course, is that to determine if a manufacturer's rating is accurate, it wouldn't be appropriate to use a lower R-value pad than they use for testing.Water-resistant down: offers all the benefits of down but, as the name suggests, with the added benefit of water resistance. The downside? It costs, in most cases, a small fortune. This zipper is the entire length of the bag and built for use. Large pull tabs help to locate it in the night, but it is a little more delicate than we’d prefer. The Cosmic uses lower fill power down that is more cumbersome for the amount of warmth it provides, as well as more substantial synthetic fill components (which we suspect are in there to cut costs), both of which add weight. A heavier bag is an unseen price you pay when getting a budget sleeping bag. Comfort I've only given it 4 stars for the moment because I haven't truly tested the performance of it quite yet and plan on updating this review with further thoughts once I use it properly. There’s no definitive answer to this one, and in most cases, the weight of your future sleeping bag will be determined by finding the ideal weight-to-warmth ratio, basing your calculations on how heavy a bag you’re willing to carry and how much warmth you will need to sleep soundly and safely where (and when) you intend to do your camping.