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dried, you will never get rid of the smell of wet feathers. Ever.
Synthetics have a slightly higher weight but in my opinion it is worth it. One time when I was camping we had a rain storm hit us. I was in a synth bag and stayed cozy warm even with over an inch of standing water in the tent and me soaked to the skin. I only noticed when my companion who was in a cotton bag woke me up and forced me out.

Temperature Ratings
Good quality sleeping bags come with a temperature rating on them to let you know the temperature range in which an average person will be comfortable. If there is no temperature rating then chances are its designed for summer like conditions only. It is important to note that if you buy a sleeping bag rated for a very cold temperature and it is warm out, you are likely to be uncomfortably warm. A bag rated for below zero temperatures will be uncomfortable above 45F as a general principal. Temperature ratings are very important if you are going to be in cold areas particularly during Fall or Winter months. Most of the time temperature ratings are spaced in 10-15 degree increments. For example 45F, 30F, 15F, 0F, -15F, -30F are common ratings and increments. The colder the bag, the heavier and more expensive the bag is going to be. It should be noted that a good set of thermal underwear can make allow you to remain comfortable to lower temperatures extending the range by as much as 15 degrees.

Weight
Most good sleeping bags will include a weight on them. This is how much the bag weighs when in its stuff stack or rolled up. For car camping this really isn't important. When backpacking though this rating can make a big difference. A lower quality material will be higher weight as will lower temperatures. Average is near 4 pounds but can go lower with better materials.

There are several key criteria that you need to look at when selecting the sleeping bag that is best suited for what you plan on doing. For example if the sleeping bag is going to be used for an indoor children's sleepover, it is a waste of money to get that nice synth mummy bag good to 15 below zero. As such, the use of the bag is the first critical criteria to look at.

Where do you plan on going camping or backpacking and what time of year?
If you are camping in a low elevation state park in the middle of summer then just about any sleeping bag is likely to be good unless you are in Glacier Bay. A rectangular bag rated at 45F is likely to be well suited for your use in the standard summer time state park setting. However if you are into more extreme camping or backpacking then you need to closely study what you are buying. If you are planning on going above the snowline, a good sleeping bag can mean the difference between a comfortable night sleep and never waking up. It is best to lookup the historical temperatures for the area you are going (if there are any) as well as watching the weather reports for what the are is going to be like. Take the worst case cold temperature for the area and go a step below it for the temperature rating.
If you are only planning on backpacking during the summer months when it is comparably warm, there is a line of sleeping bags offered that are good to 45F and compress down to the size of a soda can. These are great for temperate areas when it is warm out. They are highly compact, weigh less than a pound, and they do the job nicely. Only concern is losing it in depths of you your backpack!

Learn more about this author, Nathan Rogers.
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