There is a large range of different sleeping bags and you need one that will do the job in the environment that it is being used.

One of the most important things about your sleeping bag is that it must keep you warm during the cold nights, there is nothing more miserable than being so cold you can’t sleep so this is the first thing to consider above all else, comfort comes second but generally if your bag is warm enough then it should be comfortable enough.

Next comes weight and size, this is almost certainly going to be down to a trade off against money, the warmest, cheap sleeping bags are huge, even when compressed and will take up a huge amount of room in your rucksack, compact and light when packed is better but the most compact and light sleeping bags that are still warm are pretty expensive.

The ratings on sleeping bags can sometimes be confusing but generally a one season bag is only suitable for warm summer nights, a two season bag will go a little further and a three season bag should suffice for spring and autumn although a three season bag can be used in the summer as well as you can very easily undo the zip to cool down a little. Four season bags should be able to do the winter nights but will generally be quite big and heavy, another option is to use a sleeping bag liner as this will effectively increase the rating of your bag.

Beware of the temperature guides on sleeping bags, they can also be a little misleading if you’re not sure how to read them, when it says the lower level is 0 degrees and the temperature goes down that far you will be very cold, better to look at the comfort rating as this will give you a far better idea of what will be suitable, nights in Britain tend to get really cold even in the summer, how often would you go out at 4 in the morning in just a t-shirt, it’s pretty cold at that time even if the day was warm, it’s greater exaggerated if the skies are clear, remember when you’re on expedition there is no option to go inside if you are cold, you’re already there!