It is also a great way to lose/donate your stuff to some deserving soul.

As with any gear, sleeping bags need to be taken care of. With proper care, as Hikermor states, they can last a long time. I have found that synthetics can take more abuse than down. As you all know (I hope), storing the bags tightly compressed is a bad thing.

Tumbling dry sleeping bags can be a good thing on low or no heat. It helps loft the insulation back up whether it is down or synthetic. There are many new non-detergent washing powders/liquids, they help prevent a build up of residues which limits the insulating capabilities. Down insulation tends to clump after washing and needs the tumbling to separate the feathers.

At least this is my experience. I do have some old bags that still work well, but not as old as Hikermor's.

"I have found that synthetics can take more abuse than down."

They are definitely cheaper and faster to wash. This makes them the better choice for rentals, schools, young children etc. where they need to be cleaned frequently.
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Head to head I saw no difference in insulation qualities between various brands and insulation types of synthetic bags when used constantly by a wide range of people.

Some outdoor ed instructors and guides liked North Face because they had a lifetime warranty and they would get a new bag every 3 or 4 years for free after the old one wore down. If Wiggy's does that too, that would be an advantage. As far as I know, the institution did not ask either North Face or Wiggy's to replace bags after they lost loft. That would be unseemly since it was wear, not poor design or craftsmanship.

Wow, great stuff so far, thanks to everyone who has already posted. Here's a few things that may help further the discussion.

First my typical cold weather sleeping arrangements (as per a previous cold weather camping discussion here) :

Clothing - a clean and dry change (at least the first night any way lol) consisting of synthetic undies (nylon or polyester usually), a heavy polyester or poly-cotton blend under pants and long sleeve under shirt (i know, cotton bad, but it's a blend, I only use them for sleeping and will have another 100% poly set for day-time activities), wool socks (loose fitting to promote good circulation to my feet), fleece pants, heavy fleece top, toboggan, and fleece tube hoodie (i gather it up around the neck area to help seal up the mummy bag).

Sleeping bag(s) - I use a fleece liner with my current coleman 0 to 20 degree bag (this bag is wayyyyy too bulky for the backpack) ... inside the fleece liner i use these, one or two at my feet and one or two around my core depending on the temperature.

Sleeping pad - nothing fancy, just a simple closed cell foam pad, plus a heatsheet silver side up

this set up helped us sleep warm and cozy on our last cold weather camp out as noted in the thread linked to above.

Now, for the backpacking, I will be using this hammock so I am also looking into the possibility of an under blanket/quilt for the colder weather. I'd really like an over-sized light-weight tarp to help enclose the hammock and protect it from wind and weather but the budget won't allow it for the January camp out. I may end up using a tent for the colder weather January camp out as lows are predicted in the 30s as of now. However, I'm still looking at the under-quilt as an option for future camp outs.

For the sleeping bag, I am definitely wanting synthetic (I am just not very well-versed in taking care of down), a mummy bag style (DS and I are both getting more and more used to it thanks to our current mummy bags).

Standard disclaimers, I have no affiliations with any companies or products I have linked to in this thread.

Hikermor, I always hear good things about down, but I am just more comfortable with synthetics, I've never owned anything down that I know of and am just not well-versed in it's proper use and care.

Montanero, I'll look into those wiggy's bags, any specific recommendations there?

Tjin, I mentioned my bag preferences in my previous post above, and you pretty much summed up my reservations about that beaume bag, I could not really find much about them with a google search either, other than links to sellers and such.

You're welcome BPJ, hope this proves useful for both of us, getting some great input from everyone so far.

AFLM, it appears to be minus 25 F, but who knows for sure. And I'll look into that softie 10 bag for sure.

QJS, that seems like it may be an option, but I have reservations about anything strapped to the outside of the pack as tjin and hikermor mentioned. That said, I have straps at the bottom and sides of my pack, presumably for attaching stuff to it in the manner you propose. In fact, my CCF pad currently gets attached horizontally to the bottom of the pack via the bottom straps. I've not really fully explored all the options for attaching stuff to this pack yet, but it sure seems pretty versatile. When you mentioned the bungee straps, i immediately thought of using them along with the molle type webbing I've been attaching carabiners to on the outside of the pack. However, I'd like to have as much IN the pack as possible, especially the sleeping bag, in case of rain (the pack has a built in rain cover and i always carry extra contractor bags as well). I'll be exploring the options for attaching gear this weekend for sure.

Another vote for a wiggy's bag from Phaedrus, I'll definitely be looking into those, again some specific recommendations would be awesome.

clearwater, I'm hoping using our fleece liners will reduce the need for frequent laundering, but if we do we'll be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions to help the bag last.

Thanks for all those great tips Jeff, I'll be sure to keep those handy.

Ken, I'm not sure that will work with the hammocks, besides I am one of those weird (maybe??) ones who enjoys snuggling into a nice warm sleeping bag at night.

This is the coolest thing!!!

A high loft down bag, mummy style, has been the gold standard for a warm backpackable sleeping bag for many years. There are synthetic fill bags that come very close, basically being only slightly bulkier for a given temp rating. A lot depends upon how critical the weight-warmth-bulk relationship will be in your activities.

Down bags are quite durable with only modest care. I often use a light bag liner or a set of long johns to keep the bag clean. I rarely,if ever, need to wash a bag.

My coldest trip ever was a mountaineering patrol of Denali in 1987. I used a synthetic bag, rated to -30 (courtesy of the NPS). -20 was routine, and one stormy night got down to -80 with wind chill. Bulk was not critical, because we were pulling sleds. Still retain all fingers and toes.

Lots of information here to help you with some of the 'magical' temperature ratings some manufacturers will claim.

http://www.mammut.ch/documents/Schlafsaecke/Downloads/Sleep%20Well/Mammut_Sleep_well_pt1_E.pdf

The ground pad really is critical! No matter what the bag, if you're sleeping directly on the ground or on snow or ice you're gonna be cold.

Mark F wrote: > QJS, that seems like it may be an option, but I have reservations about anything strapped to the outside of the pack

Obviously some common sense has to be used. I'm not advocating keeping the only item that will keep you alive on cold nights, in a paper bag, with a bank counter rubber band attaching it to your sac.
Use a strong waterproof stuff sac, with straps you can run the bunjees inside of, so they aren't relying on only friction. Though in reality bunjees grip like an alligator. Anything strong enough to pull the bag off my sac would pull me over first. Straps don't hold as tightly.
Tip for staying on the mat; have it inside the bag.

qjs