So here are my initial thoughts.
Temperature rating: First things first from my own experience the temperature ratings on bags are only a guide. Some of us sleep warmer than others, the level of exercise and energy expended during the day, relative humidity, wind speed and a whole host of other factors can affect whether you feel warm or cold at a given temperature. However, for me I generally choose a bag rated by a quality manufacturer to -5 Celcius as my one bag option. You can easily unzip a bag and lay on top if you are warm, but you need to comfortable on cold nights. Nights colder than -5 are not really all that common in usual backpacking season, and a bag rated to -5 can be made warmer by the addition of liners or extra clothing in the worst conditions. If you are a cold sleeper add 5 degrees C to this.
Weight - is a factor for backpacking but not for car or base camp set up's - a lighter weight bag can still be used for car camping but a heavy bag cannot be used for backpacking. Therefore we need a lightweight bag. So how light will we need to go and what fill options should we consider?
Well the weight is a factor of the warmth and the insulation used, and as mentioned we are going for a bag rated to -5 C.
Fill Options - Down or Synthetic fill? Personally I prefer down as not only is the weight of the bag lower for a given temperature rating but also it can be compressed to make a smaller item which fits easily in my backpack. The one concession here is that down cannot be allowed to get soaking wet. Its probably not a good idea to get a synthetic bag wet either, but a soaking wet down bag will be very hard to dry out and may completely ruin it. Cost is also a consideration. Down is more than double the cost.
Quality down sleeping bags are expensive, no two ways about it. for a solo backpacker the difference in price is probably only a modest consideration. For a backpacking family, the cost of three or four of these items will certainly make an eye watering one off purchase. My own view is that if you really want your family to truly enjoy their outdoor adventures they need outfitting correctly. Being warm at night is fundamental. If you plan to backpack with your family then invest in good bags. It only takes one or two cold nights to put them off for life.
So, whats the big deal with the sleeping bag? Years ago blankets were used at camp, true, but also building a raging fire was customary at camp also. These blankets weighed a couple of kilos each and were made of 100% wool, which is really hard to find in a modern blanket. Fire building is no longer considered acceptable behavior in almost all camping scenarios, so effectively your sleeping bag has to perform as well as a 100% wool blanket and fire combined. Without the fire the blanket becomes redundant. There is no equivalent weight blanket that will perform as well as a quality down sleeping bag.
Often families spend hours looking over tent designs, spending a small fortune sometimes, but then manage with second rate sleeping arrangements. Personally I would concentrate on the sleeping set up as first priority, as this is where most of the budget goes if being warm at night in all but the height of summer is your priority. A tent will provide a micro-climate, but only a few degrees above outside ambient temperature at night. During the day it is clothing which really keeps a backpacker warm and dry and its the sleeping bag that really keeps you warm at night. Spend the money on the bags.
A solo regular backpacker with a healthy disposbale income may build a collection of bags and quilts, one for each season or destination, 400g trek and travel bags, top bags, bags for Everest base camp, but a solo backpacker on a budget or a family wishing to get the most from the money spent is going to want one core staple bag that can be opened out into a quilt when the night-time weather is warm, say above 15C, but can be cinched down tight into a mummy bag with a hood and draw cord neck baffle when it starts to approach or go below freezing. To effect this a full length zip is an essential feature.
Mummy liners in my opinion are not a necessity. Cotton liners are useless on the trail as they gradually soak up condensation as the trip progresses, they are really difficult to dry out, so ultimately make you cold, silk is very expensive, fleece liners are very bulky. Instead it is best to carry additional base layers which these days can be purchased for very little, wear them as pj's to help keep your bag clean. A whole family worth of synthetic base layers in the March sales can be purchased for the price of one silk liner. From my experience the additional base layers offer much more flexibility than the mummy liners. In fact base layers could be worn during the day if the weather turns unexpectedly really cold a mummy liner is just dead weight in the pack.
Wet goose down doesn't work, but there is a huge difference between a sodden literally soaking bag and a bit of condensation at the foot or head which is usual by morning. Once the sun comes up or the wind gets up you can air a down bag in 5 to 10 minutes, even if its raining just do your best inside the tent or shelter, your best is always good enough. Once packed inside your rucksack keep the bag stored inside a protective plastic or dry bag.
I have found that sleeping bags rated to around -5C from quality bag makers such as Mountain Equipment and Rab with a tapered mummy shape, a full length zip, drawcord hood and neck baffle are ideal for all year round in the UK . As mentioned, in summer they are simply opened into a quilt. As the temperature falls the other features of the bag are used in turn until every feature of the bag is being used below say 5C. We don't see too many nights below those temperatures and most of us with families in mid winter / Christmas are unlikely to be backpacking. Add hats, and additional clothing layers to a -5C bag to see you down to -10C. Such sleeping bags usually weigh around one kilo or thereabouts, and should have 500 to 600g of quality goose down in a baffle arrangement which keeps 30% of the down around your feet. This one bag option will pretty much cover all eventualities.
Mountain Equipment send end of lines to a factory outlet shop in Glossop near the Peak district called Magic Mountain. I have purchased all my bags from there in the past, I have generally paid around £100 or so for bags as described, this represents around 50% discount. I also believe that Mountain Equipment have an outlet shop at their Hyde location.
A discounted down bag is still more expensive than a full priced synthetic bag. Well cared for however such bags will last 10 years or more.
Being cold at camp cannot ever be an option.
Thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts.
Way of the backpacker
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