Down

Layer them over a pair of leggings and they will keep your lower half toasty warm

Lots of big brands are shifting toward more sustainable gear, without harmful PFCs. But for the industry as a whole, change is slow.

We dive deep into the outdoor industry's premium insulation to help you buy—and care for—your next puffy

So you had a kid. That doesn't mean you just have to sit at home.

Here's the kit one of the country's most ambitious FKT chasers uses when he heads out into the backcountry

Everything you need to know to ensure you don't ruin your skis, boots, and kit before next season

The wireless Rumpl Puffe- wants to warm up your next camping trip

Down versus synthetic in a head-to-head test

Don't throw out your down jacket just yet

The Ignite DriDown offers water-resistant down filling at a great price

A titanium bike with swooping lines and parallel triangles for added flex and greater shock absorption.

Sleeping bags keep getting lighter thanks to thinner fabrics and ever finer and fluffier grades of down. Which is a good thing, except when it isn’t. A couple of the bags we tested didn’t make the cut because, though the bags met their rating in the European Norm lab tests, those tests don’t account for air movement in real-life conditions.

I'm a proud owner of a new 800-fill down sleeping bag. I want to make sure it stays clean and warm for years to come. What should I do?

Is there a good reason to buy a women’s-specific sleeping bag?

What are your ten favorite pieces of outdoor gear from the past ten years?

I'm going on a multi-country, 10-month, round-the-world trip, from Patagonia to the Himalayas. What lightweight, 10- to 15-degree sleeping bag should I bring?

Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Therm-a-Rest Ventra Down Comforter.

Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Marmot Plasma 15 sleeping bag.

Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the REI Radiant 0.

Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sierra Designs Pyro 15 sleeping bag.

Outside reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Sea to Summit Traverse XTII sleeping bag.

What's the difference between synthetic insulation and down insulation in terms of staying warm? For example, how does 700 or 800 fill down compare to synthetics? PaulChicago, IL

It used to be that sleeping bags’ degree ratings were determined in various ways, so conventional wisdom dictated that you buy a bag with a temperature rating at least 10 to 15 degrees lower than the lowest temperature you’d expect to be camping in. That’s starting to change. For…

Base-Camp King A zero-degree-rated, 650-fill down bag for $219? It’s not a misprint. The Coromell saves a few bucks by using duck down. While duck and goose down are virtually the same performance-wise, you generally pay a bit more for goose down’s superior reputation. And Kelty certainly didn’t skimp on…

Ultralight and Packable The Vapor 15 is the lightest 15-degree-rated bag on the market; it stuffs down to the size of a Nerf football—and isn’t much heavier. Unfurl it, though, and you’ll find the high-end, 850-fill insulates like a bag that weighs almost twice as much. Of course, to make…

A Minimalist Sack The sleeping bag, deconstructed. The ultralight (1.4-pound) 700-fill-down Haven has no zippers and, thanks to the giant hole in the underside of the bag, a fifth less insulation and fabric than your average 20-degree bag. Uh, what? Yep, you actually “enter” the Haven through that hole and…

Durable and Well-Priced With beefy draft tubes around the hood and along the full-length zipper, glow-in-the dark zipper pulls, and 600-fill goose down, the 15-degree Hotlum is built to the same general specs as fancier (and more expensive) bags in the North Face’s line. The only difference is that the…

Thrashers Welcome The 725-fill Tumble Mountain features recycled fabric, zipper, drawcords, and cordlocks, making it the most sustainable bag here. It’s also the most tricked out. Big Agnes shaves a few ounces by eliminating the unnecessary insulation under the half-length pad sleeve on the back. Slide any standard-width (20-inch) pad…

Kelty’s 30-degree Supernova 3-in-1 sleeping bag works as a comforter for two. It can also be converted to a down sleeping bag for one. kelty.com…

There's the gear you want, and there's the gear you need. After much internal debate, we present the 25 products every guy should own.