When you’re doing serious hiking, one of the most important factors with your equipment is weight. You want to try to minimize the amount of weight you’re carrying as much as possible, because the bag is going to feel exponentially more heavy as you start to ascend that ridge or trek those multiple miles. That’s why so many hikers are enamored with dehydrated meals. Not only are they packed with nutrients and much needed calories, but they are also extremely light.
This is also why lightweight sleeping bags are so important to find. The thing to remember about lightweight bags, however, is that you don’t want to go too far with it. Instead, you want the perfect balance between lightness and protection from the cold. After all, if you’re going to be sleeping in extremely cold conditions, it’s worth the few extra ounces that a zero degree bag would offer.