Hi Monkey...

Good to hear that you are so excited. And a sleeping bag is a good place to start purchasing equipement. I agree with duane that half the fun of buying this stuff is doing the research...take your time and make sure you know what you are getting.

It helps to start by knowing what kinds of conditions you are going to see on the trail. If you don't expect snow or freezing temperatures, then you can get by with a 30 degree bag pretty easily. WE have some HiPEak Extreme bags that cost us about $60 apiece, and they are small, light, and pretty durable. We like them when conditions aren't too grim.

But your budget will dictate some of this. If you can afford down, and aren't worried about getting the bag wet, then you can spend a ton of money and get something really good and lightweight. But good, lightweight, durable and cheap are mutually exlusives characteristics!