Down? Really???

[Elessar]

I have packed and paddled for 30 years and never have I had wet bedding. I am cautious with my packing and have rolled canoes over several times in class IV water. The packing requires some thought, but I really do prefer down for its compressability and warmth. I do carry wool clothing though in the event I get wet. (When rolling those canoes in class IV water. ) I do a lot of paddling in northern Michigan and Wisconsin so even in summer, a big chill is possible. In the early spring and fall, a big chill is probable.

Canoebie: I grew up in Minnesota so I know of the climes that you speak. Challenging when they are good, near impossible when they are bad. But always great!

From what I can discern, the most recent advances have been in packing and preparation to protect your gear, maybe, more than the down itself, with the obvious exception to DriDown. My eyes are opened and I am learning new things. That makes this a great day!

[Caribou Bentspoke]

Check out the OR Ultralight Dry Sack, I like the 10 liter for the 20 and 40 deg quilts, and the 15 liter for the zero degree quilts. Or you could put two smaller quilts in one 15 liter.
They can be water-boarded all day, and even submerged for short periods. There are even better bags out there if needed, but these are fairly light.

I tested the sack with a Go Lite Ultra 1 quilt, I got a little water around the folds, I could have folded it more times. I did not see any bubbles while holding it under. There was very little water on the quilt. And that likely came from pulling it back out past the wet folds.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Womble]

I got my first down quilt(20F) last year (syn sleeping bags before that) and took it for a motorcycle camping tour last september to Ireland. No need to mention that the green island reserved some wet nights for us.

I did my best to keep the quilt dry and it thanked me by doing its best to keep me warm. My friends with their syn bags were jealous seeing me packing the quilt fast and small in the stuff sack.

Recently I took it out to camp at 12F (the quilt is overstuffed)iin the snow and it performed marvelously. IMO frost is less problematic then rain.

On motorcycle camping, we are not weight weenies but we are "cu in" weenies and a down quilt takes half the space of the syn bag.

[Caribou Bentspoke]

Here is a link to the OR ultralight dry sacks, they have two or three heavier duty models as well. Plus there is lots of sea-kayaking products out there in that market.

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/or...-dry-sack.html

Sierra Trading Post has some of these sacks at times, for half the price.

[OneClick]

Check out the OR Ultralight Dry Sack, I like the 10 liter for the 20 and 40 deg quilts, and the 15 liter for the zero degree quilts. Or you could put two smaller quilts in one 15 liter.
They can be water-boarded all day, and even submerged for short periods. There are even better bags out there if needed, but these are fairly light.

I tested the sack with a Go Lite Ultra 1 quilt, I got a little water around the folds, I could have folded it more times. I did not see any bubbles while holding it under. There was very little water on the quilt. And that likely came from pulling it back out past the wet folds.

[IMG][/IMG]

I have a dozen of these things and you just can't beat them.

[SusanDerkins]

I really can't imagine anyone anywhere being downright offended for criticism of down insulation, much less here on this forum where people seem relatively slow to get riled. Then again, there are people anywhere who really like to get riled so you never can tell.

Anyway, I'm allergic to down and it seems to me that my lightest and possibly smallest option for nearly all types of insulation is out the window with that one fact. If you rule it out, you'll do all types of hemming and hawking over which types of synthetic is best and wear the search bar out on this forum. Even if I wasn't allergic to it I would be awful wary of Dri-down with the chemical factor and like previous posters have said it really isn't the miracle thing they're hoping to get you excited thinking it is. Looks like it's one of those things that professes to be the cure for what ails you and then sits in the back of your closet.

It's also an interesting coincidence that people who will enjoy fiddling around to make the lightest, most minimalist pack possible are probably going to really enjoy the challenges therein. In fact, it's my sneaking suspicion that some of us pick a hobby with lots of challenges partly out of love of problem solving. It's climbing the mountain to climb the mountain, kwim?

[SilvrSurfr]

My main objection to down has always been the cost. However, when I retired my synthetic sleeping bag and went to down, it was like the weight of the world was off my shoulders. I couldn't believe how much bulk I got rid of in my pack. For that reason alone, I'm a convert.

[monkeykoder]

I really can't imagine anyone anywhere being downright offended for criticism of down insulation, much less here on this forum where people seem relatively slow to get riled. Then again, there are people anywhere who really like to get riled so you never can tell.

Anyway, I'm allergic to down and it seems to me that my lightest and possibly smallest option for nearly all types of insulation is out the window with that one fact. If you rule it out, you'll do all types of hemming and hawking over which types of synthetic is best and wear the search bar out on this forum. Even if I wasn't allergic to it I would be awful wary of Dri-down with the chemical factor and like previous posters have said it really isn't the miracle thing they're hoping to get you excited thinking it is. Looks like it's one of those things that professes to be the cure for what ails you and then sits in the back of your closet.

It's also an interesting coincidence that people who will enjoy fiddling around to make the lightest, most minimalist pack possible are probably going to really enjoy the challenges therein. In fact, it's my sneaking suspicion that some of us pick a hobby with lots of challenges partly out of love of problem solving. It's climbing the mountain to climb the mountain, kwim?

Have you figured out which synthetic is best yet??? Same problem here.

[pgibson]

Down is evil and the geese are the spawn of the devil.










Just kidding.


Both synthetics and down each have advantages....for the most part neither have any advantage in regards to getting slobbering dripping finger wrinkling wet. If you soak your gear through and through your going to be cold wet and miserable. Synth will dry out faster....but if its 40 degrees and soaked through all the way and night is coming in then you best be hot on the trail for the car. Now when you start talking about your gear getting a little wet from humidity...well then sure down will loose some loft and synthetics will still be fine. When you start talking about pack volume sure down will have an edge. When you start talking about cost of a quilt synth will have the edge. When you start talking about the usable life of the gear then down gets the edge.

Bit these back and froths are getting to be smaller and smaller differences as time goes by.

[JaxHiker]

You can have my downy goodness when you can pry it from my warm and toasty dead fingers.