Down confusion

[jofes]

I have 0 degree down quilt from cedar ridge outdoors that I love, weighs around 1lbl 12 oz.

I have am going on a dall hunt in the brooks in 2022 and this is the piece of gear I'm left wondering if I need to change.

From most of the talk on this forum, when sheep hunting in wet climates, synthetic is the way to go, most folks seam to use the kifaru slick bag or other synthetic bags to dry out thier clothes as they sleep.

BUT! Kuiu and Stone Glacier, sheep hunting focused companies, don't offer a sleeping bag that isn't down...

Please correct me I'm wrong, but my down quilt will be fine as long as I keep it in a dry bag and don't get into it soaking wet?
I can buy a slick bag before then but don't want to if it's not necessary.

 

[Alaskan89]

Once down is wet you'll play hell trying to dry it, especially on a sheep hunt, if you can keep it dry and feel confident that it won't get wet then by all means, use it.

Me personally, I would rather sacrifice a few pounds and bring a synthetic bag, if it gets wet you can still sleep in it and it will dry out but it's your hunt and your call.

 

[Dalen88]

so i have heard lots about having to run synthetic as well, but, i bought a stone glacier bag and did a 10 day float trip down a northern b.c river last year always camping on the river banks in a teepi. It rained lots and the condensation was out of control, lots of water falling on the bag from droplets and the random rubbing on the side of the teepi, never once got wet inside the bag and it didnt loose loft and didnt have any sunshine to hang to dry during the day. I was very impressed with it. Anything short of throwing it in the river i dont think it would have gotten wet.

 

[JRMiller]

so i have heard lots about having to run synthetic as well, but, i bought a stone glacier bag and did a 10 day float trip down a northern b.c river last year always camping on the river banks in a teepi. It rained lots and the condensation was out of control, lots of water falling on the bag from droplets and the random rubbing on the side of the teepi, never once got wet inside the bag and it didnt loose loft and didnt have any sunshine to hang to dry during the day. I was very impressed with it. Anything short of throwing it in the river i dont think it would have gotten wet.

I agree. My down quilt has had water on it many times with no issue.
Now sitting in a puddle of water, that might be a problem

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

What no one has ever shown, that I’ve seen, is the exact “warmth” of a bag when dry versus completely soaked. This is for down or synthetic. “Retains its insulation properties” is a bit ambiguous.

Some bag material has better waterproofing than some rain gear.That rarely gets the positive attention that it should for bit lh down and synthetic.

Had the foot box of a WM MegaLite get hammered in a monster monsoon for 2+ hours and the another 90+ minutes of soak time. Scooped the water off the top, poured out the water that made it through, and then went to sleep in it. For the record the bottom part of the bag was dry when I got in. The foot box mostly dried out overnight.

That was a damn near worst case scenario from a test perspective. If the whole bag had gotten soaked like the foot box, I would have flipped it over and still gone to sleep. At least I’d have been partially warm; be a great test for the XTherm as well.

I do believe that there’s a lot of overblown fears about down getting wet. A lot has to go completely wrong for it become a major concern. Your pack, pack rain cover, and dry bag have to fail at the same time AND for a long enough period under consistent rain to soak through the shell. Or your tent and bag’s shell have to fail at the same time for a long enough period under consistent rain to soak through the shell. Or you go completely under during a water crossing and it takes awhile to retrieve your pack; this would be the worst case and hopefully you’re with another hunter or two.

Mr Murphy can be a PITA at times. He prefers some folks more than others. If you want to run a down bag, then do so with appropriate precautions. If you want to run a synthetic bag, then do so with appropriate precautions.

Asked my guide what bag to bring on my upcoming trip to Kodiak: down or synthetic. He says he runs a down bag. That’s good enough for me (bringing my WM Antelope).

 

[mobilefamily]

I took a synthetic quilt to the Brooks on a sheep hunt in 2019 and was DAMNED GLAD to have it. More than once I climbed into it soaking wet to dry my clothes as there was no other significant source of heat and I was packed light without spare clothes. Even if I'd had a bunch of spare clothes, they would have been wet 30 minutes into just about any day with no way to dry them.

I would not take any Alaska trip (I've done 4 now) without a bag I could climb into wet, get warm, and emerge dry.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I took a synthetic quilt to the Brooks on a sheep hunt in 2019 and was DAMNED GLAD to have it. More than once I climbed into it soaking wet to dry my clothes as there was no other significant source of heat and I was packed light without spare clothes. Even if I'd had a bunch of spare clothes, they would have been wet 30 minutes into just about any day with no way to dry them.

I would not take any Alaska trip (I've done 4 now) without a bag I could climb into wet, get warm, and emerge dry.

Take a look at this:

Rewarming Drill

At the beginning of the year, a US Special Operations team approached us about using and testing our products. As extreme users of gear, they are continually looking for the best systems in terms of performance across a wide range of conditions that are also durable and packable. The team was...

www.stoneglacier.com

Unsure why it work for them but no one on Rokslide.

I’ve “baked” wet clothes dry plenty of times with a down puffy top and bottom. Why wouldn’t a person be able to do the same in a down bag? Not talking about a Wal-Mart special.

 

[7layerburrito]

Just did 13 days in the Brooks with a Feathered Friends Lark UL and had no problems getting in there wet and drying out. It's a damp place that will give you all four seasons of weather but it's not a rain forest and you're not going to be sleeping on terrain where standing water is possible -- it's going to soak straight down into the permafrost. Half of the trip was spiked out in a floorless tipi and I kept a Borah Bivy in my pack as a security blanket but never used it. I wouldn't fret that much, bring something high quality that you love.

Oh! I *do* tend to go synthetic on my puffies just because if I was in a survival situation, it makes me feel good to have. Plus synthetic puffy pants just make sense to me considering you're sitting on your rear end on the ground.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Take a look at this:

Rewarming Drill

At the beginning of the year, a US Special Operations team approached us about using and testing our products. As extreme users of gear, they are continually looking for the best systems in terms of performance across a wide range of conditions that are also durable and packable. The team was...

www.stoneglacier.com

Unsure why it work for them but no one on Rokslide.

I’ve “baked” wet clothes dry plenty of times with a down puffy top and bottom. Why wouldn’t a person be able to do the same in a down bag? Not talking about a Wal-Mart special.

AZ-confused here. If I'm reading you correct, rockslide doesn't buy the baking video SG did? But you have done it?
Not being a jerk, just trying to understand.


I have seen some pretty wet down bags, but that was because 2 guys sharing a tent did not keep a vent open for moisture to escape. They woke up pretty wet from condensation/breath moisture.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I’ve personally have not done their rewarming drill. But I’ve “baked” wet clothes dry numerous times by throwing on a down jacket and pants. I’ve also slept in a partially wet down bag and it was mostly dry when I woke up.

One reason folks claim to run a synthetic bag is to sleep with wet clothes and will be dry when they wake up. If folks dry their clothes with down puffies, then why would a quality down bag not work?

SG has a solid reputation so I’m unsure why folks ignore/dismiss their findings but appear to take the Sitka article as gospel (great read and info).

No skin off of my nose as everyone can run whatever they want.

 

[Blockcaver]

I used a KUIU 15*F Super Down (treated to be water repellent) bag 8 seasons in BC, Alaska, the NWT and Nunavut. Works dang good for me. I wear wet cloths to bed as applicable, plus will add KUIU Super Down ULTRA puffy pants and parka as required when its really cold out. Couldn't be happier. YMMV

 

[jofes]

Has anyone actually had their DWR down get wet to the point of it losing it's insulation properties? Anyone have to bail on a hunt over it?