Down vs Synthetic Sleeping Bags

[egreen4257]

I've done some research and have seen the differences between the two. However, it doesn't seem like natural down has enough of an advantage over synthetic to warrant the much higher expense. Plus, synthetic supposedly stays warmer when wet. That being said, does anyone else have an opinion on this?

I'm looking at getting my girlfriend either a Marmot Trestles 0 degree bag (synthetic) for $150 or a Mtn Hardware Bishop Pass Gortex (natural) for $335. Both are rated for 0 degrees and the mtn hardware one only weighs 2 oz less. What value am I really getting for an extra $200?

 

[sneaky]

Other than down lasting the rest of your life if you take care of it, and synthetic starts losing warmth the first time you compress it...

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[Antares]

Agree with above, plus down bags are generally lighter and pack down smaller than synthetic bags of the same temp rating.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

It's only saving 2 oz because the outside is gore tex, which is heavy. Recommend looking at other down bags.

 

[camelcluch]

Hard to help with the info given. What kind of use are you looking to do? Hunting, car camping, backpacking????
Overall down is a much better choice for my needs.

 

[egreen4257]

Hard to help with the info given. What kind of use are you looking to do? Hunting, car camping, backpacking????
Overall down is a much better choice for my needs.

Hunting/backpacking, we pulled the trigger on the synthetic bc we've been spending a lot on gear. Kinda wish we did the down but we can upgrade in a couple years. CO is pretty dry so we probably don't need to worry about getting wet too much either.


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[PredatorSlayer]

I have tried several and really like Nemo down bags. I have 3 of them. All have hydrophobic down. I have the Stalker 0, the Kayu 15 and the Disco 15. The gills are cool and help you regulate the temps. I would check them out.

 

[Wrongside]

Other than down lasting the rest of your life if you take care of it, and synthetic starts losing warmth the first time you compress it...

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Yep. Exactly. Well cared for down lasts a very long time, with relatively minimal performance degradation.

It has 2 negatives vs syn- cost and moisture handling. Both can be mitigated.

 

[zacattack]

I've done some research and have seen the differences between the two. However, it doesn't seem like natural down has enough of an advantage over synthetic to warrant the much higher expense. Plus, synthetic supposedly stays warmer when wet. That being said, does anyone else have an opinion on this?

I'm looking at getting my girlfriend either a Marmot Trestles 0 degree bag (synthetic) for $150 or a Mtn Hardware Bishop Pass Gortex (natural) for $335. Both are rated for 0 degrees and the mtn hardware one only weighs 2 oz less. What value am I really getting for an extra $200?

I wanted to look up the weights and that mtn hardware is not really a 0 degree bag. It has a comfort rating of 13 and a limit of 0. Just FYI. But that goretex will make it super heavy. A comparable 15 degree western mountaineering bag, the Apache, weighs 2 lbs.

Huge difference in synthetic vs down as far as weight, longevity, pack ability down will take up far less space compressed.

I’ve never had to sleep in the rain, so I don’t see that as being a big deal. It’s not hard to keep a down bag dry.

 

[oldgrowth]

Another consideration is how warm you want to be. For me, I found that a good down bag is much warmer than a synthetic bag. I have a couple synthetic bags rated to 0 degrees that I have trouble staying warm in when the temperature gets around 20 degrees. I bought a western mountaineering down bag rated to 0 degrees and found that I can sleep comfortably even below its rating. Getting a good nights sleep makes a huge difference for me especially on the longer trips.