Who's gone from a down bag back to synthetic?

[dtrkyman]

What’s the feedback on Wiggy’s?

Intriguing info from him and some cool concepts.

Was just looking at his zero degree bags.


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[GPool1842]

I wonder about it. I have a Big Agnes bag with the downtek down. I am about to purchase a Kifaru Sawtooth and not planning to get the liner. I usually go backpacking and backpack hunting in high alpine Colorado in the summer and in September and am concerned about condensation from the Sawtooth and the down bag. Yes, I will be running the stove. Yes, I could get the liner and alleviate the concern, but would rather not go that route. I just wonder if it is a valid concern or not...

 

[Kevin Dill]

One business strategy employed over and over again: Identify a problem, then create and sell the solution to people. A half-step down is to logically plant the idea of a problem (what if this happens? what will you do?) and then sell the solution. That's what I've seen espoused over and over again with synthetic bags: that down is a problem-in-waiting and synthetic is the answer...the solution.

If my bag was going to get wet or had a high probability of it, I would potentially bring a synthetic fill bag. More likely is that I'd take extra measures to keep my down bag dry and maybe use a treated down bag.

Maybe this is like the debate about a .44 magnum revolver versus a 10mm auto for bear defense. Both can work and both can fail. I've seen innumerable arguments for and against using both. Some of them go the extremes of science and adding up numbers supported by testing which proves....nothing, when you're out there dealing with the variables as well as the ways you handle them and yourself.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Well said, @Kevin Dill!

This debate is very much a non-issue in my mind.

 

[Trial153]

When I started bowhunting away from home when I was in college (mid 90s) I survived with a mostly cotton bag or what ever the hell were made of. They were probably 8 pounds. My pack was some aluminum frame cabelas job... I would have shit strapped to every which way. Bet we looked like we were running from the zombie apocalypse. We survived without all the over thinking we do now.


What was I saying? Forget that shit ...

Down or synthetic? 40 mile area August..no stove.
I have a 20 degrees apex and 5 degree katabatic....which one to take. ??

 

[Kevin Dill]

Take the Apex and a little extra food. ;-)

 

[backcountryshaffer]

So I used to be in the not-having-down-fail camp. I used my WM down bag in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana for years without issue. I've had a lot of great nights in my Alpenlite bag. I moved to Colorado in 2014 and have since had many great and several nasty nights with my WM down bag. The bad nights were in Colorado and Arizona. The first time it happened I wrote it off, then when it happened again in Arizona I changed things up. These were nights that were relatively warm but very wet. The bag lost it's loft in the humidity and I was miserable. Last year I got a Kifaru Backcountry Body Bag (dumb name but whatever) and have since spent several juicy nights in it but have yet to have lost loft/warmth. Granted it's not a very warm bag to begin with but I'm looking forward to more live action testing with it this spring and summer here in CO.

 

[JeffRaines]

I'm typically a down guy as well. If I did some wetter hunts, maybe I'd change my mind. Also, if I ever do a 10 day fly in of some sort I'd probably go synthetic just because.

With that said, I'd be highly suspicious of any "15 degree" rated synthetic bag that was only 2lb 9oz. That sounds like a very optimistic number, whereas the 2.5lb 15 degree down bag is likely 15-20 degrees.

 

[11boo]

I got tired of my down bag about 10 years back. It needed hung in the sun nearly daily to dry, just from sleeping in it.

Wiggy is local to me, had some of their bags on sale. Bought one and slept happily ever after. I still need to air it out every couple days, and would not want to carry it on my back, but it is gtg.

 

[JD619er]

Just throwing this out to contribute. After having a couple down bags over the years last year I bought a marmot ultra elite 20. Synthetic with marmots own insulation. It's compresses well and weighs only 2lbs. Last year I used it over ten nights in the 20s and it kept me plenty warm. I know it won an award last year or something and there's not many reviews or input on it yet so I don't know how the insulation will hold up but I was pretty impressed and it may be a good option for anyone wanting to switch but keep the weight down

 

[JeffRaines]

I got tired of my down bag about 10 years back. It needed hung in the sun nearly daily to dry, just from sleeping in it.

Wiggy is local to me, had some of their bags on sale. Bought one and slept happily ever after. I still need to air it out every couple days, and would not want to carry it on my back, but it is gtg.

I actually have a couple of big canvas style 0 degree synthetic bags for truck camping... those things weigh some 10 lbs each but they're warm and cozy.

I wouldn't use my WM bag for truck camping... much the same way I don't use my neoair(I have MondoKings for truck camping).

 

[Bruce Culberson]

Going from an untreated down Taiga bag to a treated down EE quilt I definitely noticed a reduction in loss of loft on a multi day trip that I got with the bag just from night time body moisture. I even dry out wet socks by wearing them at night and haven't experienced the loss of loft in the treated down quilt. In the past after the first few days I would be trying to dry my bag out.