Down clothing

[ApeApeMan]

I have a sweet down vest.

Should i bring it?

I'm worried that it will get wet. Obviously there are down bags on the trail, but is down clothing a cause for concern?

[bigcranky]

Bring it. Don't worry about getting it wet. It's unlikely that you would wear any down clothing while actually hiking, anyway. It'll be there for cold mornings in camp, lunch breaks, etc.

Besides, it's actually harder to get down totally wet than most people think. Think about where ducks and geese actually live....

[garlic08]

If you're leaving anytime between now and mid-April, BRING IT! I was facing the same dilemma last year, packed the vest at the last minute, and never regretted it. I wore it only once when hiking and never came close to getting it wet. I also saw it as a backup if the bag ever got compromised, which never happened.

[Pedaling Fool]

Just don't wear it in the rain and all should be good. Just like a bag put it in plastic and store in pack while raining.

A side note: I'm thinking of reporting all hikers to PETA so they can throw the blood of all the dead geese that hikers have promoted the killing of; kind of like the blood they throw on celebrities at red carpet events.

[sticks&stones]

I have a sweet down vest.

Should i bring it?

I'm worried that it will get wet. Obviously there are down bags on the trail, but is down clothing a cause for concern?

How much more comfortable could a soaked up synthetic vest be from a down one. Never seen a hiker happy to put on anything soaked, be it down or syn, or anything else for that matter.

[Blissful]

I used a down jacket from March to May. You have your rain jacket also - see if it fits over it, which it should, and you're set. But I would not hike in it, that's for sure.

[ApeApeMan]

how confident are you that you can prevent it from getting soaked?

Pretty confident. I might sew up a silnylon stuff sack for it.

And my rain jacket fits over it. I think it'll be okay, just looking for reassurance.

[Blissful]

You're fine. I also took a Reynolds oven bag to double bag my jacket. Weighs nothing.

[SGT Rock]

Bring it, just don't hike in it. Save it for the sweet campsite warmth.

[take-a-knee]

How much more comfortable could a soaked up synthetic vest be from a down one. Never seen a hiker happy to put on anything soaked, be it down or syn, or anything else for that matter.

Dude, you don't have a clue, we're not talking comfort, we're talking not becoming a Hatchet Jack impersonator.

[SGT Rock]

we're talking not becoming a Hatchet Jack impersonator.I just spit out my drink. How many people even get this reference?

[SGT Rock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7nqxIdROsI

[Wags]

How much more comfortable could a soaked up synthetic vest be from a down one. Never seen a hiker happy to put on anything soaked, be it down or syn, or anything else for that matter.

i agree.

[Dogwood]

Just don't get it soaked! U R going to need a rain shell at some pt on the AT. Use it to protect the down. Or don't hike in down when it's raining hard. Care for it like any other piece of gear. U can certainly use down on the AT.

[JAK]

There is nothing wrong with good fleece when it gets wet. That would be my choice if I fell through the ice or into a stream. All skin layers are all just fine also, even when soaked, unless they are cotton. A good wool sweater also, just needs to be wrung out, as long as you don't have far to swim. For hiking in cold heavy rain I prefer a wool sweater and fleece pants, under rain shells of course, and a skin layer if still cold.

Wet insulated clothing is totally different, and down is worse than synthetic. I would think something like a field jacket liner might not be too bad when wet though,
as long as it didn't freeze. My wool sweater I keep on so it never freezes, and it can be wrung out and dried with a fire if neccessary. A field jacket liner isn't so easy to keep on, and wouldn't be as easy to keep dry as fleece.

You can use down clothing on the AT, but I wouldn't depend on it.

[JAK]

For the most part clothing for 30F in wet conditions should be good enough for 0F in dry conditions, so down clothing is just extra weight, a fashion item really, until it gets below 0F. Some people take extreme measures to avoid getting wet, but on the AT even in winter you are far more likely to get soaked than frozen. If you are depening on down clothing to stay warm, then you probably don't have enough clothing if you get wet.

[Wags]

i just think the 'synthetic is better than down when wet' statement is a trendy thing to say and doesn't have much real life application. they both will suck when soaked...

[ChinMusic]

I have a sweet down vest.

Should i bring it?

I'm worried that it will get wet. Obviously there are down bags on the trail, but is down clothing a cause for concern?
A Down vest/jacket/parka is a great piece of gear. Just DO NOT wear it while hiking if you are sweating. I have worn a down vest while hiking and soaked the back with sweat. It became worthless to me at camp. I learned my lesson.

In general, down clothing is for camp (or while taking a break) unless it is DANG cold.

[JAK]

I was wondering what one of those field jacket liners might be like wet.
Could you roll it up and squeeze it dry, or nearly so?

[take-a-knee]

I was wondering what one of those field jacket liners might be like wet.
Could you roll it up and squeeze it dry, or nearly so?

You betcha, as a certain attractive governor would say.