View Full Version : Down or Synthetic? Your sleeping bag preference
travisap
10-06-2010, 17:54
I'm currently planning a thru-hike and need some advice on a sleeping bag.
The big choice is Down or Synthetic and then warmth level and model.
What have you found to work for you? I prefer to sleep a little on the cool side, nothing too toasty.
Down vs Synthetic Insulation Guide (Sierra Trading Post article)
After reading this article I'm leaning towards synthetic though I'd like to hear what experienced hikers have to say.
travisap
10-06-2010, 18:01
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/down-v-synthetic-guide.html
Down.
Nothing against synthetic, they work fine. But, down works better. At least for me.
Down breathes better, a lot better for me. I'm a lot less sweaty in a down bag. They weigh less (well, good ones do), and they pack smaller (well, good ones do). They last longer. And I've never had a problem with them getting wet, over probably 4500 miles of hiking.
Only downside that I can see is that they cost a lot more. (though the Campmor down bag isn't expensive, and while not the lightest it's still pretty damn decent for the cost).
Down - lighter, more compressible, lasts longer, more breathable, drapes over the body better, and is just plain luxurious to lie down in. Pun not intended, but I'll let it stand.:-)
Fear of a wet sleeping bag is overstated, usually to new hikers by salespeople. Take some reasonable precautions, have a reasonable shelter, dry your bag whenever you get the chance, and you will not have any problems. Have you ever tried to wash a sleeping bag? It takes a LOT of concerted effort to get the down wet.
garlic08
10-06-2010, 19:17
I love this line in the closing argument: "The fact of the matter is that down is better except when synthetic is better."
I've used both for many years and I prefer down. I kicked myself for waiting so long when I finally made the switch. Down has worked fine for me on wet Eastern trails and on very wet Pacific Northwest trails. You just need enough experience to confidently keep it dry at all costs.
bulldog49
10-06-2010, 19:19
Down, not a debatable matter. :confused:
Mrs Baggins
10-06-2010, 19:44
Down. Absotively posilutely.
Lone Wolf
10-06-2010, 20:05
synthetic. i have more experience than all of the posters. i have a down bag now, Campmor 20 deg., cuz of the price. $119. but i sleep in a tent always and synthetic is just as good if not better than down. you're good either way
4eyedbuzzard
10-06-2010, 20:20
synthetic. i have more experience than all of the posters.
. . . combined
24172 posts for LW vs 9576 posts for all other posters combined means LW has 2.5 times more experience than everyone else combined. Pretty much ends this debate in my mind.
Feral Bill
10-06-2010, 20:22
Down. I had bad luck with synthetic bags deteriorating over time. I have never had a bag wet enough to loose a nights sleep.
Lone Wolf
10-06-2010, 20:22
. . . combined
24172 posts for LW vs 9576 posts for all other posters combined means LW has 2.5 times more experience than everyone else combined. Pretty much ends this debate in my mind.
im still king of being FOS
4eyedbuzzard
10-06-2010, 20:25
im still king of being FOS
and pithiness
Kerosene
10-06-2010, 20:25
Down is more compressible, taking up less volume in your pack, plus it is lighter given comparably rated bags. Get a down bag if you can keep it dry in all conditions and you can afford it, but a lot of people have thru-hiked with something other than down (including blankets and big ole rectangular car camping sleeping bags!).
Bah, I use a combination of wool and fur blankets. Hundreds (thousands?) of years of experience there.
bigcranky
10-06-2010, 21:44
From a strict "sleeping" point of view, LW is right -- there's not much difference between down and synthetic bags. They will both keep you warm.
However, in all other ways down wins, in my personal humble opinion. It's lighter and much more compressible than any synthetic with a similar rating. It lasts longer -- making even an expensive down bag much cheaper than synthetics over the long run. And I prefer the feel of a down bag, and find it has a wider comfort range than the synthetics I started hiking with.
Oh, and I did spend one night in a wet bag and I was miserable. That was a wet *synthetic* bag, Army issue. No such thing as "warm when wet" in my experience. Any sleeping bag needs to be kept dry.
Danielsen
10-06-2010, 22:18
Like Feral Bill, I've had a bad experience with a synthetic bag deteriorating "over time..." as in a couple months.
Down or Synthetic, if my bag is wet, I'm walking. Napping and bag drying by daylight shall ensue. Either way, the best idea is to keep one's bag dry.
If you can afford it, get a good Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends down bag; it may be the last you ever have to buy.
jabowman7
10-06-2010, 22:31
I cast my vote for the synthetic, but only because my #^@%ing sinuses close up when I'm around down. I guess that makes me a bit biased...
IronGutsTommy
10-06-2010, 22:41
i cant offer anything that hasnt been said already but i voted down.. as long as you can keep your bag dry down tends to hold its loft longer and breathes easier. only downside is yeah the price.
but look at it this way, as much as a hike is about the hike if youre human youll probably be sleeping every night, lets say at least 6 hours per... so if you did a whole thru at an average pace, lets say 5 1/2 months thats nearly 1000 hours in that bag, well worth the extra cost hike. I almost choked the first time i saw the cost for a sheet set of high thread count egyptian cotton for home too til i figured at 8 hours of sleep a night, i would be using them 1/3 of my life. plenty of places to cut corners, sleep and bedding is a time to splurge, the moneys never wasted
Wise Old Owl
10-06-2010, 23:07
. . . combined
24172 posts for LW vs 9576 posts for all other posters combined means LW has 2.5 times more experience than everyone else combined. Pretty much ends this debate in my mind.
Hey- does he really deserve the accolades?:D
Wise Old Owl
10-06-2010, 23:09
Down is more compressible, taking up less volume in your pack, plus it is lighter given comparably rated bags. Get a down bag if you can keep it dry in all conditions and you can afford it, but a lot of people have thru-hiked with something other than down (including blankets and big ole rectangular car camping sleeping bags!).
I agree and throw away the bag that comes with it and sub a sil-nylon dry bag.
All things being equal I'll grab the down bag 90 % of the time. I opt for synthetic fills or go to a more protective outer sleeping bag shell fabric, whether the fill be down or synthetic, under extremely wet or long duration bushwacking hikes in remote areas. For the AT it's down!
I opt for the highest grade down bags that are the lightest wt, most compressible, and most thermally efficient. Then, I protect and care for those down bags with plenty of TLC.
mark schofield
10-07-2010, 09:24
a pack cover, a trash compator bag for a pack liner, and a small garbage bag for your down bag. unless you jump into the Kennebeck and sink to the bottom with your pack, the bag should stay dry.
stranger
10-10-2010, 00:53
Down is a superior insulation for a hike like the AT, there are a few circumstances when synthetic makes more sense, like others have mentioned already (long periods of wet weather, or extreme cold for long periods of time), but for long distance hiking on the AT - Down all the way.
Another misconception is that you cannot get down wet, anyone who has walked any long distance knows a down bag will get damp from time to time, even if water never touches it. Down still works well when damp, whether it's from rain blowing into a shelter, tent condensation or just days on end of damp air.
I've never heard of someone getting a down bag soaked, or synthetic for that matter, atleast not while hiking, I've seen it on river trips only.
Stir Fry
10-10-2010, 08:48
im still king of being fos
true that, when did number of posts show experance?
swjohnsey
10-13-2010, 11:12
A down bag will get damp just from sleeping in it. I make it a part of my daily routine to pull the bag out while I am taking a break to let it air/dry out in the sun. If it gets soaked you can throw it in a dryer.
restless
10-13-2010, 12:17
down vs., synthetic? I, like most of the posters, use down. However, LW is right and nowadays there is little difference. Some synthetic bags can be as light as down bags and with synthetic no need to worry about the bag getting wet. If you haven't done a lot of backpacking, get synthetic. If you can keep it dry during a thru hike, then upgrade later on to down.
I own both a synthetic bag as well as a down bag. I'll take my Marmot Helium in a waterproof compression sack anywhere and not worry about getting it wet. As long as you're not literally sleeping in the rain with it, or sweating bullets all night long and then don't give it a chance to dry out before you stuff it back in the sack, you're going to be fine. The synthetic bag has been relegated to picnic duty.
Mountain Wildman
10-13-2010, 14:50
I have used several synthetic bags over the past 26 years, They are ok.
But, On the verge of my Thru-Hike, I decided to open the wallet and buy a Feathered Friends 850 Power Down Sleeping Bag. It's like the difference between a Volkswagon and a Ferrari. They both get the job done, But I'll take the Ferrari!!!:sun
northernstorm
10-15-2010, 14:28
Down baby down!
My first sleeping bag was a northface 20 deg. catsmeow's and it worked great for many years. Then as the years went on I started to try and lighten my load and I switched to down for warmth to weight ratio, and how small it could compress. I think down is very good for mild temps and conditions and or small trips. But as I started to hike more in the winter and going on longer trips (snowshoeing in the ADK's) every year, I noticed that each night I felt less warm. And as for a lot of the reasons stated that's why down for me just doesn't cut it (your so worry about it not getting wet in your pack, and putting it in a waterproof sack, that will also mean it can't breathe). The first night your fine, then you get up eat breakfast, compress your down bag to the size of a football in a waterproof compression sack inside of your pack ALL DAY, then unpack eat dinner get in sleeping bag, and oh yea I also like putting a few of my damp socks or undershirts or gloves so my body heat can dry them by morning. then you keep repeating this each day and your bag as no way of drying itself's from just your body's own condensation. I also use a silk liner for all my bags. So for me I have switched back to Syn. bags, with the new syn materials out there they have come a long way even for compression. That is the main reason I like Syn. bags. they seem to do a lot better with this! I rather lighten my load in others areas and know that when I really need to be warm I should be every night on the trail. As for the other reasons for how my bag could get wet (tent/tarp failure or own stupidity) it may not be a comfy sleep but it should get me through? I had a down failure from stupidity in the daks one year and trust me it wasn't good! I had put a water bottle in my bag so it wouldn't be a block of ice in the morning and it leaked all in my bag@!
I don't see how synthetic could possibly win, pure weight issue. at 60 degrees, different story, cold out? Down, weight rules here. Maybe "technology" will catch up in time
Wise Old Owl
10-15-2010, 21:43
true that, when did number of posts show experance?
YOU ARE KIDDING RIGHT?
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg275/MarkSwarbrick/2.jpg