Going Blind: Down or Synthetic Sleeping Bag...no wars please

[Crusinsusan]

Okay, I'm going nuts trying to find a bag, and I'm going to have to ask one, particular question at a time to get educated:

So, for a thru AT hike, do you prefer down or synthetic and why? And if down, what precautions are necessary to keep it dry? (I've had wet down bags while car camping, and can't imagine lugging them.) And if synthetic, just how many times to you get away with compressing it before it's useless? (I've read this is what happens when compressed again and again.)

And down to what temp? (Okay, that's more than 1 question, I admit, but it does keep it specific.)

I've managed to get nearly everything else I need, but this is stumping me....and not just on the down vs. synthetic thing....but other questions will shake things down more for me....and I bet, others.

[Mountain Mike]

Down. Much lighter. 20 -30 degree on how you sleep. If you are worried about keeping it dry look into weather resistant shell. Two places not to skimp on a thru are your sleeping bag & shelter. You will be using them for FIVE MONTHS! It's worth it to buy quality gear here.

[Lone Wolf]

20 deg. cats meow synthetic. 5 thru-hikes with it

[JAK]

For a summer bag the weight savings is less, but the cost difference should be less also, if you find the right bargain. One practical advantage of a good down bag is you can go with a Spring/Fall bag that is still light weight and packable enough for summer use. I got a 40oz down bag at Marden's in Houlton Maine for $50, rated to 20F I think. It's a good fit, and nests inside 10F 3.5 pound synthetic bag for winter camping below 0F. So I have two bags for year round, not ideal, but versatile enough and cheap. Actually the synthetic bag wasn't that cheap, but it's paid for.

[bigcranky]

Down. Temp rating depends on when you want to start. For a mid-March start, 20-F is fine. For early Feb, I'd want a 0-degree bag.

Keeping it dry is really not that hard.

[bfayer]

Virtually all of the newer down bags from quality manufactures have a DWR coating. So unless you dunk your down bag into a stream or sleep in the rain, it's hard to get the down very wet. Can it happen? Yes but with a little common sense it's not that hard to keep a quality down bag dry.

The only time I worry (worry is too strong a word) is when sleeping in shelters when its raining. In that case I just slip my rain shell over my foot box to keep the splash off the bag, and that is only in smaller shelters where splashing or wind driven rain is an issue.

I vote for quality down.

[BirdBrain]

Down if you have confidence/ability to keep it dry & if weight/packablility is primary concern.

Synthetic is you are confident you will get it wet & and your budget is way too tight.

I have a synthetic, but the more I read, the less I am confident about that choice.

[moldy]

If the price were the same, most hikers would choose down. For thru hike conditions down is lighter and keeps you warmer and dryer. On your thru hike that wisely avoids the worst of Winter and starts around the first of April a 20 degree bag is the rating that will get you all the way to Maine. It will keep you warm enough in April and May and it won't me much of a problem for being too warm in June and July and it will be warm enough for the White's in August and Maine in September. Some people swap out the 20 degree bag for a 40 degree bag in June and July then swap back when it cools off to save weight. For a thru hike that you keep the same bag a 20 degree bag is best. If I were to buy a new bag, I would go to the outfitter store with my backpack to make sure that my bag choice fits inside my pack. This can be a problem that does not get mentioned here very often. Some bags will not fit into medium sized backpacks. The 2 sleeping bags I own are a 40 degree down and a 20 degree synthetic and the choices were driven by price.

[Kerosene]

A high-quality, 20-degree down bag. I have the Western Mountaineering UltraLite, which weighs in at 26 ounces (the newer ones are a few ounces heavier). I pack it in a plastic trash bag inside a Cuben fiber stuffsack at the bottom of my pack. I've never had a problem with it getting wet, but it will get damp in humid climes and should be re-lofted by letting it dry in the sun for a bit. On the AT, a 20-degree bag should be sufficient for a March NOBO hike until after Memorial Day, and then again once you get to the Whites. I also have the WM HighLite (35-degrees, 16 oz) for warmer temps.

[capehiker]

A wet bag is a wet bag. I've experienced both. Neither feels better than the other when wet. Taking water out of the equation, I prefer down. For me, it just feels better. Lighter and more freeing. Just my humble $.02

[Blissful]

20 deg. cats meow synthetic. 5 thru-hikes with it

This is a good bag (my son used it ) but you can't be a big guy or you won't fit in it.

I liked the compressibility and water repellency of the Montbell down bags. If you keep it tucked in a good waterproof sack and take care in wet weather, it does well.

[burger]

Down is lighter, so if weight is your number one consideration, go with down.

But down loses loft (and insulating power) when it gets wet. Your body releases water constantly, even if you're not noticeably sweating, so your bag will gradually accumulate moisture over the course of several nights. That's why it's important to dry your bag in the sun every day.

The problem on the AT is that you can go days at a time without seeing the sun or even without getting a couple of dry hours. In these circumstances, your bag will not dry and will start to lose loft. If your bag is warmer than you need (i.e. you have a 20 degree bag and the nights are only in the 40s), then you're probably fine. But if you are pushing the limits of your bags temperature and you can't keep it dry, you will be cold. This could easily be the case in spring and fall. That's why I would only take a synthetic bag on a thru-hike. I've used synthetic and down on section hikes, and I could never regularly dry my down bag. YMMV.

[BirdBrain]

Your body releases water constantly, even if you're not noticeably sweating, so your bag will gradually accumulate moisture over the course of several nights. That's why it's important to dry your bag in the sun every day.

The problem on the AT is that you can go days at a time without seeing the sun or even without getting a couple of dry hours..

Is this less of an issue in synthetic? Don't you release water constantly in synthetic too? Again, I have a synthetic, but am feeling less comfortable with that choice.

[jeffmeh]

Is this less of an issue in synthetic? Don't you release water constantly in synthetic too? Again, I have a synthetic, but am feeling less comfortable with that choice.

Synthetic does not lose as much loft when it gets wet, so it stays closer to its initial insulating value than a similarly wetted out down bag. Neither is pleasant, and I prefer down. It really is not that difficult to keep it dry. Even if you are rained on for days and cannot air it out, throw it in a dryer (with a tennis ball or two if you can) the next time you hit town to resupply.

[RED-DOG]

I prefer Synthetic cause once down gets wet it's useless.

[burger]

Is this less of an issue in synthetic? Don't you release water constantly in synthetic too? Again, I have a synthetic, but am feeling less comfortable with that choice.

Like someone else said, synthetic insulation does not lose much loft at all when wet and will still keep you warm.

Why be uncomfortable with synthetic? The only real drawback is weight, and the weight penalty is not that much for the weight of bag you'd need on the AT.

[colorado_rob]

Why be uncomfortable with synthetic? The only real drawback is weight, and the weight penalty is not that much for the weight of bag you'd need on the AT.

Not quite: synthetic bags are also much bulkier. I've backpacked for 40 years, spent literally thousands of nights in a tent, ALWAYS with a down bag, never had complete failure of warmth, and only had partial failure a couple of times.

[BirdBrain]

Not quite: synthetic bags are also much bulkier. I've backpacked for 40 years, spent literally thousands of nights in a tent, ALWAYS with a down bag, never had complete failure of warmth, and only had partial failure a couple of times.

Even at the minimal definition of thousands, that means about 1 out of every 10 nights of your life was spent in a tent. That is quite an impressive resume and one that should command respect.

[colorado_rob]

Even at the minimal definition of thousands, that means about 1 out of every 10 nights of your life was spent in a tent. That is quite an impressive resume and one that should command respect.

Sounds sarcastic, not sure, but in any case my math says more like 1 in 20, and that's about right, over the long haul. These days it's 70-100 nights a year (one night in 3 or 4) in a tent (more like 150 this year, assuming I hang on this AT attempt). Over the 45 years, it's probably half that on average. That makes my total nights in a tent somewhere in the mid 1000's (maybe 1500-1700, real rough guess). So yeah, maybe "thousands", implying two or more "thousands" might be a bit high, sorry. My conclusion remains: buy down, save weight and bulk, keep it dry (it's not that hard), you're good to go.

[BirdBrain]

Sounds sarcastic, not sure, but in any case my math says more like 1 in 20, and that's about right, over the long haul. These days it's 70-100 nights a year (one night in 3 or 4) in a tent (more like 150 this year, assuming I hang on this AT attempt). Over the 45 years, it's probably half that on average. That makes my total nights in a tent somewhere in the mid 1000's (maybe 1500-1700, real rough guess). So yeah, maybe "thousands", implying two or more "thousands" might be a bit high, sorry. My conclusion remains: buy down, save weight and bulk, keep it dry (it's not that hard), you're good to go.

Sorry. No sarcasm meant. I am truly impressed with the wealth of experience on Whiteblaze. It is why I am here. I can see how you could gather that. It was not my intent. I took your comment at face value.

Please let me be more clear as to the intent of my comment: I too am struggling with the down synthetic debate. The exact number of times you slept in a tent is not the issue. I listed it too expand on what that actually meant and the level of experience you have on the subject. Regardless of the amount, it speaks volumes to me when I have the opportunity to hear advice from someone who has done the deed as many times as you have.