I finally get why people swear by down sleeping bags

I was always a synthetic bag guy because they're cheaper and dry faster. But last weekend up at Lake Lure it dropped to 28 degrees and my 20 degree synthetic bag had me shivering by 3 AM. Overheard a guy at the campsite say his down bag weighs half as much and stuffs way smaller for the same warmth. Might have to save up for a good down one for next winter's trips. Anyone else made the switch and regretted it or loved it?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_jackson13d ago

Oh c'mon, that wet down thing gets way overblown. I've soaked my down bag in a surprise downpour on the AT and yeah, it was a miserable lump for a night, but I hung it up the next morning and it was fine by lunch. The trick is just not being dumb with it - keep it in a dry sack and treat it with Nikwax every season. I'll take that one risk over freezing my butt off in a synthetic bag at 20 degrees any day. My 15 degree down bag packs smaller than a loaf of bread and I sleep like a log in it. Synthetic is great for wet climates or car camping, but for backpacking in cold dry weather there's just no contest.

the_anthony9d ago

Wait, is a 10 pound cold pancake really that common though? I feel like people talk about down losing all its loft like it's some kind of instant death sentence for your night's sleep, but I've had a bag get soaked from condensation without even noticing and it still kept me warm enough to function. Unless you're literally swimming in your tent, drying down out over a few hours of sun or body heat seems way more realistic than everyone makes it sound.

veram9913d ago

Wait till you accidentally get that down bag wet and it turns into a cold, sad pancake that weighs 10 pounds. Learned that the hard way on a rainy Patagonia trip.