Down VS Synthetic
Add to Del.icio.usThis Month's Gear Guru Question:
by Christian GennermanQ. Which would be better, down or synthetic insulation at high altitude for long periods of time? Also, do down bags pick up moisture from the body after being in it for a few weeks, causing it to not insulate as well?<
A. There are number of things to consider when traveling at high altitude. Weight and space being the major concerns. Down is much lighter and more compressible than synthetic insulations, thus it is an ideal companion at altitude. However, if you are going into a very moist environment synthetic insulation is ideal.
Once down gets wet it is very difficult to dry out, so if it's raining or very humid synthetic is the ticket. When a synthetic bag gets wet it still maintains most of it's insulating properties. Down will not hold moisture from your body as you sleep. Keep in my mind that down comes from geese and the feathers are naturally hydrophobic and will
keep pushing water out of the bag. If your bag is damp you can always lay it out on your tent, if it isn't raining or snowing, and the sun will dry your bag out.
Last month’s gear guru question was won by Russell Barrett from Redding CA. Russell will receive a BackcountryStore.com Nalgene bottle for his question. Enjoy Russell!
A. There are number of things to consider when traveling at high altitude. Weight and space being the major concerns. Down is much lighter and more compressible than synthetic insulations, thus it is an ideal companion at altitude. However, if you are going into a very moist environment synthetic insulation is ideal.
Once down gets wet it is very difficult to dry out, so if it's raining or very humid synthetic is the ticket. When a synthetic bag gets wet it still maintains most of it's insulating properties. Down will not hold moisture from your body as you sleep. Keep in my mind that down comes from geese and the feathers are naturally hydrophobic and will
keep pushing water out of the bag. If your bag is damp you can always lay it out on your tent, if it isn't raining or snowing, and the sun will dry your bag out.
Last month’s gear guru question was won by Russell Barrett from Redding CA. Russell will receive a BackcountryStore.com Nalgene bottle for his question. Enjoy Russell!