Originally Posted by
bokerfest
I am planning on a long distance trip this spring. And in looking for a sleeping bag I read over and over to go synthetic because it dries quicker. Can I get by with down if I avoid getting it wet and how about condensation? I guess I am confused to what people mean by the bag getting wet... condensation vs. getting rained on.
What is your all's experience with the two?
I've brought my down bag on all my trips. You can carry a warmer bag for less weight and space.
I would only use synthetic if I was going to be traveling away from all services for many days at a time somewhere rainy. The few times my bag got damp (from multiple days of rain camping with lots of humidity in the tent) I stopped at laudromats and put it in the dryer (on no heat). I think I've done this twice in... oh... 8 or 10 months of touring or so total. If that wasn't going to be an option for many days, I might carry a synthetic bag.
I use my synthetic bag for big-wall climbing, where a dryer is not an option and a wet bag could mean freezing to death.