[pct-l] Down vs Synthetic

[ronm@fallingwater.com (Ronald Moak)]

Down, down nothing but down!

The problems of down getting soaked can be easily avoided by staying  away
from the normal light nylon shells. Most of down bag manufactures offer a
variety of shell materials.  Even the microfiber shells offer superior
moisture resistance to the traditional nylon shells. You've also got the
option of Pertex, Nextec Epic, or Gortex PTFE shells. 

Each of them offers differing degrees of waterproof qualities and added
weight. My personal preference it Next Epic used by Feathered Friends. Even
lying under a collapsed tarp with it raining all night, the down in my bag
never got wet.

The cost of the bags with more waterproof shells will be higher. But for bag
that should last 20 years, a few bucks are hardly a great problem.

Ron
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Ron "Fallingwater" Moak
http://www.fallingwater.com/