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[pct-l] down vs synthetic



Good morning, Shawn,

The space into which a bag can be compressed is highly overrated as a
desirably indicator, and is a tertiary consideration, at best.  The primary
consideration is the thickness of  the bag structure on top of you.  If you
fluff-up the bag and measure its total thickness you are being misled
because the bottom layer becomes nearly flat as soon as you lay on it.  That
is why robes (quilts, etc) and bags without bottom insulation are popular:
They put the expensive insulation only on the top where it will do some
good.

The secondary consideration is the total weight of the bag that has the top
loft that you need.  The non-insulation portions of bags don't vary much,
but down insulation will weigh abut half of what synthetic insulation weighs
for a given loft. A qualified bag filled with down may compress to 2 liters,
while a synthetic bag of comparable loft may compress to 4-5 liters.  So
what?  That is not necessarily a show-stopper, but it invariably adds
weight.  I try to compress my bag as little as possible by just cramming it
into the pack to fill whatever space remains after the other stuff is
loaded.  Approaching a resupply point with minimum consumables, the bag may
expand to fill 20 liters, but it still doesn't weigh any more.

 Some lightweight bags are rather skimpy in size, so be sure you have
sufficient space before you shell-out for the very lightest.

I am an omnivore rather than a vegan, so I can't relate to the objection to
down.  I don't imagine you intend to eat the stuff.  Almost all commercial
down is taken from live birds, in a similar way that wool is removed from
sheep.  The unwilling donors end up lighter and  highly indignant, but they
walk away and get on with their lives.

Steel-Eye


"Do what I do .... like you would do it."
-  Alan Cohen


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shawn Loga" <smashnationalism@yahoo.com>
To: "pct-l" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 10:46 PM
Subject: [pct-l] down vs synthetic


> there has been a lot of talk recently about sleeping
> bags, and i thought i'd tag another question onto the
> string:
>
> I am a vegan (four years and running) and therefore
> will not buy a down bag.  Is there anything else that
> compares? I've heard that some down bags compress to
> the size of a loaf of bread- is that possible with a
> synthetic?
>
> Anyways, i was just wondering...
>
> Shawn
>
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