Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Sleeping Bags

I can get Hollofil II rated to 15 degrees for $100 to $150 less than the same temperature rating on down; I've always had down, and must admit ignorance as to the synthetics - can someone explain the differences and offer any recommendations? Thanks, Talus

You'll get a lot of responses on this, but I'll wade in first. My opinion is that a 15 deg synthetic bag performs better than a 15 deg down bag. It is more comfortable to sleep in (more mass to lay on), and provides warmth when wet (down becomes virtually worthless).

But the synthetic bag is quite a bit heavier, and bulkier. And bulk means a larger pack to carry it. So I would never take my synthetic bag to fair weather ranges.

My latest favorite bag for summer is the Marmot Hydrogen, a 30 deg bag weighing 1 lb. 5 oz., and it stuffs to the size of a 2-liter bottle of Coke. For protection from the rare Sierra nighttime storm, I carry a 3.5 oz emergency Mylar bivy sack (size of a pack of cigarettes), but I almost never have to get it out.

It's expensive, about $300, but weight and volume mean a lot to me. With this sleeping bag, I can easily fit all my overnight gear into a day pack, and get by with 10 - 12 lb total for almost all overnight Sierra climbs.

A friend of mine has a hybrid sleeping bag: synthetic on the bottom and down on the top. I don't know what the brand is. Mine is a heavy, bulky, old-fashioned synthetic.

I will never buy another down bag. I just don't like the maintenance, moisture, and clumping issues. I would rather reduce my pack weight in some other way. I suppose the down bags have improved over the years, but I am hooked on synthetics.

Been packing for 30 years.

my 2 cents.

Bob R is right about the Marmot Hydrogen +30. I just spent close to a week on Rainier with one and was warm and happy the whole trip. Even put my damp boot liners inside the bag a couple of times with no problems. For mountaineering it's a great choice.

There is nothing wrong with synthetic other than the bulk and shorter lifespan. Down with a Gore/Dryloft shell works great in most of the wet situations that once favored synthetic. Summiting mountains is why I go on trips so light and compact is what works for me.

Try them all and get the right feature mix for you.

Certainly knowing precisely what you will be doing will make the choices easier. I tend to use down in summer, synthetics in winter.

However, one thing that really made me look up was the mention of "hollofil". This is a synthetic only used in the cheapest products. It is probably the heaviest on the market, by far. I think it is more than 10 years old.

I can't be positive, but I think that Polargard-delta is the latest entry in the synthetic race.
I would definitly not buy a product with an older synthetic. Each year, they seem to come out with something that is a little closer to down.

Thanks to all - I am definitely going to go with a newer synthetic - the bulk could be a problem - well, I need to get a new pack anyway. Thanks again, Talus

Talus-
Not trying to put a bug in your ointment, but you may want to consider a down bag with one of the new shell materials such as Epic or eVent. Having used synthetic and down bags in the past I have a strong prediliction towards down due to its higher warmth to weight and volume ratios and greater durability. The new shell materials are waterproof in all but true downpours.

I'm now sleeping on a new Therm-a-rest Guidelight with a 20 degree down bag. The bag weighs 33 ounces (I opted for a long with a little extra girth because I am a big guy) and it worked great on Mount Shasta (sleeping on snow) last week and will be great at the portal this weekend.

I did a lot of research and it seemed to point pretty strongly towards down in all areas except cost.

If you haven't given up on down, the Marmot Hydrogen 30 is on sale at www.backcountrystore.com for $231 right now. Bought my Kelty Satori from them last year.

Count me firmly in the down bag group. With the new water -proof or -resistant shell materials, you can't beat the lighter weight and lower bulk vs. synthetics. The biggest problem with down used to be that it lost its insulating properties when wet, but the newer shell materials are3 very good at keeping the feathers dry in all but the worst circustances (like sitting in a pool of water in the bottom of a canoe). The only other issue with down vs. sythetics is cost, but I will trade a pound less on my back for $ any day (fair disclosure, I also bought a bearikade bear can).