[philmont] Sleeping Bag: Synthetic or Down?

I live in Oregon where and it's rains here quite a bit. After I went in 2000
I decided I wanted less weight and based on the fact that with my Sierra
Design tent never got wet after about 100 nights of camping and the fact
that it rained 8 out of the 11 days I was at Philmont and my bag synthetic
bag never got wet (it was wrapped in a garbage bag in a compression bag) I
went out and bought a 20 degree Mountain Hardware down bag with a silk liner
for my 2002 trek with my daughter. We went on Trek 30 and started June 28th
and only had rain at Ewells Park where it rained, hailed and froze, the
outside of the tent was frozen hard the morning after we climbed Baldy. I
was glad I had my 20 degree bag. On the other hand when I went in 2006, I
bought the REI SubKilo and it weighted a pound less, the frabric is lighter
but really tough and I love it! Along with that, I found out about the "Sea
to Summit" compression bag made my Event. It's completely water proof and
the air goes out the bottom. I know it works because the bottom of my
backpack sucks up water and my bag was wonderful when I needed it. It only
rained twice on the 2006 trek and both times a night, just enough to keep
the dust down and let us have real camp fires.
Another word of caution about the 40 degree bag, when my son & I went to
visit my daughter when she was a Ryando? Ranger in 2005. REI had a sale on
their 40 degree down bags, we spent some time camping while we were waiting
for her to get off the trail at 8500 - 9000. I had to wear my long underwear
everynight, it can get cold epecially at 3:00 am!

To summarize, if want the lightest weight, a down bag will do it, be
prepared to take proper care of it and make sure your tent can handle the
monsoon's Philmont can throw at you. And they are not the predictable,
sometimes they come early other times late. Also if you are staying at one
of the camps near Baldy or Mt Phillips, it can get very cold! 2.2 lbs to
keep you warm is worth it.

Buffalobrian

On 8/23/07, Michael Hartsough <michaelhartsough@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> I'm getting started on my Philmont '08 equipment acquisitions, and I'm
> wondering what the consensus is on the subject of Synthetic versus Down for
> sleeping bags (I don't recall having seen this discussion here recently).
>
>
>
> In '05 I took a 25 degree synthetic, and it took up about 1/3 the space of
> my Osprey Crescent 110 Internal Frame pack. I also roasted every night.
>
>
>
> So I'm thinking of getting a 40 degree down bag, but one of my fellow
> advisors will spend the entire trek asking me, "what if it gets wet?"
>
>
>
> What does the collected wisdom of this august body have to say about down
> sleeping bags at Philmont?
>
>
>
> YIS,
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> ASM T297, Hoffman Estates, IL
>
> Philmont '05
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
> Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
> Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
> List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
> List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
> -------------------------------------------------------
> To Unsubscribe send text email to:
>
> To: listserv@troop47.com
> Subject: unsubscribe
> Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
> Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
> loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
> cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Thu Aug 23 20:35:32 2007