[at-l] Down Sleeping bags.

[tomman@attbi.com (Tom Mantooth)]

How many people on the list have done a thru hike with a down bag?  I am
still looking at bags and it appears that the Western Mountaineering bag
the super MF or super DL looks the most likely as they have a 66 inch
shoulder girth which I need and like.

I have tried a number of  the bags in the 60 and 61 inch girth and can
not even get the bags to zip completely closed, so these will just not
work for me.

Everyone I have talked to in the Dallas, TX area, that has hiked or
knows about the AT, warns me not to take a down bag because they get wet
no matter how hard to try and keep they dry.

Orange Bug, you said you have a Western Mountaineering bag and it stayed
dry.  I was wondering which you used the MF or DL type bag?  Did you
have any problems with keeping the bag dry during real wet times?

I plan to carry the bag in a water proof stuff sack to help.  I think
that the Microfiber (MF) or the Dryloft (DL) will be able to handle any
tent condensation.  The MF is a 350 thread count so the shell is more
weather proof.  Since this MF fabric is so tightly packed the weather
[proofness is part of the fabric and will not ware off.  Dl fabric is a
Gore-Tex fabric and they report it to be the most weather resistant and
most breathable fabric. Thus it maybe better than the MF.

If I decide to go with down then I will call Western Mountaineering and
see what they suggest.

The bags in question are 20 degree F bags with 6' loft and 24 oz  of 750
plus down fill.  The bags weight 2 lb 12 oz and have a dacron stiffener
to protect from zipper jams.  By the way just about every other bag I
tested had at least 1 zipper jam and some as many as 3 when I tried to
zip them close.

I know that Orange Bug has used this type bag, has anyone else?

Thanks for the help,
Tom