At 10:05 AM 9/26/2003 -0400, David Jenkins wrote: >I >have never been in a situation where the humidity was so consistently high >and the rain so constant that a modern down bag would lose its performance. You may be right about using down under the conditions you paddle. Just like a down pillow is more comfortable than a synthetic pillow, down wins if there's no reason to use a synthetic bag. But a down bag would've been a disaster during three weeks this summer on the south coast of Newfoundland. Daily rain and continuous dense fog, winds most days 25+ with gusts to 50-60 knots, and still wonderful albeit very wet. I am an experienced winter mountaineer, climber and backpacker and use a Bibler tent that is dry dry dry compared to tents with a fly. Despite all this experience and state-of-the art gear, there's no chance I could have kept a down bag dry. Everything got wet, despite being very careful. Heck, we had to wear dry suits (water 45 F) and sweat drenched fleece alone brought a fair bit of drip into the tent. But I never slept cold or had any trouble loading a Marmot synthetic bag stuffed into a Sealine Black Canyon stuff sack into the rear hatch of a P&H Quest. And this is with a months worth of gear, and nothing on the deck. Two friends did much the same in NDK Explorers. Good discussion though. I may get a down bag for overnights on the North Carolina coast in my Pintail. Can always paddle home if it gets wet <grin>. Again, again we come and go, changed, changing. Hands join, unjoin in love and fear, grief and joy. The circles turn, each giving into each, into all. Wendell Berry ********************************************************* John S. March, MD, MPH Professor and Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Duke Child and Family Study Center 718 Rutherford Street Durham, NC 27705 919/416-2404 (P); 919/416-2420 (F) Email: jsmarch_at_acpub.duke.edu Website: http://www2.mc.duke.edu/pcaad ********************************************************* *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Sep 27 2003 - 05:01:53 PDT
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