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Posted by Chumango on September 14, 2006 at 8:37:49 pm EDT
In reply to Re: Synthetic Vs. Down posted by Bill S on September 14, 2006 at 6:09:31 pm EDT

I backpack mostly in the Smokies and surrounding areas. It rains a lot. I use a down bag.

Pack your bag in a dry bag. I'm not talking about the heavy duty kind used for canoeing and rafting. Outdoor Research makes some nice ones (Hydrolite), as does Sea to Summit (Ultra-sil).

Be careful how you pack your pack. Make sure all liquid container lids are tight. Make sure if things leak they will not get your bag (even dry bags can leak through if left for extended periods in a puddle). Last March, hiking in snow/rain, my bag stayed dry - even though the lid on my Dromlite bag was not tight and leaked out inside my pack. I discovered this late in the day. I was lucky, the bag was positioned such that it was not in the puddle.

Dry your tent if it gets wet while setting up in the rain. A Packtowel works. Don't set your bag down in a puddle.

Use a storm proof shelter. I have stayed nice and dry through heavy downpours, while others in the party, who saved a bundle of money on their tent, were literally floating on their sleeping pads in their tent. I have stayed dry through 44 continuous hours of rain (tropical storm), due to a good tent.

Don't get a tent so storm proof that it does not breathe, or you will still get wet.

Good common sense goes a long way towards keeping your bag dry. These are good ideas for synthetic bags as well. A wet bag is no fun.

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