Down sleeping bag vs synthetic, I switched after 9 nights in the Smokies and wont go back

I used to swear by synthetic bags because they are cheaper and handle wet better. Then I did a long weekend in the Smokies last spring, 9 nights total. It rained 5 of those nights and my synthetic bag felt like a wet blanket by day 3 even inside the tent. The loft just died. My buddy had a cheap down bag from REI and he stayed warmer with less weight. I finally bought a 650 fill down bag for $180 and it packs down half the size. That alone is worth it for my backpack. The only downside is if you actually dunk it in a river you are in trouble, but I just use a dry sack now. I know down is pricier and some folks worry about the wet factor. Has anyone else made this switch and regretted it, or is everyone on the down train now?

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the_anthony16d ago

Same thing happened to me last fall, that wet blanket feeling is real and down is the way now.