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Buck, my question is what is your best advice for keeping your down bag from getting wet due to accumulated condensation and moisture from your body on extended use trips, in wet conditions. Thanks Mark
Hi Mark,
This is from a lightweight thru-hiker perspective…
Obviously keeping your bag dry while hiking during the day is the starting point. I use a pack liner and line my sleeping bag stuff sack with a turkey roasting bag. I can fall in a creek and my bag will stay dry.
In general, I don’t have trouble keeping my down bag dry at night. Body heat does a surprising amount of drying. It’s the conditions where it rains and rains and the humidity stays high that you’re most concerned about, I’m sure, for good reason.
I try to camp in spots with good drainage to protect from rain and that will help reduce condensation: not camping right next to a stream, for example, and setting up under an evergreen on pine needles rather than in an open, grassy meadow. I’ll try to ventilate my shelter as much as I reasonably can, and avoid touching damp walls during the night.
Often I’ll dry damp clothes in my sleeping bag at night but if it’s really humid that’s asking for trouble. Instead I keep a dry set of underwear with balaclava and dedicated sleeping socks. I won’t get these items wet on the trail. I’ll just grit my teeth and put on all my cold, wet clothes in the morning just before I start hiking.
If it’s raining or snowing I make sure I don’t let my dry sleep clothes get wet if I have to go out at night, and if I do have to go out I make sure to brush any snow off me before climbing in my shelter, and to not let any wet rain gear contact my bag.
When the sun finally comes out, I will stop and dry all my stuff out but I’ve had good luck sleeping dry even in a week or two of rain.
Good luck!
Buck