How effective is the water-resistant coating on sleeping bags?

You Are Here:

Home >> Gear >> How effective is the water-resistant coating on sleeping bags?

View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.

Today's Question
Who makes the best three-season one-person condensation-free tent? answer

What’s the best boot for a Denali summit? answer

Today's Question
What’s the best hybrid bike under $1,000? answer

What is the best cold-weather, full-length parka? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

September 03, 2003

How effective is the water-resistant coating on sleeping bags?

I'm planning on hiking Vermont's LT, and because of past knee problems I'm trying to pack as light as possible. I've been considering buying the Mountain Hardwear Phantom sleeping bag, but I'm concerned about its down fill. Any thoughts? How effective is the water-resistant coating used on the superlight bags?

— Neil
Westport, Connecticut

Got your own gear question?

Express yourself in the Gear Forum

First, for non-Vermonters, the LT is an acronym for the "Long Trail." It's a 270-mile trail that runs north-south from Vermont's border with Canada down to Massachusetts. The path follows the crest of the Green Mountains. So it's a pretty rugged hike.

Anyway, Mountain Hardwear's Phantom 32D ($240; www.mountainhardwear.com) is a superlight down bag that is rated to 32 degrees and weighs a paltry one pound, five ounces. Of course, that's exactly what you want for this sort of hike. It's a superb little bag.

So what's the concern about down? That it will get wet? Always possible, of course. But I assume you'll be carrying some sort of lightweight tent or other weather shelter. So that will keep most moisture off the bag. And you'll always want to toss it out in the sun when you have a chance. That's just good bag-care policy—the bag will soak up a pint or two of body moisture each night, even without dew or rain. So you want to be sure that moisture evaporates.

As for the Phantom's shell, it's a tight-weave light nylon that's treated for water repellency. Not waterproof by any means. But light splashes and maybe a little rainfall through the tent door will run right off.

In short, the Phantom is the sort of bag I'd take on a hike like that. I don't think you'll have any problems with it at all!

RECENT QUESTIONS

Who makes the best three-season one-person condensation-free tent?

What’s the best boot for a Denali summit?

What’s the best altimeter for a winter ascent of Mount Rainier?

What day pack should I use for winter adventures on the Gaspe Peninsula?

How does Lands' End apparel compare when it comes to backpacking?

GEAR GUY FEATURES

Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy.

Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let�s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it�s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.

The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.

MORE GEAR

The Outside Gear Blog

2005 Buyer's Guide

State of the Art: 2005 Bikes

Many of the items reviewed by the Gear Guy can be found at REI.com. Click here to find the internet's biggest selection of outdoor gear and apparel.