gitarmac,

"Everyone says that they are not "hiking" when they are using theirs so they aren't worried about all that wt and bulk."

I think you (and others) are not understanding our comments. Even though I may be inserted and extracted by helicopter, I may walk 10 to 15 miles on a typical day, all of it with a pack (including my Wiggy's bag). Although I am not "hiking" the effect is the same. The Marines I described in an earlier post have the same situation. They may use vehicles "when they can" but they still do a LOT of walking (maybe 1500 miles per year or more) with that same full pack on their back. In the Middle East, no, but in training they walk extra. We were on a weekend (3 day) "hike" but they brought their Wiggy's bags instead of the lightweight down ones they all owned.

A Wiggy's bag I now own (a Superlite) is not that much heavier than the Holubar down bag I bought in the 60's. That was a rugged bag too. The new super light bags do not use the same weight of fabric (many use mesh for the baffles) - much lighter, but also much easier to damage.

The rain is not the only source of moisture. Sometimes it is enough though. I have seen storms blow water through the zippers of good tents. After a few weeks in a bag you need to dry it out. Most campers I know will spend a day in camp once a week or so to dry everything out if the weather is damp all the time. I do not always have the time to do that. I don't know where you use your bag, but when I lived in the Rockies, I was not concerned about staying dry either (and I do love to hike in the rain). Yes my bag got wet once or twice and I spent a cold night. But it was not often and the bag would dry the next day. In SE Alaska I have seen weeks where you would not be able to dry a down bag without prodigeous efforts, and possibly not then if you did not have the right equipment (a normal tent and stove probably would not make it).

We must all consider OUR situations and plan for them. Is the synthetic bag for everyone everywhere? Of course not, just like the down bag. If I had only one bag to do everything with (my wife would be happy:-) it would be my Wiggy's FTRSS would be it. If I have the choice (thankfully I do) I have other bags for situations where they might be better.

Respectfully,

Jerry