Good point. I am a creature of the arid west, although it can get pretty damp out here on occasion. The distinction is that we don't get wet weather for the extended periods you experience and we can count on sunny periods for air drying our stuff.

Thinking about my "Denali summer," some years ago, the NPS provided our team with very warm synthetic bags - they worked just fine at altitude in the coldest conditions I have ever experienced. What is it they say - "There is not such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."

Overall, I remain a fan of down bags for the unparralled combination of light weight, warmth, and compresibility. I imagine, however, we will see the equivalent synthetic product before long - or else we will genetically engineer geese to extrude DWR down.......