HG Hydrophobic down , I put it to the test!

[Chesapeake]

So I decided to get some hang time in Thursday night since it was gonna be in the upper teens and decided to go ahead and use my -10° Burrow & Incubator. I set up my rig : 11' diy hammock, HG quilts and 2QZQ UQP and was instantly reminded why I love HG quilts so much. The night was clear , slightly breezy and the temp had already dropped into the low 20's by the time I fell asleep watching a movie on my kindle. Unfortunately though, my alarm went off at 0630 and I was forced to climb from my cocoon of downy goodness and get up for work. But before I did, I decided to hit the snooze button just once and enjoy my toasty warm quilts just a little longer. Well, when I woke up a again it was almost 7 and I still had to shower and be at work by 8...... and it's a 45 min drive on a good day. Up I sprang, and within 15 mins I was ready to hit the road , coffee in hand.

Before I leave I always do a quick check to make sure I have everything, work keys, bag packed with stuff I might need for work etc. Normally, at this point I would have checked the weather as I was drinking my coffee to make sure it was safe to leave my gear outside but on this morning it was clear and I was running late. VERY LATE. " It'll be fine, it's not cloudy " I thought. Boy was I wrong! I made it to work on time and as I sat at my desk, drinking my coffee, checking my emails and planning my day , I decided to check Accuweather. Just as I began to type in the web address, my phone rang and I had to deal with the first of several STUPID people trying to steal from the store that day. By the time I got a chance to relax for a few mins it was almost noon, so I decided to head outside for a quick smoke and get some lunch. That's when I realized it had been raining for about 2 hours! I frantically called and texted my wife , hopping she was home and could get my gear in for me. I just have called 20 times but no luck. I checked the radar and it was indeed POURING at my house and wasn't gonna stop until well AFTER I got home at 7 that night. All day, all I could think about was the soggy, muddy, ruined pile of feathers and fabric I would have when I got home. I was actually depressed. Not because I was sure I was about to lose over $700 worth of quilts and hammock gear, but because I enjoyed using them so much and because I had planned on letting my daughter use them in a few weeks so she would be warm enough and would be able to hang with me and other HF members at my group hang.

6:00 couldn't come fast enough. All day I tried and failed to get a hold of my wife and when I finally left work, I raced home to see just how much water was pooled in my hammock. It was raining hard when I squealed to to stop in my driveway and sprang out to try and save my precious. I unclipped the whoopies from their tree straps and brought the entire, dripping soggy mess inside and into the bathroom. Their were puddles of water in the hammock and puddles in the UQP. The Argon outters of both quilts were 100% saturated and the down inside.......... WAS NOT CLUMPPY. To my amazement both quilts were still extremely lofty and , while slightly heavier due to the added water weight in the shells , the down hadn't absorbed much water AT ALL. After being left out in pouring rain for 8+ hours and they were still semi-useable. My mood instantly got better. I took a towel and dried the shell of both quilts and then turned on the heat in the bathroom to see if they just might be salvaged. 45 mins later and I was amazed... Both quilts were almost totally bone dry. The draft baffles were the only parts still damp. Had this happened on the trail, I would have been able to use them and survive a fairly cold night at that point.

So, to Adam and everyone at HG, the quality of your products is next level. To have quilts that wet , yet still that dry, is amazing. I know I will ALWAYS request treated down in my quilts and will be a HG customer for years to come. Thank you for such well designed and high quality gear, my quilts are still 100% because of it!

[SilvrSurfr]

I took my HG 0* quilts out to the 7th Annual NJ Thanksgiving Hang thiss weekend. I've been hammock camping for eight years and have never seen a rainstorm like Saturday night. Five inches of rain fell, and most of it was sideways rain, with 40 mph wind gusts. We had 24 hammock campers, and I'll bet half ended up sleeping in their cars, or driving home. It was bad.

However, I did not go to the car. When I arrived at my site for sleepy time, I was upset to find out that my HG Winter Palace tarp was entirely saturated in condensation, which was dripping on me. There was blowing rain (40 mph), and my quilts and hammock were also totally soaked. I took off my shoes and climbed in the hammock and quilts, with all my clothes on, and they were soaking wet. Slept like a baby - the overnight low was only 31* F, so my soaked HG 0* quilts kept me warm! When I woke in the morning, my clothes were still soaked (though the quilts dried out somewhat due to my body heat).

This trip kinda sold me on hydrophobic down. I went to bed so wet, but was always warm and actually drier in the morning than when I got in the hammock. I felt no clumping.

[HandyRandy]

Did you not have a tarp pitched? Never leave a hammock unattended without a tarp! I would in fact argue never to go without a tarp under any conditions because Every time I tried to, it backfired lol. One time bird poop fell on my topquilt with a net less hammock, another time I got sap all over my hammock, another time I got surprised with a 4AM downpour, and another time I decided to break camp by taking my tarp down first and sure enough, it poured down hell on me almost immediately after lol. Yes, I knew the rain was coming, but I thought I could beat it. I think I’ve finally learned my lesson by now. Embrace the porch mode.

BTW, you know you can wash down, right? Rain certainly won’t ruin a quilt unless you let it stay wet long enough for mildew to form.

[BillyBob58]

Thanks guys for this excellent real world testimony to treated down!

[Haapasaari]

Like a thriller novel! Had to finish reading, even though I was already late!

[Chesapeake]

Like a thriller novel! Had to finish reading, even though I was already late!

Lol, I try not to disappoint my readers!

[TallPaul]

“...my precious”. Made me laugh. And quite true.

[BillyBob58]

I would like to add that this is- at least somewhat- a confirmation to my previous testing of wet synthetic clothing. As well as my real world experience along with that of more than a few people. Now it also appears that treated down is at least somewhat- maybe fully, but more testing would be required- approaching synthetic in it's ability to make the wet a more survivable, and less miserable, situation.

Over the years here- and at other forums- the synthetic vs down(and everything else really, except maybe wool) debate has gone on and on. And I will paraphrase two common statements I have read in response to one of the pros in favor of synthetic(warmer when wet):
1: Bull, NOTHING is warm when wet. Just make sure you keep your insulation dry, because you will be just as cold in wet synthetic as you will in wet down or wet anything else
2: If you can't keep your down dry, you have no business in the woods.

Anyone else ever heard some variation on the above theme? I have always chimed in to disagree, although I certainly agree with the importance of keeping both my down- and everything else- as dry as possible. That is one reason I am prone to use VBs, in an attempt to protect the insulation from moisture from within.

My first argument against point #1 has always been that in my experience, synthetics dry much quicker than anything else, particularly if gently wrung out and then exposed to body heat. (it now appears that treated down is also superior in that respect -i.e. drying- to untreated down, or cotton) My own tests showed me that I could soak the inside of a WPB shell Polarguard jacket in the sink, squeeze out some of the excess, go for a vigorous 30 minute hike in light rain/wind at about freezing, and stay plenty warm, as warm as some jackets would have been if dry. Plus be totally dry once I got home. Even the only place that stayed soaked- the last few inches of my one sleeve where the water drained down and could not exit the WPB shell (making the sleeve ends heavy with water) resulting in too much liquid for my body heat to evaporate quickly, was still a lot warmer than nothing. I had no gloves and was using the long sleeves for some protection by pulling the sleeves down over my hands. Even that soaked sleeve(the right arm sleeve was dry) was noticeably warmer than nothing, so to me that meant "warm when wet", even if not as warm as dry. There was some % of insulation retained even with that soaked PG, plus most of it dried very quickly. Some water spilled on my cotton jeans during the test was still soaked and cold hours later.

It would appear from both of these experiences: treated down definitely retains a useful amount of it's loft and insulation even after accidental soaking. (and I ASSUME would also handle sweat in a superior fashion, even if not as well as dry) And also, dries reasonably quick just from body heat. This is great news IMO. I think back on my recent thread on the Mt. Rogers hypothermia experience: if all clothing had been the equivalent of PG, CS, PL, or treated own, I wonder if they would have fared better, and avoided hypothermia? Obviously I feel they would have.

2: As for point #2: I have always said that even for the most skilled and experienced hiker/camper, stuff happens. Even with very large tarps. I will now add these experiences in this thread and the Mt. Roger's thread to many personal experiences I have observed over the years, and just say " I rest my case. Stuff happens.". So it is better to be prepared for getting wet, if you are not sure you can safely abandon ship and go get in the car before hypothermia rears it's ugly head.

[TxAggie]

But, where are the spiders?

I was able to get out that night as well and because of the clear sky I had my tarp hanging and tie-outs ready, but the tarp stayed in the sleeve.

I’m sure you were beat at the end of the day simply from the anxiety of it all. I’m very happy to hear it turned out well, and makes me feel confident with my own HG quilts.

[kevperro]

Good news..... when I was in the military we slept frequently in places without cover. Getting wet was just part of life and when it was in the high-mid 30s it really sucked. Spend weeks with everything wet and on the edge of hypethermia and it changes your perspective on things.

But anyway.... nothing is warm when wet except maybe a wet suit. My 100 wt. fleece is about the best performer I've found for times when I have to stay wet. The key I found was having gear that you could dry out with body heat and wouldn't hold water. We couldn't start fires... you either dried out your clothing with body heat or it didn't dry. I had an Army issued bivy bag/synthethic thing which I slept in ditches during downpours and while it was never what I'd call "cozy", it kept me alive and I could dry that thing with body heat given time. I carefully planned drying my clothing in my bivy sack as opportunity presented itself.

I don't backpack in those conditions. I have more common sense than to get all my stuff wet and I have the freedom to change up my routine to seek ways to keep my gear dry. But having gear that you can dry by body heat alone (won't hold water) is key to survival if you find yourself in that situation. Vapor barriers are magic too. A garbage bag can be a lifesaver. Bags for your feet and hands are cheap, light and highly recommended for bad conditions. You may not find them comfortable but they can buy you time.