Primaloft Sleeping bags

Can anyone tell me how Primaloft sleeping bags stand up to down? The salesman at EMS seemed tothink that Primaloft was the best thing since sliced bread. He said that it was comparable to down in terms of warmth and compressibility, and close in weight. Any experience or thoughts? Thanks for the info.

Bob

I have seen some reports that it doesn't last nearly as long as down.

Doug

I've got a Primloft jacket, which is very thin and super warm. When I bought it earlier this winter I asked how it compares to down and was told a similar story. I have worn it a lot on the car to and from work, and maybe I'm just paranoid about it, but I swear the back is now thinner than the rest.

Can anyone tell me how Primaloft sleeping bags stand up to down?

Click to expand...

The comparisons I've seen suggest that down lasts at least four times longer than synthetics. And maybe a lot longer.

I own Primaloft and down jackets, and Polarguard Delta and down bags (and an older LiteLoft bag that rapidly became a no-loft bag).

IMO, between the synthetics, Primaloft drapes better, and seems to compress better, than Polarguard. But down is superior to either.

Still, in damp conditions, a synthetic bag of any sort might be superior to down which doesn't insulate when wet.

So, if durability is your primary criteria, down is "better". But the environment in which the bag will be used might be a more important decision criteria than the durability of the insulation material.

Down is by far more durable than any synthetic but Pirmaloft does the best for durabilty for synthetics. If you study this LINK you can see that the construction of Pirmaloft resembles that of Down.
Also some other interesting info about Pirmaloft vs. Down when it comes to moisture.

You might want to take a look at This as far as making the Down vs. Synthetic decision.

Primaloft has more marketing dollars behind it than geese do.

skiguy...nice links
These days, with more waterproof down products on the market, I have up graded my sleeping bags to down, yet I have a Primaloft jacket that I love and will probably pick up some pants and a vest with Primaloft.
Interesting question about the longevity of Prima Loft...I'm curious how that will turn out to be.

This is a very interesting thread, Bob! I certainly learned quite a bit.

Best regards,
Marty

primaloft vs down

my sleeping bag is a golite rated to -40 & primaloft. i also have a golite primaloft jacket that i've had for years & absolutely love. my partner has both a down jacket (mountain hardware sub zero sl) & sleeping bag & he swears by them.

personally i think both can be great or crappy depending on quality, workmanship etc. with down you go by ratings (600-700 etc). a higher fill power costs more but it's warmer, smaller & lighter. i've read down is lighter then synthetic so it will keep you warmer w/ less weight. comparing my primaloft to his down i don't nec agree w/ this. they are quite comparable if not almost the same. Down however is also very absorbant & tends to get damp/wet more then synthetics/ primaloft materials. (given the same conditions) it can be almost impossible to dry out in the backcountry if it gets too wet. that said, most quality bags should have some moisture protection at least on the bottom of the bag; if not you can always improvise. if you are wearing a down jacket i don't imagine conditions are going to warrant rain; it's usually too cold so maybe if you sweat a lot it may get the jacket damp - i don't know. unless you fall into some open water or have some other mishap how often are you really going to be exposing either to much water? down tends to be more expensive than synthetics so don't get caught up in the pricing. just bec one down jacket is $400 & a similar primaloft is $190 doesn't mean the down is any better; just more costly.
a couple other things: down is not hypoallergenic (some folks can be allergic to the feathers) & needs special care when washing while synthetics are pretty much mach washable.
so which to choose? the biggest issue is wetness: if you know you get you stuff wet then def go w/ synthetic. if wetness is not an issue both are great; get the best item you can for the money you have to spend. but don't fall for the idea bec it costs more it must be better. my golite parka was on sale for $50 while my partner paid close to $300 for his parka. both items have performed as we had hoped & we are both happy (he has admitted that if he could have found my jacket in his sizing he would have grabbed one). his jacket may have a few minor details mine doesn't like fleece line pockets; but i have no complaints & neither does he so i guess in the end that's all that matters.
i

Thanks for all the great information. I learned more than I expected to. I will let you all know what I decide on. Thanks again.

Bob