Quilt for pnw on pct

I just bought the EE Prodigy and used it on the Wonderland during 5-days of on/off rain. The bottom of it got wet one night but it never impacted warmth and it didn't show any signs of impact from prolonged moisture.

Packs down good and reasonably light considering you don't have to take all the same measures you would with down.

I'm thrilled with it. The only question is if it will remain this good over time.

http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/prodigy/

I have the Wide-Regular @ 30 deg. rating. It is plenty warm for 3-season use when used with my down hoodie, standard long underwear and a reasonable pad.

"I'm most interested in the what materials will work best for the water I will encounter and if I even need to worry about it."

If your gear is getting wet, that is something you should worry about and address.

Like kev, I also used a 35 F Prodigy from Enlightened Equipment on a 7 day Olympics hike in which it rained every night but one. Not to mention all the other times I used it here in the Southeast where it rains just as much, and every bit as humid, or more. It has the 20D shell on the outside, and the 10D on the inside, and IIRC, it uses the 4 oz/sqyd Climashield Apex on the inside. (It is a previous year's model).

Anyway, I have been really happy with it. The outer shell does a great job at repelling any splatter that may happen, as well as heavy fog that will saturate anything, whether inside a shelter or not. Mine weighs around 18 oz, and stuffs down nice and small. I also asked Tim not to put a zipper on the footbox, but instead to use buttons. It is a hair lighter, but in retrospect, the buttons are a bit noticeable at time, so I wonder if a zipper would have been more comfy. I also retrofitted it with my own DIY version of the straps around the pad, and it works very well.

I've spent as much time in Smoky's & Citco Creek as I have in the Olympics (I lived in Port Angeles) and I have to say that the SE is wetter on average. It is warmer too so much more humid and it actually rains in the SE where we get mostly drizzle.

I carried and used down in all of those situations. It sure is nice not to worry about moisture exposure. I find not having to babysit my down a relief….. goofy as that sounds.

Synthetic is better, IMHO. And many have done just fine when using down in the Cascades. You might have no rain at all, but there is the chance of having it drizzle for days. This summer set new records for fair weather in Washington for July and August, but you never know the trend until you're there. Prepare for rain and pray for sun :)

The stinker is that when it is gray and drizzly, you don't get any direct sunlight and those things that get wet, stay wet. Think 50F, cloudy, 90% humidity and waking up with everything coated in dew. Minimalist shelters don't help the situation.

Thanks for your comments. Thankfully i have a few months to make a decision.

Look at a Nunatak quilt with a shell made with Epic.