I live on Kodiak in the wet, wet Gulf of Alaska and spent almost 60 days in the field this past year using nothing but a down bag. I've used a down bag for years, and have even gotten it wet. I've actually been pleasantly surprised at how well they do work when wet. Basically it takes a lot to get them totally soaked, and until they get TOTALLY soaked they do dry out, and do it pretty quickly.
Once on an elk hunt In a floorless shelter without a bivy bag (don't ask why I made that dumb mistake) it rained/snowed for three days and I was getting worried about my bag - I'd say it got about 10 to 15 percent heavier. Pretty wet anyway, but I still stayed warm at night with temperatures in the upper 20s low 30s. It is a Marmot Helium bag.
I just use a stuff sack and generally keep it in a breathable bivy bag inside the bivy. Every morning I take it out of the bivy and press the air out of both and then stuff it right away back into the stuff sack. Once you get out of the bag the warm air condensates and drops its water - so you want to get that warm air out of the bag.
Anyway, I don't see anything drastic or scary about using a down bag in a wet environment. I've been doing it for 15 years or so in a pretty wet place.
Patrick
