Yes OM and Rock, I think the idea of a separate down head covering would be much more to my liking. Use when needed. I usually wear a combo of thin full face covering and a beanie under my shell hood when the wind is stinging. When the wind is not an issue I would much rather go with out a hood altogether. Just my personal preference.

Brian, I'm on the fence about the drydown issue. I think its a good idea but I hope inexperienced folks don't think this is going to be a reason to overlook keeping their insulation protected in packs and dry when wearing it. As I mentioned once before on this sight WM has been testing with it and in speaking with them they were not yet convinced although that could change quickly. They sounded cautiously optimistic but not yet willing to put their reputation on the line. Clothing seems to be the first to go to the drydowns because of their likeliness to be exposed more. I overlooked this issue in buying our new WM bags last fall but it wouldn't hurt to give clothing a second consideration. I don't think It would be a deal breaker for me however.

Thanks again to all for the good advise. I will often ask an opinion earlier on in my shopping process simply because I don't like making mistakes that can be avoided by getting help from those who have more experiences.

jimmyb