It took me years to take to a synthetic bag, tried a few and hated them; but now I've got a Bannatyne hybrid bag.....synthetic on the inside with a hide on the outside. It just feels like playing a sheepskin hide bag but with the benefits of the synthetic. I don't use water traps or any of that sort of thing. Never have. Maybe someone else could provide advice in that regard?

Valves.....I've still got a 'traditional' leather valve on one set, but a modern synthetic thing on the other set. I don't even know what make it is. Have to say that both work and neither works better than the other.

As for practice chanter reeds, no idea what your problem is. I must have about six or seven different types of reeds here and they all work OK in my different practice chanters. Some better than others but all are OK. You sure you don't need to clean your chanter? There's not some muck inside it?

As for oiling the drones, that's a matter of opinion. Some think it's a worthwhile thing to do and others don't. If they've been sitting there, maybe oil them lightly; but that should be all that's needed.