Passport renewal and H1b stamping,extension

Hi,

I got my H1B petition approved last year and its valid till Sep 2015.My passport is due for renewal in Aug 2015.I’m planning to go to India for vacation in Feb next year and had thought of getting H1B stamped and then come back and apply for extension here in the US.But,looks like I should have a passport beyond 6 months validity while getting H1b stamped.In that case,I’m planning to renew passport here itself and apply for premium processing H1b extension too and then get it stamped in India.

My worry is,in case of an RFE in b/w extension application process here,will I still be able to travel with my H1b petition? OR should I renew the passport alone here and get it stamped in India and apply for H1b extension after coming back?

Thanks!