Feathered Friends Experience

[zloomis]

Hello,

I'm looking to purchase a new sleeping bag and have been looking at the Feathered Friends Swift. I have been comparing it to some Western Mountaineering bags. From what I'm seeing Western Mountaineering uses more down of similar loft which accounts for why everyone says they are conservative in their temp ratings. I was wondering for those who have experience with Feathered Friends are their temperature ratings accurate? It's a pet peeve of mine when I can't sleep comfortably at a bags rating.

BTW I know it varies person to person, but I am a pretty average sleeper and always use a properly rated pad.

Thanks for any insight Feathered Friends owners can offer.

 

[zloomis]

No Feathered Friends users out there?

 

[tlkaetz]

I haven't had the opportunity to take my FF Swallow down to 20 Degrees yet. I have had it down in the low 30s and I was very warm sleeping on a regular NeoAir Xlite. It is SIGNIFICANTLY warmer than my older REI Igneo 19 bag.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I have not owned a Feathered Friends sleeping bag, mainly because I believe Western Mountaineering makes the finest down bags on the planet...short of something custom if that's even an option.

But as a company I can attest to the quality of design, workmanship and materials found in FF products. I've owned or own 2 of their vests and 2 jackets. They are as superb as any garment I've ever owned and I highly recommend the company IF they have what you're looking for.

 

[Pootros]

I own an older 0 degree FF bag and it is incredibly warm. They used to offer a lot of custom options but I think they just have a lot of bags to choose from now. You can get a bag overfilled to add more warmth if you desire. I'm not sure of the lead time on that. I have also owned a couple of their coats and can attest to the quality of craftsmanship of their products.

 

[zloomis]

Thank you guys for the input. I think I'm going to go with a WM bag because I was able to get a better price. FF seems like an awesome company and I will likely be getting something from them sooner or later.

 

[hankharp]

FF definitely makes some of the best down gear in the world. They don't get the hype that WM gets here on rokslide (not that WM doesn't deserve it, they make great gear), but they are a great company with knowledgable employees and great products.

 

[vegas hunter]

I had a FF Puffin 10 that I was never cold in. This was on nights the dogs water froze solid! I got rid of it because it was a long and bought a WM Badger. For some reason I struggled to stay warm in the Badger on a 30 degree night. Sent it back. Probably going to try an EE Conundrum or Convert next.

 

[Olypenhunt]

I have a feathered friends bag and in my opinion it’s hard to beat. It’s a light weight down bag I bought for summer and is rated to 30 degrees. I feel like the rating is very accurate. It’s built very well,packs small, and keeps me warm I’d say buy with confidence man

 

[Top147]

No bag for me from FF but I do have their down duvet and down throw. Absolute top notch. Wife is crazy about them. I would recommend them. They offer a 15 or 20% sale in the fall I believe.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

Hello,

I'm looking to purchase a new sleeping bag and have been looking at the Feathered Friends Swift. I have been comparing it to some Western Mountaineering bags. From what I'm seeing Western Mountaineering uses more down of similar loft which accounts for why everyone says they are conservative in their temp ratings. I was wondering for those who have experience with Feathered Friends are their temperature ratings accurate? It's a pet peeve of mine when I can't sleep comfortably at a bags rating.

BTW I know it varies person to person, but I am a pretty average sleeper and always use a properly rated pad.

Thanks for any insight Feathered Friends owners can offer.

I have owned a WM bag and loved it, but in my research FF is nearly comparable in fill. I am not sure where you saw WM uses more down. I have not compared all the bags but the couple bags I compared the fill was nearly equal 19 oz WM compared to 18.8 oz. and you would never notice 0.2oz difference. Plus FF uses pertex fabric which is the latest and greatest in nylon rip stop. Also, the bag I was comparing weghed the same as WM but the FF bag had thicker face fabric which is more durable.

 

[Ctitus25]

I recently had an opportunity to get my hands on both a WM bag at the REI Flagship store in Seattle and then walk across the street to the FF shop. They both have very nice bags and seem to made with excellent craftsmanship from what I can tell. I ended up going with FF because for the 10 Degree range I wanted I was able to get a wider bag, even though it was slightly heavier. I am looking forward to trying it out this fall, and don't think you can go wrong with either.