Acceptable Down Loss in Sleeping Bag

Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
883
Hello all,

I will preface my question by stating that most of my experience with sleeping bags is synthetic bags. I have only had one down sleeping bag and it was not an “ultralight” high tech bag and never had the below mentioned problem.

I recently purchased a high end down from a reputable manufacturer often recommended on here. I will refrain from mentioning the name before I find out more info in an effort to not shame them for something that may be normal. I took the bag on a 8 day backpack hunt last week and I noticed the bag was leaking quite a bit of its feathers. Each morning I would wake up with approximately 5+ down feathers (that I noticed) in my floorless shelter. I noticed many more poking through the fabric each day I packed up my sleeping. The shelter was shaken out each day so no feathers kept accumulating, it was certainly loosing new feathers each night. The feathers were not coming out around the sewn baffles, rather straight through the fabric.

Is this normal for a down bag to loose this much? I fear after a few outings I will have lost a significant amount of the fill. I know there is a sacrifice in the tightness of the weave of the fabric in an effort to save weight. Thats probably why my older down bag never lost much for feathers. But to what end? TIA


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Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
3,711
The higher rating down, 600 fill, 700 fill, 900 fill, the finer the down the bag is filled with. As such, lower down fill rated bags, jackets, pants ... have feather that are more likely to work their way out of the bag (garment). Over time, losing down can be an issue for the expected temp rage.
 
OP
Bearwhisky
Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
883
The higher rating down, 600 fill, 700 fill, 900 fill, the finer the down the bag is filled with. As such, lower down fill rated bags, jackets, pants ... have feather that are more likely to work their way out of the bag (garment). Over time, losing down can be an issue for the expected temp rage.

This bag is 850 fill


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*zap*

WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
Messages
7,032
Location
N/E Kansas
Call csr service and ask them what they think/will do. Get it on record now and even if you use the bag for a few more months they should do the right thing. WM re-lofted my old versalite and added overfill for free..but I asked nicely. That versalite is pretty old, before they put in draft collars. They even added a top draft tube for me, nc.
 

Kevin_t

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
1,162
Location
Colorado
Actually , the feathers are NOT the down. The feathers are a small part of the down.

Not sure why that much , that seems excessive.

I'll even ask it on a podcast tomorrow as we are doing one with the GM from Western Mountaineering
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
3,158
I've had a down cluster escape now and then from my WM bag and FF jacket, but nothing consistent or worrisome. I have personally seen a down jacket from KUIU which appeared to have excessive down clusters escaping during wear. I believe the lighter and thinner the fabric used, the more potential for down to escape....but down working through the fabric itself (not at the sewn seams) would be unacceptable to me.

Follow the advice of @*zap* above.
 
OP
Bearwhisky
Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
883
Actually , the feathers are NOT the down. The feathers are a small part of the down.

Not sure why that much , that seems excessive.

I'll even ask it on a podcast tomorrow as we are doing one with the GM from Western Mountaineering

I will definitely keep an eye out for that, thanks! For the record, this is not a WM bag. And I’m starting to wish I went with my gut and got the WM instead.


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EdP

WKR
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
1,144
Location
Southwest Va
I've been using the same down bag, a Chamois from North Face, for over 50 years. Only had a bit here or there escape over the entire time. If the fabric is not down proof you are not the only person with the issue.
 
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