Reviewed by: Gomer
,
Climber
Price Paid:
$315.00
at Feathered Friends fa Summary:
I don't think anyone out there is making a better bag than the folks at Feathered Friends. If you value craftsmanship and quality, and are willing to pay a premium for them, check out the work these guys are doing. Although I am reviewing the Swift, the Swallow and the Hummingbird are essentially the same, the Swift is a roomier bag than the Swallow, and the Hummingbird is cut smaller to save weight. My Swift is covered in the Epic fabric, which has been great. Breathes really well, and seems to be fairly water resistant. I always bring a tent, so I haven't really put the waterproofing to the test, but condensation from the tent walls or rain coming in when I get in or out of my tent just beads up and rolls off. The 800 fill down is great - this bag lofts up so nice I am always stunned when it packs down into the tiny stuff sack I use.... goes from a warm and cushy full size bag to the size and weight of a Nerf football. There are no side baffles, which allows you to shift down between the top and bottom of the bag, to be comfortable across a really wide range of temperatures. Really a great feature. The zipper is nothing special, and although the draft tube has tape along the zipper, the other side of the zipper does not, so a little care needs to be taken to not catch the lining in the zipper. Snaps instead of velcro at the top of the zipper, which I prefer - no scratchy velcro against your face, or catching on whatever you are using for a pillow. The lining is silky smooth, and the roomy cut of this bag is fantastic. I need to be able to move around in a bag, and hate feeling penned up in there, especially around my legs - the shape of this bag is just what I like. Awesome. This is the first bag I've had that I really look forward to using, I actually use it at home on the couch quite a bit, just because I like the darn thing so much. I've slept great in temps ranging from pretty warm at night all the way to waking up with heavy frost on the inside of my tent and been nice and cozy in just my boxers - I haven't had it out in really cold temps, but feel pretty confident I could be comfortable dressed warmly with a good hat and most of the down shifted to the top of the bag down to single digit temps.
No glow in the dark zipper pulls, or special pockets just for your watch, 3-way adjustable hood with a goofy pillow pouch - just a fine example of local craftsmanship, well made, built to last, simple durable design and top quality materials. They can put together anything you want, basically they will custom make a bag for you They aren't cheap - but you might never need to buy another bag. Customer Service:
Everyone I talked to in the shop was great - they were helpful and let me take my time checking out what they had. Knowledgeable, definitely not pushy, and a lot of them are climbers, who actually use the stuff they are selling. Similar Products Used:
EMS 0 degree synthetic bag, which had a fleece lining that always felt really hot and sticky in warm weather, and didn't compress well at all. North Face Cat's Meow which is the tightest fit from the waist down of any bag I've seen. Super claustrophobic, and a very optimistic temp rating. My Feathered Friends bag puts these bags to shame - in a whole other class. Like driving a Mercedes after a lifetime of driving run-down used Hondas.
|
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
5 of 5
