[at-l] Down bags. Again.

[rafe.bustin@verizon.net (Raphael Bustin)]

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At 12:51 AM 10/4/2002 -0500, Billie H. Cleek wrote:

[re: quality of down bags]

>I thought quality had to do with the manufacture. That's why I make sure and
>get a good guaranty.  Personally, I prefer llbean.
>
>however, different bags have different weight down.  I've always thought
>that fact went to temperature rating.



As to the quality of the down itself, there is the matter
of plain-old-feathers versus the real "down" feathers
which come from the tail end of the goose.

Years ago some sales person gave me a rap about the
ratio of the "good" feathers vs. cheap ones, and how
that was measured and reported at the consumer level.
It might be that with de-regulation, that statistic isn't
reported any more.  (It would be on that "DO NOT
REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW" tag, if it exists
at all.)

"Down" isn't supposed to mean just any old feather,
but only the short and very puffy ones.  Never forget
that the actual insulation and warmth comes from AIR --
still air, air that can't move.  Same idea as the fiberglass
insulation in the walls of your house.  The down simply
has the ability to keep air still and immobile -- without
weighing a lot.

The other important factor (for warmth) is the total weight
of the down or, alternatively, the "loft" of the bag -- ie. how
thick the bag gets when the down is fully lofted.


rafe b.
aka terrapin
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