[pct-l] Homemade down sleeping bag/quilt--and now water!

[DAVCATDAV at aol.com (DAVCATDAV@aol.com)]

In a message dated 2/2/2005 4:12:58 PM Pacific Standard Time,  
MedusaJ@aol.com writes:

This is  a great idea!  We had a similar idea, mainly to pirate from our  
existing down jackets, or to buy down comforters from a department store,  
where 
they were on sale for $80, but the Goodwill thing had not occurred  to me.  
Is the 
quality of down high enough?  Or do you know  yet?  I mean, I'm sure two 
pounds of Goodwill down won't equal two  pounds of $180 thru-hiker.com down, 
but 
does it work to keep you  warm?  Let us know how it goes


You can find items that have, to all appearances, never been used.   The best 
seems to be smaller jackets that I think have probably been outgrown by  
someone.  My only advice would be to avoid items whose ingredients are  listed as 
down and feathers, but only because I find that those tiny feathers  are a bit 
hard to work with, and there's enough pure down out there that you  shouldn't 
have to bother.  
 
I have a book somewhere, it appears somewhere I can't find now, that talks  
about the natural breakdown of down.  I can't give you the source, but as I  
recall your talking about some pretty rugged use before this becomes an issue,  
improper washing and drying being the greatest threats
 
And as to where the best down comes from, or the superiority of mediocre  
goose down versus good duck down...these require no discussion because the  
answers are as obvious as the use and usefulness of bear canisters, a subject  so 
trivial it allows for no disagreements.