Feathered Friends vs. Western Mountaineering

I’ve only handled Feathered Friends in the store. To me, they have always seemed “less lofty” (highly technical!) than Western Mountaineering bags. I also find it odd there is no mention of loft on FF website.

Either are exceptional bags, but I’ve just stuck with WM going back to 1992 when I got my first. I’ve always gotten mine with overfill. Must say, I also prefer the collar option on WM bags over no collar. A collar is really nice to keep warmth in while allowing more hood adjustment strategies.

All we have at our house now are ExtremeLite bags, but I have to agree with Gabe above… I think the microfiber is more versatile.

I’ve own both and you can’t go wrong with either imo- look carefully at the sizing on the model you’re interested in for both brands (some can be too tight or too roomy) and look at ounces of fill

if comparing models with two like sizes, pay close attention to fill weight

Way better colors! The WM price sheet overwhelmed me! Too many choices.

My wife LOVES her Egret !

( btw, I LOVE my Summerlite.  So, again, either way, you’ll be happy 🙂)

Do you think it’s important for a woman to order a women specific FF? I would love a 10 degree but only see the 20. 20 would be the coldest I would plan to sleep in so maybe with the more accurate ratings it’s ok? I sleep in 30 degrees a lot

Jennifer, you don’t need a women’s specific bag, but many women find those bags to be better proportioned to you. That leaves less dead space to warm up keeping you warmer.  Women’s bags also usually are more insulated for the same temperature rating. If you are comparing a lower rated men’s bag to a higher rated women’s bag they might keep you warm to similar temperatures.

Sorry I can’t give a more specific answer to your question.  I hope some women with knowledge of those specific bags chime in. Also, whether you will be warm at a specific temperature with a specific bag is a very individual question with many individual factors. In general I recommend a bag warmer the the coldest temperatures you would regularly see so that you are still comfortable with an unseasonably cold night.

you don’t have to order a woman specific bag, but be aware ordering a 30 degree men’s bag, won’t be as warm as a 30 degree woman’s bag. Proportional woman specific bags have more fill and as mentioned above, they are often cut with a woman in mind.

PHD uses both 900 and 1000 FP down in their sleeping bags too. I had a couple of their 1000 FP jackets (which I have slightly outgrown as I’ve gotten older) and I think compare in cost to both FF and WM.

Question:  I bought my WM Puma bag back in 2007 and it was then rated at -15F.  Now that same bag with the same fill weight(ounces of down in the bag) is rated at -25F.  What’s up with this?  Fudging the numbers???  Btw both have the Microfiber shell.

Higher down “fill” rating in the new one?

Could be they have done new ASTM testing and the ratings came out different, not sure they were even tested in 2007.

The -15* may have been the comfort rating based on feedback from customers, while the -25* may be the actual survival rating determined using updated standards.

Tipi: Not an answer, but some thoughts:

• You could ask Western Mountaineering.
• They post EN Ratings and WM Ratings for many of their bags (but not the Puma). The WM Ratings are generally lower than EN Comfort ratings.
• At the end of their FAQ page, they say this (clipped for readability):
  How accurate are Western Mountaineering temperature ratings?
  We determine our temperature ratings through a combination of in-house testing, long-term design experience, and extensive customer feedback…
  While we have EN-tested a number of our sleeping bags, the temperature ratings published … are WM ratings, not [EN] …

I have an older WM Megalite that I had WM overstuff so it’s comfortable to at least 20 F. in my own experience.

I have washed it twice in 8 years. The last time I also rinsed it after washing and used NikWax “WASH-IN” down DWR treatment B/C WM (and FF) do not use DWR treated down. THAT is a problem IMHO and if I ever replace my Megalite I’ll get a high quality brand mummy with DWR treated 750 or 800 fill down. I feel 900 fill down is just not worth the extra money. ALL my other down garments have DWR treated down. Check out the DWR treated down tests on YouTube.

I much prefer the wider selection of weights and dimensions in WM bags. I’m a big fan of their Semi-Rectangular bags which I know are shunned by most in the UL world. But for those who like to side sleep – and even on their belly with a leg out to the side – Semi-Rectangular bags are essential. No other manufacturer that I’m aware of makes such a wide range of Semi-Rectangular cuts with high down fill power.  I’m 5’11” and 175 and use the Sequoia and Bristlecone in 6’6″ length so I have plenty of room to keep butane cans, nalgene bottles, or clothing at the foot. I think Zenbivy is a more comfortable system for temps near or above freezing. But for very cold weather (well below freezing or below zero F) I think a high quality sleeping bag is better. But I haven’t tried a 0F or -10F quilt before. So perhaps I would love that too.

I love how the bags in the Semi-Rectangular range are all named after trees:

25F Sycamore

25F Alder

15F Ponderosa

5F Sequoia – Great winter bag that is comfy down to 20F and I can take it a bit colder with layering up.

-10F Bristlecone – Awesome mid winter bag that has tons of room. Very comfortable at 0F and can easily layer up to take it to -10F or below if needed.

-30F Cypress