Down allergies

Borrow a bag and try.

Have you had an actual allergy test down for down? I am no allergist, but have heard that actual DOWN allergy is very rare. Dustmite allergy is very common.

In pillows, there is normally a lot of feathers and very little down, it may also not be cleaned as well and the fabric is very permeable.

High end outdoor gear/clothing with 800+fillpower down is different:
Almost no feathers. Very clean. Very dense fabrics needed to keep the down in are also dustmite-proof. This is the same principle as the covers you can by for dustmite abatement for astma-sufferers.

The point being that the reaction you got from the pillow may not be from the down and even so, mightn not happen with high-end fabrics.

+1 on trying down clothing unless you've confirmed positive in a test for down allergy- when dealing with bedding it's a LOT more likely you've reacted to dust mites than to down.

Thanks for the input. I can't remember for sure if the tests I was given were specific for down or not. I can say that I do have asthma and I'm allergic to any animal that produces dander, so anything with hair pretty much. However, the bit about the down being cleaned and such gives me hope. I have a better chance dealing with something that has had any dustmites or dander removed from it. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone nearby that has any down clothes or a down bag. So it seems I may have to buy one from somewhere with a good return policy, say Backcountry.com or REI, maybe Moosejaw. These are the only places I've had experience in returns with.

Thanks,

Sean

Sean,

+1 on giving the down a try
+1 on the dander over down allergy.

If you begin having problems, wash your bag or pillow and it should help. It worked for me!

Latham

Latham,

Thank you for the input and encouragement. I was contacted by another member named Doug who lives relatively close to me that is going to send his down quilt for me to try out. I'm continually amazed at the amount of generosity and support of BPL members. Hikers really are some of the best folks around!!

I will report back after my night with a down quilt. Hopefully all is well and I can start to appreciate the wonders of down equipment I've read and heard about.

Thanks to everyone…and much thanks to Doug from MD,

Sean