New Feathered Friends Quilt

I don't know much about quilts, but at first glance the 30 degree quilt looks the same in weight and fill as the 30 degree Merlin. What is the benefit? Unless you hate hoods…

Yes – if you don't like hoods. Other benefits would be the modularity of the product. And of course the Merlin is cut really, really slim – this new quilt is wider, at least according to the stats. The quilt is also lighter by 4 oz.

I agree with Dave. The cut looks pretty wide and the bag offers a lot of versatility. The overlapping zipper design is clever, as it eliminates the need for a draft tube. I also like that FF uses quality shell materials. I have a custom FF Vireo with the Pertex Endurance UL shell and it has performed great, so no need for a bivy under one of my tarps. I would need the size large, and at 24oz for the 30 degree model, it is a bit heavy. It might be worth trading a few ounces for a better quality shell and more versatility then other quilt offerings.

Doesn't appear very wide to me based on the video, seeing how closely it fits a skinny guy. I'm a lot bigger than him, though, and used to a 58" wide quilt with tons of room, so I guess it's all relative.
Looks great, though. I like the design, even if you pay for the versatility with a couple extra ounces vs a regular quilt.
That's a good bit of fill listed on that 20F version, and if you can shift the down toward the front, it seems like it could surpass its temp rating while completely eliminating drafts.
Not that looks matter much(maybe so at that pricepoint), but that's probably the prettiest quilt I've ever seen. Very nice!

The overlapping zipper is really great. I have one on my 2002 Moonstone bag.

Owen, it indicates in the specs that it is 62" wide at the shoulders. I may email them to determine if this is the case.

Dave, after watching the video again, I think I was just wrong. What got my attention regarding the width was when the quilt was laid out on the pad in the video at ~46seconds, and wasn't hanging over the sides.
My Palisade is a Wide, and even with the sides pulled together so the clips are touching, it's a good 7" wider than my Downmat UL 7 M.
When I watched the video again…duh, there it is at 35sec, the quilt laid flat and very obviously wider than the pad, even when it's still zipped all the way up.

Hey Owen, I did email FF and it is 62" wide for both the regular and long versions. I like what I see.

I only watched it once but I couldn't tell how the zipper wouldn't leak warm air. What did I miss?

Cool design overall.

I am going to the FF store this afternoon and will see if they have a demo model out on the floor for me to try. I have a Zpacks bag in Wide/Long, so I will also break that one out and do a comparison.

That's a really interesting design. Unfortunately the 30* Flicker weighs the same as my MBULSS#3 which is more spacious and has a hood.

Thanks Ed.

Ian, I hate a hood which is why I use quilts. This bag, however has the ability to be more efficient in cooler weather.

With respect to the MB, the quality of this FF is going to be considerably better and has a higher fill rating. It also has the same amount of down without the hood and also uses continuous baffles. Given my experience with MB and under filled baffles several years ago, I would suggest that the FF will be warmer at the same specified temperature rating. Since I wear a beanie to sleep I would rather have the extra down below the neck.

This works for me.

How can the MB be more spacious than a variable girth quilt? Not to mention that too much room and you run into warmth inefficiencies (works the other way too).

"I only watched it once but I couldn't tell how the zipper wouldn't leak warm air. What did I miss?"

Picture getting up in the middle of the night to pee. How could it not leak warm air?
It's off my list on that basis alone.

"I only watched it once but I couldn't tell how the zipper wouldn't leak warm air. What did I miss?"

Picture getting up in the middle of the night to pee. How could it not leak warm air?
It's off my list on that basis alone."

Can you explain this more, Tom? How would this be any different than with a zippered mummy bag?

I'm actually planning to release something similar this spring, funny. The real point is for users afraid of quilts to have the security of the zipper. I'm guessing it gets used unzipped 90% of the time. If you already know you like quilts then this is just bigger and heavier but if you're on the fence it might makes sense, at least that was the thinking behind the one I'm building.

-Tim

"Can you explain this more, Tom? How would this be any different than with a zippered mummy bag?"

Yes. Hot air rises, and when you unzip the top zipper on the FF Flicker, a lot of warm air will rise and escape before you can get the bag closed up again, both exiting and reentering the bag. The zipper on a standard mummy bag is on the side, down low. When exiting the bag, it is easy to slide out without peeling back the top of the bag, thereby keeping the warm air mostly trapped inside. I pay a lot of attention to that, because I don't have much body fat, and retaining as much heat as possible is critical for me. So far I have managed it very well, but I just do not see how it would be possible with a top zipper.

Thanks for clarifying, Tom. I don't necessarily see a top or bottom to this bag so why couldn't one just adjust the zipper to the side? The design is very similar to the Zpacks sleeping bag.

Regardless, you still need to get out of the bag and that has always meant unzipping one side and moving it to the side, at least for me. So I guess the heat will leave the bag anyway you get out of it.

Dave,

I was more or less typing out loud as I have a MB #3 at the moment so that's the measuring stick I use when contemplating a possible replacement. MY ULSS has been good for me down to freezing.

"How can the MB be more spacious than a variable girth quilt?"

Well I can leave the MB unzipped and use it like a quilt if I wanted to, albeit one with a foot box.

Ian, I also see that MB has a 900 fp model. Did not know that.

Flicker link

I got to the FF store today and played with a Flicker and chatted up the FF folks as well. The only model they had out was the regular length 20 degree model. I am 5'11", 215lbs, and a side sleeper. I found the cut of the bag very similar to my Zpacks bag which is a size wide/long. It fit fine, but fully zipped is about as narrow as I like. The quality and workmanship are excellent. The full length zipper and the draw string cinch at the bottom allows the bag to completely open, a la Nunatak's Back Country Blanket. You can zip it up a bit, cinch the bottom closed, and use it as a quilt. You can then zip it all the way, and cinch the top, for maximum warmth. Functions very well and was versatile. Right now, they are only offering the UL model, but will come out with a cheaper slightly heavier model with a Nanosphere shell at some point. They will also do custom length work at some point in the future, if you are looking for a smaller size.

I think Tim Marshall's comments are well taken: if you are a quilt fan I don't think this is a game changer for you at all. If you are like me, and not a quilt fan and are inclined to stay with a bag of some kind, it would be worth real consideration.

Thanks Ed.

This "new" design really has me scratching my head!

For decades I've opened up my mummy bag to make a quilt out of it on warm nights. Now they have a quilt that turns into a mummy bag… am I missing the revolutionary significance of this? 30 years ago I bought a mummy bag without a hood… does that mean I was actually sleeping under a quilt? Ain't marketing grand!

I think the final difference from other offerings on the market is the additional flexibility you gain by being able to fully open the bag into a blanket. In camp, it will be easier to wear around then a quilt, so you can leave the puffy jacket behind. On warm nights, it could completely open for maximum venting. The trouble I had venting my old mummy bags was the zipper never went down far enough to get the true effect of a quilt. ZPacks design went further, making the zipper very long, but leaving a fixed length of foot box at the end. Whether the added versatility of a blanket is a nice feature or a gimmick will depend on the individual consumer I guess. However, looking at the execution of the idea, I think it offers something more then mere marketing spin.