Adding Down to Garments

I weigh the down in a plastic container.  Then I grasp the down between thumb and finger(s).  Stoff that into the baffle.  Takes several times to get it all in.

Then push down with a stick or whatever like you said

Then sew it closed.

Then fluff it up to distribute down evenly.

I have filled two MYOG down quilt shells and one MYOG down over-quilt so far.

I start with a large plas bag – washing machine size, plus a collection of discarded cardboard toilet paper rolls.
Put down and TP rolls into plas bag and seal end except for two arm holes – tight ones. Add scale if you want.
Insert arms into bag – like a glove box.
Open down container – yeah, fluff everywhere – INSIDE the plas bag.
By hand, stuff as much down as I can into a number of toilet rolls. Once they are stuffed fairly tight the down does not escape. Very nice. Option here to weigh each full tube with little electronic scale inside the plas bag.
Remove one full toilet roll and insert into opening in quilt (tube), push contents out into quilt with stick or wooden ruler. Repeat.
Yes, a few bits of down escape, but very little. Close end of quilt tube (fold end over first) with bulldog clip
Sew.
Um … then gather all errant bits of down before SWMBO comments.
This method even lets me put the same known wt of down into each tube.

Cheers

I used a vacuum cleaner to fill the compartments. A video of the technique.(Same as Roger)

I have an excellent FF Icefall parka which needed an upgrade so I tore apart a defunct Exped Downmat with high quality geese and stuffed about 5 ozs into four of my parka’s baffles the easy way—by cutting slits and closing with ripstop tape ergo no seam splitting and no sewing or needle and thread.  I did all of the work inside one of my zipped up Hilleberg tents in the backyard to contain all the swirling down.  It’s been keeping me warm on 3 winter trips over a course of 38 days.

In spring 1972, using savings from working during a leave from college, I went to the just-opened Whole Earth Provision Company and bought my first actual backpacking equipment, including a down sleeping bag by Gerry.  I don’t remember the temperature rating but it was pretty standard I’m sure.  However I am a cold sleeper and after a few trips, in 1977 or so I wanted to make it warmer and ordered a pound of down from Frostline.  It arrived sewn into two half-pound pillows encased in a light porous fabric.  Following Frostline’s recommendation, I thoroughly soaked the down pillows in water until the down was fully saturated.  I opened the sleeping bag baffles one by one along the outer seam and, portioning by the approximate handful (not being an engineering type) I was able to stuff the down in.  Being all wet, it did not fluff around the room, so it was all pretty easy.  Also not having a sewing machine at the time, I would have stitched the baffles back together by hand.  I used that sleeping bag for over 20 years, for backpacking, car camping, and even as a quilt at home.  It had patches from mishaps and a chewing puppy.  I only replaced it after it started to fall apart completely.