Any sleeping bags free of DWR and fire retardant chemicals?

The Microfiber series of Western Mountaineering bags definitely do not have DWR applied.
You could ask them about fire retardants.

With all the nontoxic bedding out there, you’d think there’d be at least one nontoxic bag. I’ll take nikwax down, but even those bags seem to use pfc dwr on the outer/inner fabric.

Yep its blown my mind that the industry that’s all about health and nature doesn’t have a nontoxic bag for sale haha

Even looked into some ‘Eco’ bags that use a new type of DWR that looks on paper just as nasty

Anyone have any ideas?

I applaud your desire to avoid these sort of chemicals. It’s the reason I won’t use treated down. I believe Western Mountaineering’s Microfiber shelled bags lack any sort of chemical treatment. It really doesn’t get any better than WM…

From the WM website:

A microfiber fabric is very water resistant because of its combination of high thread count and makeup of dense yarns. Each micofiber yarn has many more filaments than a normal nylon or polyester yarn of equivalent size. Woven into high thread count material, it becomes a fabric that really keeps wind and water out. Since there is no coating or laminate on the material, it is highly breathable. The fabric construction is responsible for weather proofness, it’s not something that can wear off, wash out or delaminate. This is the most technologically advanced non-laminated weather resistant fabric available. Look for bags with a microfiber shell if you expect some contact with moisture.

It looks to me like WM is saying that their shell fabrics are uncoated – they do not have a PU coating or membrane to augment water-resistance. But I would be very surprised if the breathable fabrics they use, and most sleeping bags and quilts use similar fabrics, do not have a DWR finish applied for water-<i>repellency</i>. My impression is that pretty much all fabrics produced for the outdoor industry come standard with DWR finish applied.

However, it just occurred to me that Nunatak may still offer Epic by Nextec shell fabrics. These are silicone-encapsulated fabrics that provide  water-resistence and water-repellency by virtue of the silicone coating or encapsulation of the entire fabric. In theory, the silicone is stable and non-toxic. However, there is information available that at least some of Nextec’s Epic fabrics do have flurocarbon DWR applied inside the encapsulation. The silicone may keep the fluorocarbons contained and away from the sleeper, but I’m not sure.

I have a quilt that uses Nikwax down, which is mostly a wax-based DWR that is supposed to be non-toxic and I feel pretty OK about it, but the shell fabric still has a fluorocarbon DWR, as far as I’m aware.

The best availalbe might be auntreated down shelled in afabric with a cheap/poor/short-lasting DWR finish that washes out/wears off quickly.

It looks to me like WM is saying that their shell fabrics are uncoated – they do not have a PU coating or membrane to augment water-resistance. But I would be very surprised if the breathable fabrics they use, and most sleeping bags and quilts use similar fabrics, do not have a DWR finish applied for water-<i>repellency</i>. My impression is that pretty much all fabrics produced for the outdoor industry come standard with DWR finish applied.

I’m not sure how you draw that conclusion, given WM says “the FABRIC CONSTRUCTION is responsible for weather proofness, it’s not something that can wear off, wash out or delaminate.”

DWR washes out.

But the simplest was to settle the question is contact Western Mountaineering…

I seem to recall reading that DWR treatments were a spin off from the textile industry using a chemical treatment to reduce static and prevent the layers of fabric from clinging together during manufacturing. It may be almost impossible to find a completely untreated fabric. Even a cotton fabric would have pesticide residues unless you go organic.

Chris, that may be. A couple years ago there was a big pushback on fluoro-DWR and many of the outdoor companies published official responses and action plans. One of the scandanavian companies, maybe Berghaus, wrote that one of the reasons it was hard for them to phase DWRs out was that they had additional functions; they mentioned that their shorts lasted longer with DWR fabrics because the slippery fluorocarbons reduced [inter-thigh] friction. ;)

Thanks for the replies, I’m happy  I’ve started the conversation

Like I mentioned, I’m not a ‘chemical-phobe’, I’d just prefer to put my money toward companies that are showing actual responsibility. Its the only way that changes will ever get made.

Western Mountaineering is obviously sending out mixed messages. from their website:

Water Repellent Treatments
All of our fabrics are finished with a DWR, (Durable Water Repellent) that is rated as 80/20. This is an industry measure of durability that suggests that 80% DWR is retained after 20 washings. In reality this rating is for laboratory test procedure only and is not realistic for home washing.

There it says “all our fabrics”.

I’ve contacted them for answers, and many others with Marmot and Fjallraven the only ones to reply.

“The best availalbe might be auntreated down shelled in afabric with a cheap/poor/short-lasting DWR finish that washes out/wears off quickly”

This is a current option. Looking for used bags that have been washed regularly