Some sorting techniques work better than others. If the odor is particularly strong, it is usually caused by something living in the down like bacteria, fungus, or mites. As heat radiates from your body, it warms the trapped air pockets. Large down clusters will generally come from larger, mature birds and last longer than smaller clusters or feathers. When searching for down products, understanding Fill Power, Fill Weight, and Down-To-Feather Ratio will help you select the best option to suit your requirements. For a given fill power, both goose and duck down insulate equally well. For your down to remain protected and cleaner, the material used to make the fabric shell should be of a higher thread count. Of course, manufacturers probably pay less than this due to economies of scale. All Rights Reserved. How long a down will last will depend on its quality regardless of whether the down is from ducks or geese. There are special instructions that need to be followed when cleaning down products. Since down loses its warmth with exposure to water, consider jackets that have a water-resistant outer layer for protection from light rain. If you found any image copyrighted to yours, please contact us, so we can remove it. Second is a decrease in demand for goose meat and eggs. Since down is lighter than feathers, it makes a great filling for comforters, duvets, jackets and other lightweight insulated products. The article is a bit outdated now but prices have continued to increase. Companies that sell down comforters recommend having down professionally laundered in commercial washing machines by a dry cleaner. May 08, 2020 8 Comments. A down processing plant requires a permit to sell both duck down and goose down within the United States. A 700 fill power 20° duck down sleeping bag might weigh 26 oz. This unique down is harvested from the nests of Eider ducks, mostly in Iceland. What is Dry Camping: Is This the Epitome of Outdoor... Backpacking First Aid: Everything You Need to Know. Duck down mainly contains fatty acids, whereas goose down contains wax and is not subject to microorganism decomposition. An efficient sleeping bag will be warm yet compress down very small. Down from birds is considered the finest base layers due to their structures that make them create air pockets that trap the bodyâs heat hence providing warmth. For more info, check out my down vs synthetic insulation pros and cons list. Higher duck and goose Down Fill Power will translate to lighter and more compact gear to take on your adventures. So you will have to pay for the extra quality and benefits you receive with duck or goose down vs fiberfill or feather blends. See also: Layers Clothing: A Complete Guide. This keeps you warm and slows heat loss. Sometimes the birds are simply kept in unclean or unhealthy environments or not allowed enough space to roam about. The odor tends to worsen when the down becomes wet. Feathers don’t have a Fill Power rating and tend to reduce insulation levels, as the feather to down ratio increases. Overwashing can cause down to degrade prematurely. Down feathers are very different from other bird feathers. More compact- Because less insulation is required due to the higher fill power, the sleeping bag compresses down smaller. Another reason we use Hungarian goose down from Hungary is their commitment to quality. Due to the rarity and small supply, Eiderdown is incredibly expensive. It is possible to have a 550 goose down comforter or jacket that is warmer than one with a 700 rating if there is a large enough weight difference. Blended sleep and outdoor products tend to be bulkier and heavier, and are considered to be inferior quality. There is no significant performance difference between the two. If a sleeping bag needs 15 ounces of down, that means the goose down version will cost $65.10 more in materials, which is significant. All of these factors can also play a role in the overall quality of the down as well. More premium- Goose down is considered to be higher end. The primary difference between duck down and goose down is the size of the down cluster. When choosing a down sleeping bag, jacket, quilt, or comforter, look at the fill power. However, ratings from one manufacturer to another may vary as there is no standardized method, so these comparisons are best used when comparing various sleeping bags within the same company. Appalachian Mountain Club, 10 City Square, Boston, MA 02129 P: 617-523-0655 F: 617-523-0722, The Price of Goose Down is Soaring: Here Are the Implications, Down Time: The Story of a Miracle Material, How to Clean Your Down Jacket and Sleeping Bag, Groups File for Injunction to Halt CMP’s Premature Plans to Begin Corridor Work, Transport Yourself: Hikes for History Buffs, No Ordinary Croo: Diary of a Hut Caretaker During COVID-19, Pandemic Buying: The Outdoor Gear Shops Can’t Keep Stocked, What’s in Your First Aid Kit? Channel construction refers to vertical channels being sewn into the duvet, which let down move within the channel. Copyright © Backpacking Mastery. Down is a fine layer of wispy fibers that lie between the protective outer feathers and the skin of waterfowl like geese and ducks. An Expert Weighs in on COVID-19 Additions, Made in New England: Local Gift Ideas for Outdoor Enthusiasts, Fill in the Blank: I Can’t Live Without My ________. Although both duck down and goose down are compromised when wet, duck down tends to hold up a little better. Arranging the fibers into little symmetrical trees like down is has proved impossible. While shopping for a down sleeping bag, jacket, quilt, comforter, or pillow you may have noticed that there are two different types of down available. For campers, the down color is really irrelevant because you won’t ever see the down. Because Geese are typically larger than ducks, their down clusters are almost always larger - the cold environments that Geese reside in demand that their down clusters be large and fluffy. Depending on how dirty it gets, you only need to clean down every 2-5 years, however, cleaning down can be a challenge. Less lofty- Duck down maxes out at around 800 fill power. Where do you stand on the goose vs duck down debate? On average, a goose down product costs around 30-50% more than a comparable duck down version. While it is possible to be allergic to goose and duck feathers, most often the allergy is caused by something else. This will decrease its fill power. This will improve its insulating properties as more air will be trapped. For more info, check out this great guide to properly washing down gear from REI. Some models use different types of insulation for different parts of the sleeping bag or jacket. A similar 20° 700 fill duck down sleeping bag may take 10 liters in your pack. © Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved. If like me, you don’t like fluff that compresses when you place your head down, you may not enjoy goose or duck down pillows. Both types maintain their loft and warmth for many years, if not decades, when properly cared for. Extremely breathable: They allow moisture to pass through them to escape from your body while you are asleep. High-end fill is considered to be 750+. Share your tips and experience in the comments below! It will also be more weather resistant. Not all down is hypoallergenic, and any claims that a product contains hypoallergenic duck or goose down must meet certain criteria. Both goose and duck down are byproducts of the food industry. Birds are not raised for their down alone. And, while exact numbers are hard to come by, I’ve noticed that many gear manufacturers have begun to use duck down instead of goose down in some of their sleeping bags and jackets. Copyright © SLUMBER SEEDS. You can achieve equal or greater warmth by increasing the thickness of the duvet or comforter you choose. Evolution has really done a very good thing. The birds are treated ethically throughout their entire lives including on the farm where they’re raised as well as in the slaughter house where the meat and down are harvested. Goose down clusters typically have fewer odor issues unlike duck. Nature must have thought long and hard about this. In this example, the bag with higher quality down weighs 4 ounces less. Duck down and goose down vary when it comes to maximum loft per cluster, as ducks are naturally smaller birds than geese. It’s a trend driven by the basics of supply and demand. Goose down clusters is usually from larger and older geese. When compared to alternatives such as synthetic materials, duck down and goose down are expensive. Synthetic materials could be a better option for warmer climates, or when saving space is not an issue.