Down Bags/underblankets & allergies

[SussexRob]

Hi all,

I'm still on a quest for a new sleeping bag, I nearly went for a dutch system, but bottled due to the small opening when all drawn up. I'm an "active" sleeper, and was fearful of rolling over and feeling trapped!

I have a question for those with feather type allergies.

The ony way I can use feather pillows/duvets is if they are in that anallergenic casing, so that they are totally contained, as it were. Otherwise I end up wheezey, eyes like golf balls, sneezey, etc, like extreme hayfever basically.

For this reason, I have never gone down the down route (!). No "expert" in any outdoor shop has been able to advise me if any down bags are anti allergen etc, when I've asked, I have always been met with a puzzled, deer in headlamps kind of look!

Does anyone here suffer similar problems and successfully use down UQ or bags? If so, what makes/tips can you suggest?

Rob

 

[resnikov]

I have a Vango down sleeping bag which looses the odd bit of down now and then and a cottage industry UQ which also looses a bit of down no and then. Both of them have down proof material so it doesn't escape on mass but still it escapes Maybe you could get a UQ made with an extra layer anallergenic casing ?


Have you looked at synthetic UQ and sleeping bags? I'm in the planning stages of making a synthetic UQ from primaloft.

 

[SussexRob]

Synthetic is what I have always used, my last bag was a vango synthetic job, lasted me 10 years. Last time out in it the other month I realised that I was still cold with a liner, so decided to retire it. I'm in the process of tweaking a cheap argos sleeping bag into an UQ.

I just wondered about down, as I read and hear people singing its praise left right and centre.

 

[spandit]

Down packs smaller & can be lighter but if you're not carrying it far, synthetic is fine (and stays warm when wet). I'm thinking about alpaca wool for my next UQ, though

 

[mountainm]

On my stuff down tends to seep mostly from seams - I keep meaning to "seam seal" my down items (like you would a tent) to see if that helps.

 

[Retired Member southey]

My matey used his Exped down bag weekend before last, inside a bivvie bag, rained heavy all night I woke up with a puddle on my bivvie bag(Of rain!) kicked it off, the next night his ag was damp having been a sat in hi pack in side his bivvie bag all day, turns out he had a tiny pin hol int the top of his bivvie which let the moisture in, it smelt damp, felt damp and didnt dry out for two days, of course if you have a perfect bivvies bag you shouldnt have any problems, I was fine in my Buffalo bag, it even dried out my wet socks and trousers over night sleeping with them tucked down the foot end

 

[bigroomboy]

This is somthing that I have always thought about. I can't be any where near down bedding I'll lterally sniffle it straight away. Tbh I agree down is not so important in this country and synthitic is often the cheaper and better choice but down is so damn cool being so small and light to pack and then so so warm. I got a down rab neutrino vest hight quality down and have not had so much as a sniffle. I thought maybe it was because it didnt really get compressed as I wore it so was kind of contained but then I wore it in my sleepingbag at easter when it was cold and I had my summer bag and still no sniffle. So maybe I'm OK with the really good down but not the cheaper ones that mix feathers in? Anyway I thing you will be fine with an UQ maybe stick with a syn TQ or bag and see how it goes?

 

[Toddy]

I'm not fond of feathers I usually end up with hayfevery stuffed up head if I use a down bag, quilt or pillow. That said, my exped down mat has never been a problem, but it relies on the feathers being trapped.
How are you with silk ?
I know silk quilts can be mega expensive, but it's light, very warm, dries well, and surely someone here could turn it into a bag ?
I confess I'm seriously tempted

cheers,
M

 

[rik_uk3]

If you have a reaction to feather and down keep clear, the last thing you want when a way from home is an attack, sod's law says it could be your first nasty attack so foolish to take the risk.

 

[Teepee]

Does anyone on here work in a hotel or such? I'm thinking they'd know about alllergies to down pillows and bedding.

I know steam treatment is isued to sterilze the down at manufacture from good suppliers, which removes a lot of allergens from it. Essentially, down is keratin and in itself is not particularly allergenic. I'd bet its the foreign bodies that cause the problems

Whilst reading up on down before starting making down filled gear for myself, I remember reading that cheap 'Goose down' filled pillows on ebay were tested that contained chinas finest chicken feathers instead.
Likely not a good buy if your allergic to feather bedding.

I only have one piece of down filled gear that hasn't shed any yet and thats a homemade pertex shell top quilt with 850 fill. The feathers in it were very hard to find (couldn't find any )

 

[SussexRob]

If you have a reaction to feather and down keep clear, the last thing you want when a way from home is an attack, sod's law says it could be your first nasty attack so foolish to take the risk.

Which has been and I think will continue to be my school of thought. No sense in taking the risk, and ruining what should be a good camping trip.

I'm fine with silk, just not a massive fan to be honest. I think I'll stick with synthetic bags.