Pros: PTFE-Lite is a nice shell; removable collar is handy; overall good-quality construction and design.<P>Cons: Serious down leakage along the seams; heavier than specs claim; zipper likes to snag - a LOT; hood could be better; doesn't loft to full specs; very liberal factory temperature ratings. <P>Feathered Friends Ibis 0-degree down sleeping bag.<P>Let's cut to the chase. If you're considering dropping $500 or more on a zero-degree sleeping bag, which equates to a lifetime investment for most, you're expecting top-notch quality, comfort, and performance. And while Feathered Friends does charge top-tier prices for their bags, frankly, you can do better than the Ibis when you get to this price neighborhood.<P>Shelled in PTFE-Lite and upgraded to 800 fill-power down insulation, the specs on a 6'6" Ibis call for a wide-cut (63"/58"/40"), weatherproof sleeping bag weighing 3 lbs., 5 oz. The total price will hit $540.00 straight from the factory. [Linked Image]<P>The bag I tested weighed 3 lbs., 9 oz. While the construction appeared to be excellent at first, within five nights in the bush, the bag began leaking down all along the interior seams from the footbox to about 2/3 up the bag. Not a confidence-inspiring phenomenon in a supposedly world-class bag! <P>Moreover, while the bag is rated to zero degrees Fahrenheit from the factory, the Ibis definitely corroborates the many rumors that Feathered Friends' temperature ratings are a tad ambitious. Despite the fact that I sleep warm, a night in the single digits found me less than toasty in my Ibis--wool cap, thermal underwear, and socks notwithstanding. The next time I'm expecting sub-freezing temperatures in the elk mountains, I'll be packing a different bag.<P>Some other peeves include a zipper that likes to catch--a lot. If you're used to a Western Mountaineering or Sierra Designs zipper, you will not like the way FF has handled theirs. <P>The ripstop interior-liner fabric is nice, but not primo. Also, the hood, while better than average, is not the best I've seen. And, despite the upgrade to 800 fill-power down, the bag never seems to be fully lofted, even after a couple of days out of the storage sack. Deflating to say the least.<P>On the plus side, the PTFE-Lite shell holds up well to water and wind. You can have confidence in your down staying dry unless you plan on sleeping outside in a rainstorm. The removable collar is a nice feature that lets you add some ventilation on warmer nights. Aside from the down leaks, the bag is well constructed and should give decades of service with proper care.<P>In the end, the Ibis is a very good bag that nevertheless ultimately fails to live up to true world-class status, as befits its world-class price. For the same or less money, you would be much better off in a Western Mountaineering, a Marmot, or a Sierra Designs.<P>I give it [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image]<P>

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine