Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Gear Reviews Feathered Friends Ibis Cold Weather Sleeping Bag.

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. <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 <P>

Rick... I have friends who own Feathered Friends bags... I've looked carefully at them, and don't think they stack up to Western Mountaineering. I currently own two USA made Marmot/Gore-Tex bags from the early to mid 1980's... they're pretty nice. I also currently have a Western Mtng. "Antelope Super Dryloft" (with overfill). I HAD a "Dakota Super Goretex" from the early 90's that started to delaminate in the hood section. Western replaced it with the Antelope (at my request) for no charge. I personally don't think there is a finer made sleeping bag than Western Mountaineering. They are much "loftier" than Feathered Friends... The other bags you mentioned are OK, but all are foreign made now... granted Western Mtng. bags are a bit more money, but are US made, and quite simply THE BEST! Thier customer service and quality is outstanding... as you can tell, I'm a TB (true-believer)!<P>My 2cents,<P>Brad

Brad:<P>I have a WM Kodiak Super with overfill, and I find it to be a much superior bag to the FF. If you check out the tent article in the Backpacking section (check the nav bar), you can see both bags in some of the click-to images. <P>The only thing I prefer about the FF is the draft collar. With the WM I feel the string cinched around my neck. With the FF, I don't. Other than that, the WM is hands down superior in every way, and everytime the zipper catches on the FF, I am reminded of such!<P>Another thing I noticed is that the FF is pretty liberally rated. My Ibis is supposedly a zero-degree bag, I was a bit nippy in Colorado when the temperatures dipped into the teens, much less single digits or sub-zero. By contrast, the WM seems to be good for its rated temp and beyond. With overfill, my Kodiak is rated at -5. I would feel safe pushing it another ten degrees, no problem.<P>I'm with you. WM are some kinda bags! And that Antelope Super is an all-time classic, for sure!<P>Congrats.<P>Rick