Bag hunt

[sbennett3705]

If your primary concern is warmth, not price, weight or bulk, your tables do not reveal the number one concern which is loft height. Does not matter what fill type, higher loft is warmer. My Versalite is about 3", and I think I need to go to 3 1/2"

Good point. WM lists the Versalite as 6” of loft, very impressive. FF does not list the lofts of their bags and I can’t find this data point in any reviews. Based on the Raven’s fill weight I’d guess the loft would be similar. What helped sway me to the Raven is the shoulder dimension, I’m a broader shoulder side sleeper and often wear a puffy when it’s cold; too narrow and the down gets compressed.

[CAMERONM]

@freestone: same here. A 10 deg bag for me is 30 deg. I take the down pants if I think it will go below 20 degrees. All this with the usual proviso that under 30 deg I must also shift to an insulated pad.

[tahoefoothills]

I believe you have done your research. I have the Feathered Friends Swift, which I purchased in 2013. It has been a great sleeping bag. I've slept through some cold nights in the Sierra in late October and stayed comfortable. I think you will be happy with the Raven. Feathered Friends has really good customer service based on my experience. I think they will add some additional down when you order it, if you're interested.

[Snowtrout]

I would say that Feathered Friends bags are very accurate to their degree ratings. I inherited my wife's 2014 20 degree Egret with +2oz of down added (making it a 15 degree women's bag) when she decided she wanted the FF Petrel (she sleeps cold). For me, the Egret needs the zipper fairly open around 35 degrees (too hot) and I've been comfortable into the low 20's all zippered up. For my wife, she has had no concerns at all about getting cold with the Petrel.

Another thing to consider, the YF shell material on the FF bags is pretty tough for how lightweight it is. It has held up great against the claws of our two doxies, who often migrate at night from their bag into ours.

If you sleep real cold or looking for a shoulder season bag, the Raven should work well for you. You could also consider getting the Swift and adding 1-2oz overfill to push the bag down to 15 degrees. Either way, you will be happy with a FF bag.

[sbennett3705]

Just closing the topic with a revised comparison. I ended up favoring a 10 degree bag with a wider cut, the FF Raven. Unlike some of their other models it has a full collar. I’ll check back after a couple of trips.

[sparky]

I have a WM alder, it is not the lightest bag they make but its pretty damn light. I like it because it is rectangular not a mummy bag since I sleep on my back, side, or stomach, I need to be able to roll around a bit. I usually use it in "blanket mode" and just wrap myself up in it and it works fantastic

[sbennett3705]

So, I’ve gotten a couple of trips under my belt and have some feedback on the FF Raven 10 degree YF. This feedback is from winter desert hiking in the Southwest, nighttime lows 30’s-40’s.

Overall build quality: excellent. Materials, workmanship, stitching are all first rate.

Shell material: I opted for the YF material instead of UL. It’s a bit heavier than UL but so comfortable, feels great on the skin. It’s water resistant and wipes clean very easily.

Temperature rating and fill: seems accurate, plenty of 900 fill down. It’s a warm bag, partly due to the addition of the neck draft collar.

Fit: I’m 6’, 185 lbs. and found the 72” length plenty long enough. Generous room in the shoulders to wear a puffy without compressing it. I’m a side sleeper and rolled all night without the bag fighting me.

Hood: both good and bad. The hood is large enough and shaped correctly, the tensioner provides a tight fit. However, the neck draft collar has its own tensioner which, when pulled, cuts directly across your mouth, so I didn’t use it. When it gets really cold and you want to maximize warmth, this is a critical miss.

Zipper: better than expected. The zipper operates smoothly and they’ve added stiffening tape to the seam which resists snagging. Probably got this idea from WM, but heck, it works.

Stuff size: they claim 11 liters, but it’s a tight fit. Plan on a tight squeeze into your pack. The provided stuff sack is not waterproof, only water resistant. The provided cotton storage sack is a nice touch.

Cost: see my spreadsheet above, good value of down per dollar. I don’t scrimp on the big three: pack, shelter or sleep system, so the price was acceptable. Note: they don’t typically run deals or specials, the price is the price. I respect this.

Overall: a generous fit and overfilled 10 degree bag for cold side sleepers. It’s a bit bulky and adds some additional ounces. But a good nights sleep is definitely worth it.