Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
I'm looking to upgrade a down sleeping bag with a Dridown sleeping bag. Curious if anyone knows of any UL options out there? Also any word on how this coating impacts overall weight?
its a proprietary thing, so no cottage manufacturers. Also, as far as I'm aware in sleeping bags its only available in 600 fill form SD or in 700 fill from big anges, so that affects the weight more than the coating I would imagine.
Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
Zpacks has 850 fill dry down at no extra cost, their bags are super light too.
Z Packs apparently use Resist Down, a down wash treatment.DriDown and DownTek use a coating using nanotechnology to apply it.
I have not seen a test comparing the three...
BTW, since DriDown belongs to Sierra Designs I would expect that it will stay within the SD/Kelty/Slumberjack group , whilst Down Tek could be available to anyone , so far used by Big Agnes, Brooks-Range, EMS, L.L.Bean, Mountain Hardwear, Nemo, Mountain Designs, Reecho, Sea to Summit and Salewa
Thanks both Franco(always good hearing your pt of view) and Bubonicplay.
...any word on how this coating impacts overall weight?
That was initially one of my questions too. Supposedly, no significant wt difference. But I'm not totally filled in with all the specifics either. If Dri Down and Dry Tek are all they are advertised to be it could be revolutionary in my mind if applied to particular types of gear or under certain conditions. However, I think more presently-under-the-carpet info and level headed analysis over the longer term is in order, at least for me, before I trade in my regular down gear in favor of either of these treated down products. When I looked at the wt of regular untreated down compared to the wt of Dri Down in the same category in SD bags I saw little(less than 1 1/2 oz extra wt ) in the SD Dri Down bags.
It would seem odd to me if Dri Down or Dry Tek only comes in upto 700 down! Why? Why not also available in 800, 850 ,or 900? It would seem, if you owned a proprietary process for creating it, you could corner the market on the highest end treated down if that is truely the case. I've said it before here on WB and in other places and I think it's worth repeating - where is all this supposedly high end 800+ down suddenly coming from when just 2-3 short seasons ago there was supposedly a shortage of it? Have you seen all the supposedly high end down gear, again 750-800 +, that has FLOODED the market in the last 1 1/2 yr? Is this just the market responding to consumer preferences by advertising to the consumer what it wants to hear? Is one companies 800 down the same as another companies 800 down? I think not. I strongly suspect that just like sleeping bag temp ratings were not arrived at using the same universal procedures and standards a few yrs ago(before the EN standards were adopted) and therefore trying to make fair temp ratings comparisons were confusing if not impossible at that time comparing supposedly same level or quality down is misleading if not erroneous. All down is not the same even when comparing supposedly the same levels of down. I've seen(by opening up brand new gear and removing the down) supposedly same level down in various gear brands and can unequivocally state all down is definitely not of the same quality even when it is advertised as the same level of down. I've noticed you have to carefully read the labels as to what that particular brand or model gear is labeling/defining as down. I think what is currently defined as such and such level of down has recently been expanded to include other sources of down that may not have previously been included. IMHO, I think some fudging is going on in some of the advertising of current on the market down products! As an example, I saw a Kirkland Brand supposedly 800 down jacket priced at around $50(regional prices may differ) at Costco the other day. Is the advertising world expecting me to believe that Kirkland Brand garment 800 down TRUELY of the same quality as the 800 down in a WM, Valandre, or Feathered Friends sleeping bag? Uh, I don't think so!
Paul at Underground Quilts uses "Resist" down. http://www.undergroundquilts.com
Thanks for that link Cadenza. I like the advertising at the website.
Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
Zpacks has some research posted on their site about their water resistant down.
good find ..........Originally Posted by Cadenza
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
Oops. First time posting with the phone app and posted by accident. It looks like DWR coating. With the coating it absorbs 5.2% less water. I'm not sure that it would make a significant difference.
Lukabrazi, killed more people than cancer! Thanks for the beta. How did you get that name? Or should I not ask?
Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
If I told you how I got that name they would put me in jail... Or something like that.
Yeah, I just found out the same thing. Does 5-6 % less absorption of moisture in down really all that significant for the majority of down users or under the majority of applications? Though, it could POSSIBLY make a significant difference when added up CUMULATIVELY(in day after day long term use) in some gear kit set-ups in LONGER winter or wet weather hiking conditions. Is the nanopolymer, the words being applied to the stuff that coats untreated down, and suddenly making it labeled as DriDown, which sounds real technical and advanced, simply another DWR, that can eventually break down, degrade, or be washed out of the down? It makes me say Humm? I think it's quite possible, I'm still missing something(s) with the whole present day down thing and the Down Tek/Dri Down picture. I invite comments, possible insights, and corrections. Help!
Any Cottage Companies using DriDown?
Right now the only piece of gear that I want to upgrade is my sleeping bag and your points about this new tech. are what's holding me up. Im trying to decide if its worth waiting for something lightweight with Dridown. I guess I need to sit down and try to do some serious research about it. I dont remember seeing a data sheet at the Dridown site. I'll have to do a search over at Backpackinglight after work and see if its been discussed at all. For me it seems that if it works as good as they say, adds no significant amount of weight, and is inexpensive to do, then I don't want to buy another untreated down bag.
Not worth it IMO, natural down without a coating will last longer.
natural down without a coating will last longer
how do you know that ?
Or was it meant to be "my guess is that natural down without a coating will last longer" ?
Katabatic claims to use 850 hydrophobic down in their quilts and hoods.
Katabatic are using down from Allied Feathers so it is the same type Z Pack use, the one I mentioned in post 4.Not to be confused with DriDown or DownTek
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
