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View Full Version : I'm allergic to down,,,, but have questions?



Big Dawg
03-22-2009, 11:40
I've never really considered buying a down sleeping bag b/c of my allergic reaction to down pillows,,, super stuffy nose mostly. I would love to have the benefits of a down bag,, more compressible & lighter. My question is regarding the quality of the down in standard pillows found at dept.stores versus 850 down found in high-end bags. Wondering if premium down in sleeping bags are of a different standard/quality & w/ possibly less allergic properties. Anyone have any experience w/ this?

jlb2012
03-22-2009, 11:52
well I have heard (ie rumor range stuff) that the allergy is really due to feathers and not down thus high quality down which has next to no feathers does not cause an allergic reaction

personally I had a mild allergy to down that went away after using the bag for a while - no big deal since I often will take a generic antihistamine as a sleep aid

Big Dawg
03-22-2009, 13:05
I thought feathers & down was the same stuff. So I wonder if most pillows are made w/ feathers?, hence the allergic reaction. I can certainly remember lil feathers coming out of the pillow from time to time,,,, hmmmmm.

mweinstone
03-22-2009, 13:49
im allergic to feathers and i use down. my bags are marmot 900 and have the eq waterproof coating. if my bag gets a hole, i wake up with a sore, bleeding, stuffed nose and kill everyone. if they remaine sealed and only the ocaisional bit comes out ,i.e, one bit per three weeks, then im perfectly fine. as in purrrrrfectly!( catwoman) my bags are actually a revelutionary new type that are not plucked they come liveing and follow me each day as i walk then swoop down when they see me getting drowsy and form the bag. in the mornong i whistle a special whistle and they fly ahead and wait . i never carry my bags any more.

Feral Bill
03-22-2009, 13:51
A recent thread about buying bulk down lead to a site where the seller explained that their down had multiple washes and was not allergenic. I've heard this before. Down pillows, or low quality may have all kinds of impurities that cause allegic reactions. Maybe you could buy a high end down bag from a dealer with a money back guaranty and see what happens. Good luck.

jb-
03-22-2009, 18:01
Many medical websites suggest feathers normally carry mold or dust mites that cause the allergic reactions. With that said, there are still people who are allergic to both feathers and down.

I recently gave away a feather mattress due to allergies, then found out about the above facts afterwards. After thinking back to other times I've slept on regular couches and beds that are known to carry those dust/mold allergens, often times at young folks houses who don't clean properly, I remember having the same allergic reaction. Therefore, I plan to buy a WM Ultralite Super and hope for the best. The options to return or sell it to somebody else are there if it doesn't work out.

Franco
03-22-2009, 22:11
Down and feathers.
If it has barbules and hooklets, then it is a feather, if it looks a bit like a snow flake/cotton ball , no shape or structure, then it's down. The higher quality sleeping bags have 90-95% down and the rest is something called semi-plume or filo plume or just feathers. (come to think of it I would hate to get a job sorting them out)

I suspect that most are allergic to the mites and bugs that may survive cleaning/washing in pillows and blankets and also some bags. Some are allergic to the best down too (apparently) .
Maybe go to your local shop and see if you can find a WM/Montbell or some other high quality bag and have a good sniff.
Franco

MedicineMan
03-22-2009, 22:26
my father was big time allergic...but many good points above. I sleep under down every day of the year....I just by necessity keep the quilt away from my mouth/eyes/nose and listen to HOI, quality of down is a big factor...while your deciding practice some homeopathy and desensitize yourself :)
While thinking about it, it is said that people are not allergic to cat hair but the proteins in their saliva that get deposited onto the hair when they are cleaning......

theinfamousj
03-23-2009, 00:05
Rent a down bag for a weekend shakedown and bring along the Benadryl. That's the best way to find out. Turns out, I can handle a down bag just fine, and now can even handle feather pillows. My allergy seems to have disappeared with exposure to the allergen. (Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?)

Best of luck to you in your sleeping bag quest. There are some nice synthetic bags that are ALMOST as light and compressible as down. The differences in between high end down and high end synthetic bags are not as vast as at the lower end of quality.

jb-
03-23-2009, 00:25
Maybe hikers smell so bad it scares the little critters away? ;)

Big Dawg
03-23-2009, 07:40
I own TNF Cat's Meow & Flight, so looking for down to lower packable volume & weight. What I'll probably end up doing is buying a down bag from REI,, that way if the allergic reaction is too severe, returning will be no problem. Sounds like I might be alright though.

Turtlehiker
03-23-2009, 10:12
Down pillows and blankets kill my allergies but I always sleep in down bags on the trail. I have never had a problem. Like others have said I think it is the quality of the down that makes the difference.

skinewmexico
03-23-2009, 10:32
Buy a WM bag, and if it doesn't work, people will line up to buy it. Although just borrowing one for a weekend would probably cause less brain damage.