View Full Version : Down leaking from bag!?
Morning Glory
05-21-2011, 10:19
I just purchased a Big Agnes Zirkel bag a couple of months ago. I've slept in it a total of 7 nights. Early on, I noticed a few stray feathers. However, now there are feathers everywhere. I've checked it very carefully for rips, but it seems like there are several areas where the down is escaping through the seams. Is this common? This is my first down bag.
Toolshed
05-21-2011, 10:41
For reference, I own only down bags, my first being a 1983 -40.
In cheaper bags that I have had for 20 + years, I see more plumes coming thru the aged nylon. In newer bags, I would expect a plume or two everytime I use the bag, but not coming through the seams and not more than a couple when I use the bag. Call BA and ask them. there might be a blown seam, a "not completely closed seam", or there could be feathers that were not in the bag, but caught in the seam during sewing and they are breaking free (doubtful).
You'll get some feathers that work themselves out but it shouldn't be dramatic. Makes me wonder since problems with chronic shedding are most likely due to lower quality feathers being used or diluted with. You'd hope not.
I'd call Big Agnes and file a complaint if you're unhappy. Also ask them if their down sleeping bags are tested and meet the standards set by The International Down and Feather Bureau (http://www.idfb.net/)
I just purchased a Big Agnes Zirkel bag a couple of months ago. I've slept in it a total of 7 nights. Early on, I noticed a few stray feathers. However, now there are feathers everywhere. I've checked it very carefully for rips, but it seems like there are several areas where the down is escaping through the seams. Is this common? This is my first down bag.You don't say wether this was purchased new or used, however a new purchase for this bag would not be cheap:http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Bag/zirkel20 Containing 800 premium goose down one would want to equate with quality. If bought new I would return it to them for replacement:-?
I just purchased a Big Agnes Zirkel bag a couple of months ago. I've slept in it a total of 7 nights. Early on, I noticed a few stray feathers. However, now there are feathers everywhere. I've checked it very carefully for rips, but it seems like there are several areas where the down is escaping through the seams. Is this common? This is my first down bag.
You don't say wether this was purchased new or used, however a new purchase for this bag would not be cheap:http://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Bag/zirkel20 Containing 800 premium goose down one would want to equate with quality. If bought new I would return it to them for replacement:-?There actually appear to be two different models of the BA Zirkel. The regular Zirkel has 725 down fill:http://www.backcountry.com/store/review/38990/Big-Agnes-Zirkel.html and the Zirkel SL has 800 fill.
Morning Glory
05-21-2011, 20:55
There actually appear to be two different models of the BA Zirkel. The regular Zirkel has 725 down fill:http://www.backcountry.com/store/review/38990/Big-Agnes-Zirkel.html and the Zirkel SL has 800 fill.
I purchased it new, from an Ebay store. Mine is the 800 down fill.
Toolshed
05-21-2011, 21:02
An E-Bay Store? Did you get a smoking hot deal? I wonder if it was a Manufacturer or factory second? A factory second being an item not exactly "first quality" - usually with with a cosmetic flaw or crooked stitching or something of that nature, which usually doesn't affect performance.
Are there any handmade marks or holes punched in the "Materials" tag on the bag? If so, you may be out of luck. If not, perhaps it is first quality. I cannot see a BA bag being targeted for counterfitting (at least not like Patagonia or TNF)
mweinstone
05-21-2011, 21:06
its perfectly normal. a billion things contribute to the lessening of this over time. some such things to concider are:
some idiot bought it and returned it only after way overstuffing it into too small of a bag blowing out feathers thru seams that may or may not be damaged
the bag will always loose some fethers, but more than an acceptable amount, such as an amount causeing sneezing and mess. due to cheap construction or, a lemon in a batch
you are unacustomed to a new bag, down in general, the science of sewing and filling down products and their acossiated governing laws and tags.
most likely the bag has suffered dammage at the hands of humans. they are inspected and leave the factory fairly well leakproofed, cleaned and feather free. the acid test is if your black underware is covered with feathers after a single night. or if the vacume cleaner bag is predominantly feather white fluffy stuff after sleeping in the bag on your bed a while.
Use synthetic. Avoid this issue. Quest Eagles Peak Mummy Bag is good.
bikebum1975
05-24-2011, 21:37
Seems to be a common thing with down stuff anyways got a vest that a few feathers come out from time to time. No biggie to me.
Seems to be a common thing with down stuff anyways got a vest that a few feathers come out from time to time. No biggie to me.I think someone on here said when it happens to not pull them out but to try to push them back in or the problem will get worse:-?
Correct. When down or a feather pokes through the shell of your bag, reach around from behind and pinch the fabric and pull the down/feather back into the bag. You may have to do this several times before you're able to succeed, but this is the correct way to remedy the situation. If you just pull it out of the bag, often another plum or feather will follow, etc., etc. You can also weaken the the fabric at the place you pulled the entire plum/feather out, leading to more leakage.
I think that I've always got a tiny bit of leakage - jackets and bags - it's ok - duct tape is a fine field repair if you find the hole
Pedaling Fool
06-18-2011, 19:45
Maybe you can get some replacement down from NYC http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110617/od_nm/us_geese_newyork
Airport geese to be cooked for poor
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City plans to capture pesky geese that threaten planes departing area airports and send them to Pennsylvania to be cooked for meals for the poor, city officials said.
The plan is aimed at avoiding incidents like the forced landing of a U.S. Airways plane in the Hudson River in January 2009 after a flock of errant geese were caught in the engine during takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.
Mass culls to clear the geese from the area were authorized after the National Transportation Safety Board positively identified the remains of Canada geese in the engine of the aircraft.
The city will pay for the capture and transport of the geese to facilities in Pennsylvania where they will be distributed to Pennsylvania food banks, a spokesman for the city's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said.
"Rather than disposing of them in landfills, we wanted to make sure they do not go to waste," the spokesman said.
According to the DEP, no suitable locations could be found in New York that were willing to take the geese as donations.
Officials are currently surveying the New York area for large concentrations of geese.
Last summer, efforts to collect and gas thousands of geese were met with angry protests from animal rights activists.
skinewmexico
06-18-2011, 20:27
Not sure I've ever seen any down leak from my WM. In fact, 800 down shouldn't really have any feathers to leak.