Hi All
My new down jacket is letting tiny fine feathers out through the stitch-holes. Is this normal, a short-term thing that will stop before it's empty, or have I bought a duffer?
All your expert opinions appreciated, TIA.

Sound's like it's got bird flu to me!

My Rab sheds the odd feather, but not that many, so I'm not really that worried about it. Just how many are you loosing.

Just an estimate, I reckon there are about a hundred sitting on the outer shell, or poking though the stitch-holes. They are very fine, about 15mm long, not the curly things that make up the bulk of the fill. My M-I-L says they are pin-feathers, for what it's worth, they look like the fluffy end-bits of marabou I use in fly-tying. Maybe they are the bits caught up by the needle/thread during manufacture? Had the jacket 6 days, worn twice indoors so far.

Your house cold then? Do you live in an igloo? 8¬)

Seriously though, I think I'd be worried. Three down garments in this house no more than a few bits of down (stitched into seams) have escaped from 2 of them (over 1 year old) none from the brand spanking new one (worn OUTDOORS ~ six times).

What make is it?

I'd be tempted to ping the manufacturer an email and ask if this is normal.

FWIW my Mountain Equipment sleeping bag sheds feathers quite a bit - but my Rab bag and Rab jacket dont.

Si

Both of my down jackets leak feathers, especially my old RAB one (circa early 90's). It used to concern me, but since I dont wear them all that much I'm not that bothered. I think its normal though?

Macsen:
Igloo? - nearly - I've had the front door off today so the frame can be fixed. Took the opportunity to test-fit the jacket over my salopettes, unable to do this in the shop.

Si:
It's a Lowe Alpine Polarworld 80/20 down/feather 600-fill, if that helps. So, it's not top-of -the-range Rab quality, but not a cheapy either.

I've got a couple of down jackets - my North Face ones loses the odd little feather every month or so - my 'el cheapo' one from TKMax loses about 6 or 7 a week - but a 100! - I'd take it back to the retailer.

Doors? Doors? (there's an echo in here) How can you afford such luxuries.
When I were a lad we 'ad to mek do wi'.
I'm sure you know the rest.

A hundred! Think I'd be temped to take Si's advice, and contact Lowe Alpine.

Lowe were really good when I contacted them with a question about some stuff I had a problem with.

Worth a try?

Si

I'll e-mail them later. Thanks, folks.

I too worry about the moulting down garments phenomenon - my Marmot Helium bag loses a ton of feathers and if you use the thing a lot (I did every night for 6 months) it seems like the thing must be losing some of its performance.

Trouble is you don't see performance loss happening before your eyes. It's like sleeping on the same mattress for 20 years, you're not aware of it deteriorating, but one day you get up, a spring goes ping and you realise the damn thing's as flat as a pancake.

100 feathers at at time does seem like a lot though. The other thing to remember is that most down gear comprises feathers as well as down and it's normally only the larger feathers that pop out, which should mean there's plenty of the soft stuff left inside, but I don't know though....

Your first port of call should be to take it back to the shop you bought it from, even if you no longer have the reciept, you should have a bank statement right?.

The thing is, you heve enterd into a contract with the retailer and not the manufacturer(?), so its not for Lowe to say just yet.

Our down products leak small feathers to, its down to the outer fabric being of a certain thick-ness, the timberland jacket and gillet leak far more than the MTN Equipment ever has.

Best of luck.
M