My Feathered Friends Egret UL 20 sleeping bag arrived from Seattle today a fortnight after I first ordered it. There it was, an inocuous brown package, awaiting me on my work desk as I walked through the door this morning. Needless to say I had the scissors out to secure the bag's immediate - but careful - release the moment I was seated.
Comparing the fabric:
The bag is, at first inspection, of a higher quality than the Sea to Summit Traverse XtII bag. The fabric of the Egret UL 20 appears to have a tighter smoother weave to it. The non waterproof inner is particularly softer. There is also more reinforced double stitch around not just the zipper like the XtII but also the inner baffle as well as the inner and outer boxing of the hood. The XtII has velcro at the top of the zipper and in the footbox, something I have never liked. There is no velcro on the Egret UL 20. Conversely the press stud and hood draw cord do not seem as sturdy as the XtII. The Egret UL 20 has only one draw cord to the XtII's two, but the I prefer the do hickey on the Egret UL 20's draw cord. It appears easier to pinch between two fingers than the little ball on the XtII.
The Egret UL 20 draw cord:
The Egret UL 20 has a footbox 22cm deep compared to the XtII which is only 16cm. There is no zip through the footbox so it cannot be opened as with the XtII and therefore sacrifices some versatility for greater heat efficiency and weight savings. The down in the footbox seems to loft better without the zipper compressing it. Additional down appears also to have been included in the footbox.
Sea to Summit Traverse XtII (left) and Feathered Friends Egret UL 20 (right):
The zip baffle is appreciably plumper as well although the strip of material under the zipper is noiser. The XtII has a thicker neck baffle however this does not necessarily make it more comfortable. The Egret UL 20's continuous horizontal baffles allowed movement of down to wherever it is needed including from front to back. The XtII lacks this versatility.
Inside the Egret UL 20 I have the room to draw one leg up on both my back and side. I can only draw my knee up on my side in the XtII and with far less room. The roomier footbox is also noticeable.
The Egret UL 20 did appear to have better lofting when compared side by side on the floor however this comparison was made within an hour after my compressing the Egret UL 20 into its stuff sack to be weighed while the XtII had been in its far more sizeable storage bag.
A comparison of the manufacturer's specifications is contained in an earlier blog.
Weighing only 805 grams without its 22 gram stuff sack, my new sleep system has been reduced from 1460 grams to 940 grams for a (not so) measly cost of AUD $676.
I cannot wait to try the Feathered Friends Egret UL 20 in the coming weeks.
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