Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20 Assessment

Backside Line

The Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20 and girls’s Egret YF 20 are among the highest-quality down sleeping luggage anyplace. Their knowledgeable mix of light-weight design, inside softness, and excessive fill-power goose down makes for an expensive and heat mummy bag constructed for the backcountry. 

We’ve put these luggage by the wringer and so they proceed to carry out extremely effectively. We’ve taken them on powerful journeys in chilly and moist circumstances together with 20-degree nights and snowy hikes within the Cascades, Rockies, and Sonoran Desert. They function a beneficiant draft tube, draft collar, and a fitted lower that eliminates useless area so that you’ll keep as heat as a glowing ember all night time lengthy.

Regardless of the excessive worth, these luggage are price each penny in case your precedence is heat, consolation, and low weight on path. High quality like this positively doesn’t come low cost, however a heat night time’s sleep within the backcountry when temperatures drop is priceless.

Heat

The Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20 is likely one of the few examples of a very correct producer temperature ranking. In different phrases, we’ve trusted this bag on beneath freezing nights within the Nevada desert and snowy circumstances in Colorado excessive nation, and these luggage stored us very heat. It options 900+ fill-power goose down, one of many highest high quality down fills out there, that makes for an exceptionally heat and cozy night time of sleep. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer’s favourite function of the YF 20 is the large outsized draft tube, mainly a down-filled barrier that blocks chilly air from seeping by the zipper. It’s greater and extra crammed than most different premium luggage, and the distinction in heat is noticeable. Plus, the passive collar across the neck – mainly, an space on the opening of the bag that’s overfilled with down – mixed with the mum hood and cushty (however cozy) match – all however remove useless area to entice as a lot physique warmth as attainable contained in the bag.

Our solely criticism in the case of heat? The Swallow YF can truly be too scorching for summer time hikes and hotter climates. Nevertheless, if the temps in your in a single day adventures don’t dip beneath 40°F to 45°F, Feathered Buddies additionally affords this bag in a 30°F model that makes it much more versatile for hotter climates and scorching summer time hikes. That mentioned, we nonetheless extremely suggest the 20°F mannequin. The decrease temp ranking is healthier for early spring to late fall temperature fluctuations, and even delicate winter journeys. 

Consolation

In case your high precedence is consolation, then your search may finish with the Swallow YF 20. This bag is among the many softest and coziest luggage we examined, and we often look ahead to the Swallow YF after a protracted day of climbing. We have been impressed with the outsized draft tube alongside the zipper that just about fully blocks out chilly air. Its plush loft is greatest in school – we discover it loses construction a lot slower than opponents, even after dozens of occasions packing and unpacking on the path. Its clean, easy-to-use zipper makes getting out and in of the bag a breeze, even in the dead of night. The big hood simply accommodates a high quality backpacking pillow. 

And, regardless of being a mummy bag, we discover the Swallow YF is spacious sufficient to maneuver round with out feeling confined – though it’s nonetheless a mummy bag, so it suits extra snugly than quilt-style choices. This mannequin additionally packs small and is straightforward to hold, which is crucial for conserving weight down within the backcountry.

The draw back is the fabric will be loud, particularly when it’s new, which is a little bit of a trouble for gentle sleepers. We additionally discover the cinch wire on the hood – whereas helpful for sealing in heat – will be annoying to entry and regulate in the course of the night time because of it’s small measurement and exterior entry. And, mummy luggage aren’t essentially an incredible match for everybody – they’re unbelievable for warmth retention, however they will really feel restrictive to these used to the liberty of a quilt or if you happen to toss and switch or change positions typically within the night time.

Weight & Packability

Lengthy-distance backpackers and ultralight aficionados will love this bag. At just one pound, 12.7 ounces for males and 1 pound, 13 ounces for ladies, the Swallow YF ranks solidly in the course of the pack in comparison with different backpacking sleeping luggage we examined. Because of responsibly sourced 900+ fill-power goose down – among the many very best quality out there – and ripstop artificial materials, this bag boasts probably the greatest warmth-to-weight ratios we’ve seen. This mixture of supplies retains the burden down whereas guaranteeing the bag packs small for straightforward carrying over enormous distances. And we discover that when unpacked, the Swallow YF fluffs up properly in comparison with opponents, even after dozens of occasions taking it out and placing it away, making it an superior selection for people who’re spending a number of time on path.

For people who need an excellent lighter and barely extra packable bag, the Swallow and Egret additionally are available in ultralight variations, though they’re dearer. If funds isn’t a priority, these are our high suggestions for knocking your base weight down with out sacrificing efficiency or heat. Plus, they arrive in alternate colorways that can higher match your fashion. That mentioned, the YF model affords superior worth: it’s simply 1.7 ounces heavier, however fairly a bit much less spendy.

The draw back of ultralight supplies is that they aren’t as sturdy as luggage made with heavier shells or heartier fills, so they might put on out quicker over prolonged use. We’ve discovered that often, feathers can poke by the surface shell – which takes a little bit of time to reinsert them into the bag – and the light-weight shell is general extra liable to rips and tears than thicker luggage. You’ll wish to watch out particularly on floor with pine needles, brambles, and rocks. And, the high-quality down requires a bit extra care and a spotlight to keep up versus lower-grade down or artificial choices, though with minimal effort, this bag will final for years and years.

Options

The Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20 units the usual for what we anticipate in a top-tier mummy bag. It has a big, contoured, 3D hood broad sufficient to accommodate a pillow and open broad to dump warmth and improve airflow on heat nights, however cinches tight when temperatures drop, making it versatile for eight months out of the yr. The passive collar – which provides further fill across the neck, however not a wholly separate piece of fabric like an everyday draft collar – helps entice warmth and keep heat.

Likewise, the trapezoidal footbox doesn’t compress the edges, and offers a bit of additional room on your toes to relaxation naturally. Steady baffles mean you can manually reposition insulation the place wanted to make sure a tailor-made heat distribution. We just like the snag-free zipper with locking sliders for straightforward use, and a big, beneficiant draft tube retains chilly air on the zipper, sustaining a comfortable inside. Feathered Buddies additionally features a storage bag and stuff sack for comfort.

The cons of the Swallow YF is that customized ordering can take a number of weeks, so that you’ll wish to plan forward – though meaning you’ll get precisely the product you need. This mannequin doesn’t have an inner or exterior stash pocket for small objects like a chapstick or keys, which is a bit inconvenient. Nonetheless, the Swallow YF 20 stays a feature-rich choice for backcountry adventurers in search of consolation and performance.

Ought to You Purchase the Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20?

The Feathered Buddies Swallow YF 20 is ideal for long-distance backpackers and ultralight fanatics who want a excessive warmth-to-weight ratio and glorious packability. At 1 pound, 12.7 ounces for males and 1 pound, 13 ounces for ladies, it affords a light-weight design superb for backcountry adventures. Options like the big hood, snag-free zipper, passive collar, and trapezoidal footbox improve consolation and usefulness. 

Nevertheless, it might not be appropriate for many who dislike the restrictive mummy bag fashion or want rapid availability, as customized orders can take weeks. The shortage of a stash pocket for small objects and the cosy match may additionally be drawbacks for some customers. Total, the Swallow YF 20 is greatest for ultralight hikers in search of excessive efficiency and are prepared to attend for a customized product.

What Different Backpacking Sleeping Baggage Ought to You Take into account?

Zpacks Traditional 20 Assessment: Just like the Swallow YF 20, the Traditional 20 incorporates a excessive fill energy, low weight, and the same temperature ranking. However, it’s an incredible various because it’s extra packable – round 10 ounces lighter – and extra inexpensive, plus it affords extra versatility throughout seasons as a quilt / sleeping bag hybrid.

NEMO Disco 15 Limitless Promise Assessment: The Disco 15 is a mummy bag just like the Swallow YF 20, with comparable consolation and options like a hod, draft tube, and full-length zipper. Though it’s fairly a bit heavier, the Disco is a greater choice if you happen to’re on a funds because it’s extra inexpensive, plus it affords extra room within the shoulders and footbox.

Sea To Summit Spark 15 Assessment: The Spark 15 goes face to face with the Swallow YF 20 in the case of consolation, options, and weight. However, it is a little more snug and heat due to its  wider center part and extra slim hood, however you’ll pay extra for it.