PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
52 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
163 lbs (74 kg) in weight
48 in (122 cm) girth (circumference around arms and chest)
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
Personal Hiking Page: http://www.imrisk.com
Trail name: Risk
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 1100 miles (1770 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: GoLite
Year Manufactured: 2004
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.golite.com/
MSRP: US$300
Listed Weight: 1 lb 13 oz (820 g) for trim medium size
Measured Weight: 1 lb 13.2 oz (828 g) including stuff sack, trim medium size
    (stuff sack is 0.8 oz (23 g) of that weight)
Listed length and girth of bag (from product tag):  72 x 60 in (183 x 152 cm)
Measured length and girth of bag: 74 x 60 in (188 x 152 cm)
REVIEW
For a detailed description of the Golite Feather sleeping bag, please see my Initial Report.

The bag is constructed of a nylon outer shell (Pertex Quantum with a durable water repellent coating according to the product information) and a polyester inner shell.  The insulation is 16.2 oz (460 g) of high loft goose down. The cut of the bag is mummy style with a girth (shoulder circumference) and a length as listed above. I applied the sizing information as contained on the GoLite website to choose one of the six sizes available and the bag fits me very nicely and comfortably.

The size of the bag has proved to be very well suited to use as a hammock quilt for winter use.  Almost always, I have used the bag with the zipper open and below my back in the hammock.  My hips or bottom have been well within the bag and there has been no discomfort from the zipper head.  The end of the zipper just never ends up in a position where it applies pressure, so a pressure point is never created by the zipper head.

The temperature rating of the bag seems conservative.  I am neither a cold sleeper or a warm sleeper.  Most sleeping bag temperature ratings have been accurate for my use in the past.  I have spent a number of warm nights in this bag, while the outside air temperature has dropped low.  The coldest night was a windless night when the temperature reached 12 F (-11 C). For that night, I was wearing a pair of thin wool pants, a sweater, wool socks, and a woolly hat.  I was sleeping in a bottom-insulated hammock with a wind blocking outer shell around the hammock and sleeping bag.  I was not chilly, cool, or uncomfortable.  I did emerge from my cocoon for an hour of sleeping in the bag on a hard shelter floor with no other covering, just to see how warm the bag was with no other protection.  Despite having to lie on a hard floor, I still slept well enough until the hard ground woke me after an hour.  I was not chilled at all.  However, for comfort, I went back to the hammock.  

The construction of the bag has proved to be of high quality.  I have had no seams which have popped, no problems with the zipper, and no problem with the hood arrangement when I have used it.  I have had no feather leaks, and there has been no tendency for any of the ends of feathers to poke through the Pertex Quantum or polyester cloth.  

For several warmer nights in the bag, I slept with a foot, or even two feet extended through the bottom of the bag to let moisture from my socks evaporate outside the hammock.  This is a great way to dry socks and a good way to not get overheated in mild temperatures.

I have tried to use the sleeping bag as a standard bag in my hammock.  Without surprise, it is difficult to snuggle down into the bag while lying in the hammock.  It works well enough when used in this manner, but the difficulty of getting inside the bag does not lead me to any further desire to snuggle into the bag.  Even at 12 F (-11 C) there was no need to have my cheeks covered with the bag except when I was lying on the shelter floor.  In this test outside the hammock, it was very comfortable to have the rest of the bag up and over my head and cheeks, with the draw cord closed down to a small opening for my mouth and nose.  

I have not continued to have any problem with snagging the material in the zipper.  Learning to be careful with zippers is part of hiking and camping.  A small amount of care in using the zipper has avoided any jamming of the zipper in the thin cloth of the bag's textile envelope.

In my initial report I said I would be interested in the following:
- How much temperature differential does the bag offer from my skin to the temperature of the outside of the bag?  (Not yet measured, but it is toasty warm.)
- What temperatures am I comfortable using the bag, from cool to cold? (I have used the bag in warm 50 F (10 C) nights, cool/windy 40 F (4 C) and down to very cold 12 F (-11 C) nights.  It has worked well in all these extremes.)
- How well does the foot flap work to dry socks and make me comfortable? (Works as advertised.)
- How well does the zipper work?  How can I best keep it from jamming? (Care is enough.  It is well designed.)
- How down proof is the fabric? (So far, completely down proof.)

What I like so far:
- Soft
- Warm
- Lightweight
- Easy to pack
- Fits me perfectly

Dislikes:
none!

FIELD CONDITIONS 
For the first two months of use, I have used the Feather bag for about ten overnight periods.  I have taken trips along the Mad River, and to Zaleski State Forest in Ohio.  In addition, I have used the bag in weather extremes on my farm.  I am a hammock camper, and have mainly used the bag in my camping hammock. As the winter progresses, I will use it for more overnight hiking and also for a number of snowy overnights.  This will result in my using the bag in several extremes of cold and wet.  For the Long Term reporting period, I plan to continue to use the bag to its temperature rating and a little below.  Altitudes will range from river valleys to mountain tops.