Feathered Pals Swallow YF 20 Overview

Backside Line

The Feathered Pals Swallow YF 20 and girls’s Egret YF 20 are a number of the highest-quality down sleeping luggage wherever. Their professional mix of light-weight design, inside softness, and excessive fill-power goose down makes for an opulent and heat mummy bag constructed for the backcountry. 

We’ve put these luggage by the wringer and so they proceed to carry out extremely nicely. 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 reduce that eliminates useless house so that you’ll keep as heat as a glowing ember all night time lengthy.

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

Heat

The Feathered Pals Swallow YF 20 is likely one of the few examples of a really correct producer temperature score. 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 saved us very heat. It options 900+ fill-power goose down, one of many highest high quality down fills obtainable, that makes for an exceptionally heat and comfortable night time of sleep. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer’s favourite function of the YF 20 is the large outsized draft tube, principally a down-filled barrier that blocks chilly air from seeping by the zipper. It’s greater and extra stuffed than most different premium luggage, and the distinction in heat is noticeable. Plus, the passive collar across the neck – principally, an space on the opening of the bag that’s overfilled with down – mixed with the mum hood and comfortable (however cozy) match – all however remove useless house to lure as a lot physique warmth as doable contained in the bag.

Our solely criticism relating to heat? The Swallow YF can truly be too sizzling for summer season hikes and hotter climates. Nonetheless, if the temps in your in a single day adventures don’t dip beneath 40°F to 45°F, Feathered Pals additionally provides this bag in a 30°F model that makes it much more versatile for hotter climates and sizzling summer season hikes. That mentioned, we nonetheless extremely advocate the 20°F mannequin. The decrease temp score 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 usually look ahead to the Swallow YF after an extended day of mountaineering. We have been impressed with the outsized draft tube alongside the zipper that nearly fully blocks out chilly air. Its plush loft is finest in school – we discover it loses construction a lot slower than rivals, 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 at midnight. The massive 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 matches extra snugly than quilt-style choices. This mannequin additionally packs small and is simple to hold, which is essential for preserving 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 twine on the hood – whereas helpful for sealing in heat – will be annoying to entry and modify through the night time as a consequence of it’s small dimension and exterior entry. And, mummy luggage aren’t essentially a terrific match for everybody – they’re unbelievable for warmth retention, however they’ll really feel restrictive to these used to the liberty of a quilt or when you toss and switch or change positions typically within the night time.

Weight & Packability

Lengthy-distance backpackers and ultralight aficionados will love this bag. At only 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. Due to responsibly sourced 900+ fill-power goose down – among the many highest quality obtainable – and ripstop artificial materials, this bag boasts among the finest warmth-to-weight ratios we’ve seen. This mix of supplies retains the load 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 rivals, even after dozens of occasions taking it out and placing it away, making it an superior alternative for folk who’re spending lots of time on path.

For people who need a fair lighter and barely extra packable bag, the Swallow and Egret additionally are available in ultralight variations, though they’re costlier. If finances 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 type. That mentioned, the YF model provides 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 sometimes, feathers can poke by the skin shell – which takes a little bit of time to reinsert them into the bag – and the light-weight shell is total extra vulnerable 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 Pals Swallow YF 20 units the usual for what we count on in a top-tier mummy bag. It has a big, contoured, 3D hood huge sufficient to accommodate a pillow and open huge to dump warmth and improve airflow on heat nights, however cinches tight when temperatures drop, making it versatile for eight months out of the 12 months. The passive collar – which provides additional fill across the neck, however not a completely separate piece of fabric like an everyday draft collar – helps lure 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 help you 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 comfy inside. Feathered Pals additionally features a storage bag and stuff sack for comfort.

The cons of the Swallow YF is that customized ordering can take a couple of weeks, so that you’ll wish to plan forward – though which means 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 looking for consolation and performance.

Ought to You Purchase the Feathered Pals Swallow YF 20?

The Feathered Pals Swallow YF 20 is ideal for long-distance backpackers and ultralight lovers 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 provides a light-weight design very best for backcountry adventures. Options like the big hood, snag-free zipper, passive collar, and trapezoidal footbox improve consolation and usefulness. 

Nonetheless, it is probably not appropriate for many who dislike the restrictive mummy bag type or want instant availability, as customized orders can take weeks. The dearth of a stash pocket for small objects and the comfortable match may additionally be drawbacks for some customers. Total, the Swallow YF 20 is finest for ultralight hikers looking for excessive efficiency and are prepared to attend for a customized product.

What Different Backpacking Sleeping Luggage Ought to You Think about?

Zpacks Basic 20 Overview: Just like the Swallow YF 20, the Basic 20 includes a excessive fill energy, low weight, and the same temperature score. However, it’s a terrific various because it’s extra packable – round 10 ounces lighter – and extra reasonably priced, plus it provides extra versatility throughout seasons as a quilt / sleeping bag hybrid.

NEMO Disco 15 Limitless Promise Overview: 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 when you’re on a finances because it’s extra reasonably priced, plus it provides extra room within the shoulders and footbox.

Sea To Summit Spark 15 Overview: The Spark 15 goes face to face with the Swallow YF 20 relating to 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.