Flicker

[kevin_t]

Here are my thoughts now that I have spent several nights and one that was 20 - 21 degrees as well as a few other 20 degree and few ranging toward 40. Overall , I like it, but there are a few things that are just personal preference etc. It is fine , for me at 20 degrees, so I would say it is very true to temp. I do get small cold spots side sleeping , mostly due to being a pretty narrow fit, but as I get in summer shape I suspect those will go away. I don't care for the center zip actually, which I was sort of surprised at. For me , center zip is sort of an all or nothing proposition. This is not a big deal, because I just orient on the side like a normal bag. The zipper has maybe a feature or a failure which is that it runs really smoothly, which is great. It may run too smooth if you are using it as a quilt / partially zipped , it can come un done. For as smooth as the zipper operates, it can snag a bit on the collar , which is probably due to girth / stress more than anything. Overall, I think it is warmer than comparable quilts i have used, and offers more function, but it also has a few quirks. I suspect I will use it a pretty fair amount, as my go to in temps above mid 20's. Below mid 20's , I am not sure. I have a Marmot that is rated warmer, but if it is actually warmer it is like only a couple degrees. The difference is the Marmot is bigger so I can wear more clothing underneath to push it a bit further, however I will be making a couple modifications to the Marmot for better colder weather performance. My giving it a 20 degree test on the flicker was really just jammy style sleeping, no jackets, long johns etc or anything.

On another note: Angie and I got a FF penguin as a dual sleeping bag (20 degree also). It is not the lightest solo option by any means , but is very comfy. As a dual bag it is really nice and honestly only 4.5 lbs fully configured and a bit over $600 so if you look at it as a dual it is pretty nice and not bad price to performance. As a single its 2lb 14 which is not horrible (big /long version). Once again, slept in it to 20 and was fine, maybe just barely feeling a chill. It is roomy enough that I suspect I could add layers and use the hood and get it to near single digits without issue. As a dual bag it is sub 4 lbs without the hoods. In that regard, the weight to performance and price (barely over $500 sans hoods) is excellent.

One other note, just a personal one. Nothing beats down for warmth and longevity. While synthetic may have a few small advantages / namely cost / and maybe wet climate /care sort of stuff I just don't see any synthetic coming close to a decent to good down bag. Once again , that is highly personal.

[Camber]

Really appreciate the review Kevin. Interesting that you feel it meets its 20 degree rating as many other 20 degree quilts out there seem to have less down filling in them. Makes me wonder, as if I invest in a down quilt I really want it to make it to 20

[kevin_t]

I would agree. Other down quits I have had rated to 20 were really comfortable to 30 usually sometimes not even that

Personally I have practically 0 use for a 30 degree .

I see no problem in going warmer on rating . The 20 degree solid rating is only a given if I am in good shape. Meaning if I am wet , cold , hungry , excessively sweaty it's not a 20 degree

Depends on your style and environment. Obviously if I was in Texas I would probably have 0 use for a 20 degree


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[AK Troutbum]

Just curious Kevin, have you ever tried a EE down quilt? If so, what were your thoughts on it?

[floorguy]

Kevin worked with EE to make the draft dodger a revelation with a draft collar didn't really take off though he made some vids of it that might be around.

[kevin_t]

I can't comment on the recent EE as the baffle design is different. The ones I had were well made , and yes we collaborated on the draft dodger. In the long run, I was not a fan of the Kero baffles used in temps below mid thirties , although I had some times I pushed it further with good results . While I think the EE quilts can work well especially using the pad strap system personally I change pads often so I prefer something with out reliance on the pad. With quilts I believe more width is better at reducing drafts and don't skimp to much. Personally , I slept great in the EE quilts in warmer temps and quality was good but I prefer something I can fully enclose when temps drop though drafts were not always the issue. I'd look at loft and baffle design most of the time as a measuring stick, though the new baffles look nice on EE quilts


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[kevin_t]

I was probably long winded in previous post. The original EE non draft dodger had large Karo baffles. Down moved too much with them. They could be warm initially but it would move during the night. With the draft dodger the baffles were smaller so they moved less. My personal dodger was hard to compare because it was not as wide so it was more drafty on the sides at times and it was also not overstuffed so it had a bit less down, thus for me it was not as warm and felt more like a 30 degree. EE uses a different baffle now so comparison is really hard. If the down stays reasonably well in place like it is advertised to I would expect it to be as warm as comparable bags of similar loft as long as drafts are minimal either through being large enough or attached well to the pad. The Flicker is 2.5 inches of loft roughly on each side . My Marmot is 5 inches total (2.5 on top). And they sleep similar. For example ZPacks advertises 2.25 for a 20 degree which I would expect to be a few degrees less warm


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[supercoupe]

HI,

Could you please update me that where could I buy the EE quilts? I am in Sydney, Australia and looking for warm quilts and quilt covers. Is the EE a brand of some country?

[ScottH]