User Review: Feathered Friends Tern

Reviewed November 26, 2006 by Garry

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: mummy
Fill: 775 fill down
Temperature Rating: -10 F
Weight: 56.5 oz
Price Paid: $325

I own a 1994 Feathered Friends Tern - dryloft/polyester shell, long, 775 fill, +2 oz overfill.

Just a quick comment in response to the above review wherein the fit of the Tern was described as snug. I have one of the initial run of Terns that was made with dryloft fabric. I have used it for 12 years in all sorts of conditions including a five-day trip on Mt. Rainer (including a climb to the summit) and another on Mt. Washington (in winter). I have a 44 chest and have always felt that my Tern's fit was perfectly comfortable even when snuggling a couple of hot waterbottles and drying clothes to my fleese clad chest.

Also, as far as the zipper goes, I have NEVER in 34 years of backpacking met a truly snag free zipper on a sleeping bag. The zipper on my Tern is no more or less troublesome than that on any other sleeping bag I have ever owned or borrowed.

I recently thought about upgrading to a new, lighter, -10 degree bag but realized after some research and weighing with a digital scale that my 12-year-old bag is only a bit (4-6 oz) heavier than the current Feathered Friends equivalent.

People complain about the cost of FF bags, but after 12 years of use I think my annual additional cost amounts to about $8 a year - and the bag is still in PERFECT condition even after some hard-core use.

The Tern was my first FF bag. I have bought others since then for myself (an absolutely beautiful Swallow with 2 oz extra fill and the 800+ down) and my family. I refuse to buy a sleeping bag from any other company.

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