[pct-l] The tourture behind goose down

[patti kulesz]

I know it's aweful...that's why I have never used down myself. Plus I'm allergic! But yeh it's very cruel. They get plucked four times a year. So not only are they plucked alive but they take the feathers that keep them warm from the most sensitive spots on their bodies. They also need the feathers of about 50 birds, if not more, to fill a bag! I worked in a camp store and the Western Mountaineering rep told me that they only use the molted feathers, but I find that hard to believe with all the sleeping bags that are readily available by that company and at the quality of down they give you. The higher the number for the down the softer the feathers are and the closer to the body they need to come from. In another words...their new feathers. Most Western Mountaineering bags are 850-900 down...that's top quality down...please.

 Kudos to you Panama for carrying that extra pound and saving ALOT of geese!

patti

--- On Sun, 12/7/08, PCTPANAMA at aol.com <PCTPANAMA at aol.com> wrote:
From: PCTPANAMA at aol.com <PCTPANAMA at aol.com>
Subject: [pct-l] The tourture behind goose down
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008, 2:45 PM

I was so shocked to hear and see just how down is taken from the goose for  
up to seven years then killed. Plucked alive then tossed back into the cage  
till next time. My days of down are over and the next time I need a  new bag 
will go synthetic as a one more pound wont kill me. I have a montbell  and have

loved it for years now I don't know if i can even sleep in it  again after 
seeing the tape on youtube. I was thinking about emailing the big  boys
"western 
mountaineering' etc to see where and how they get their down but i  think i

just saw. Would love to see 20/20 check into it. Just picked up a  mountain 
hardwear synthetic compressor 13 oz in order to stay away from the  down. Very 
happy with it and i dont hear geese screeming late at night anymore.  If you
would 
like to see the tape then go to youtube and search, plucked alive:  The 
torture behind down.....looking at the people and place I think its the  hanoi 

hilton....        PANAMA
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