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SPECS AND MEASUREMENTS

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DOWN-SPECS

1.

DOWN
SPECS

There are several specifications that describe the quality of down. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misapprehension around them, which is why we present an organized set of down specifications. In this presentation you will learn what down fill power is and what is the difference between CUIN and FP units, the difference between duck and goose down, down-to-feather ratio, and how different types of down are collected.

2.

CUIN AND FP
MEANS FILL POWER

The basic specification describing down is its fill power which is the ratio of weight to volume. The better the down, the more volume the same weight of down will have. Two standards can be found in literature - CUIN (cubic inches) and FP (fill power). One ounce of down (28.35 grams) is compressed by a piston. After the piston is lifted, down is allowed to expand and the number of cubic inches is measured. A down of 700 cuin is a down which fills 700 cubic inches. FP describes exactly the same thing in accordance to the American standard, which applies different test conditions. As a result, FP shows values about 10% higher than CUIN.

DOWN-SPECS

2.

CUIN AND FP
MEANS FILL POWER

The basic specification describing down is its fill power which is the ratio of weight to volume. The better the down, the more volume the same weight of down will have. Two standards can be found in literature - CUIN (cubic inches) and FP (fill power). One ounce of down (28.35 grams) is compressed by a piston. After the piston is lifted, down is allowed to expand and the number of cubic inches is measured. A down of 700 cuin is a down which fills 700 cubic inches. FP describes exactly the same thing in accordance to the American standard, which applies different test conditions. As a result, FP shows values about 10% higher than CUIN.

DOWN-SPECS

3.

FILL POWER
AND WARMTH

Now the most important question - does a down with higher fill power is warmer? Yes and no. The same amount of down with higher fill power fills more space and hence provides better insulation. The key is the thickness of the insulation. Replacing the down with less fill power with the higher fill power will not make a big difference unless we change the construction of the sleeping bag. This way you will only make it lighter since you will need less down to fill the same space. Sleeping bags with the same construction but different quality and quantity of down will be equally warm.

4.

TYPES
OF DOWN

Fill power is what determines the quality of down. Regardless of the origin, higher fill power means better performance, just as one kilogram will always be one kilogram regardless of the material. However, only the down of some animals reaches these highest specifications and hence the belief that goose down is warmer than duck down. The best down is an Eiderdowns duck down. Eiderdown is a wild duck that lines its nests with down. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for farm breeding. Among farm animals, goose down has the highest fill power. Duck down can therefore be better than goose down if its fill power is higher.

DOWN-SPECS

4.

TYPES
OF DOWN

Fill power is what determines the quality of down. Regardless of the origin, higher fill power means better performance, just as one kilogram will always be one kilogram regardless of the material. However, only the down of some animals reaches these highest specifications and hence the belief that goose down is warmer than duck down. The best down is an Eiderdowns duck down. Eiderdown is a wild duck that lines its nests with down. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for farm breeding. Among farm animals, goose down has the highest fill power. Duck down can therefore be better than goose down if its fill power is higher.

DOWN-SPECS

5.

DOWN
AND FEATHER

The process of separating down from feathers and dividing down by its fill power takes place in connected tubes with air flow. The air lifts the down and feathers and the faction of the load that is light enough goes to the next tube. Each subsequent tube has a weaker air flow. As a result, the down with the highest fill power goes to the last tube. However, there are small feathers in each batch of down, which the machine was unable to separate due to its low weight. Information about that percentage is presented as a down to feather ratio, and usually is 90/10 or 95/5. These little feathers that can come out through the seams or fabric simply because they have sharp tips.