featheredfriends

Thanks for the praise, Will. Note to readers: Mr. Strickland is not on our payroll. The Hummingbird would be a great choice for a lightweight mummy. We have weighed regular length Quantum Hummingbirds coming off the factory floor at 25oz (we have one in stock right now, in fact), which is less than our advertised weight of 27oz. If you ordered one with 1.1oz ripstop nylon (fractionally heavier than Quantum's 0.9oz) you would be spending $269 for a US-made 800+ fill bag. Not a bad deal. Marmot's EQ fabric is what's left of Pertex's Endurance Quantum. It is Quantum fabric with their Endurance polyurethane coating. FF has used a similar fabric from Pertex in the past, and while we have liked the weight savings it offers, the breathability is not as good as other WP/B fabrics, and the functional lifespan of the coating is less than a laminate like eVent or DryLoft. We also rent our bags out, so if you want to try one in the field to see if you like it, you can apply the cost of a rental towards the purchase. It's a risk-free test drive.

Cool raffle prizes, refreshments and killer images!

Lots o' shizzle for sale. Stuff ain't gonna last long!

In December of 2005 Mark Westman and Colin Haley traveled to Patagonia and blitzed four world class alpine routes , climbing over 80 pitches of rock and ice, and enjoyed a once in a lifetime window of perfect weather. In just 12 days they climbed an 18 pitch rock route on Aguja Mermoz, the Franco Argentine route on Fitzroy, the 22 pitch Claro de Luna on St. Exupery, and a 14 pitch route on Aguja Rafael. The previous year Mark spent 35 days in Patagonia without climbing a single pitch. Join us as he shares some rare images of climbing in Patagonia during his "Reversal of Fortune".

Sign up for the clinic soon - it'll sell out Can someone move this to events?

Feathered Friends rents AT boots (Scarpa Matrix and Garmont Mega Ride for men, Garmont She Ride for women). We also have brand spanking new Atomic skis (Janak, Kongur, Pumori) mounted up with a variety of bindings (Naxo NX21, Fritschi Freeride, Explore, and some tele mounts, too) as well as skis from Black Diamond and K2, a few of which also have Dyna Fit bindings. We also feature a "try before you buy" program where you can apply rental costs towards purchase. Plus we rent skins, shovels, and poles. We did have a problem with two of our rental Tracker beacons, but those have been removed from the fleet and replaced with brand new 06 Trackers. We also rent Barryvox, SOS, and Ortovox beacons so you can try out a variety of different models. Our skis rental gear is in particularly high demand this season, especially AT gear, so if you want to rent some you should call ahead of time. We can take reservations up to a month in advance. Let the snow fall!

VW, Intuitions are able to take multiple molds. That is the good news. The bad news is that you don't want to put them into Alpha shells. Thick foam + low volume shell + narrow arch = . Putting Intuition Denali liners in Alphas is like trying to wad an entire loaf of Wonderbread in your mouth at once. You can do it, but you may not like the result. We have had a couple people insist on us molding Intuitions into their Alphas, and it hasn't worked out nearly as well as for higher volume boot shells. Better options would be a) buy new thermomoldable Alpha liners as an aftermarket item, which won't be as warm as Intuitions, or b) buy a used pair of Koflach/Inverno shells and put the Intuitions in those. The higher volume shell will give you a much better fit. Hope that helps. FF

Great weather and great folks made this year outstanding. It was awesome seeing all you folks out here from the Northwest - thanks to all you guys who stopped by the booth to say Hi! - Eddie

Another option is to rent a bag for Denali. If this is the only time you expect to need an expedition sleeping bag of -30 to -40 rating, then it is more cost effective to rent one than to buy. There is a certain shop in Seattle that rents high quality down expedition bags at a fraction of the cost of what they cost new. If you want the best bag to keep you warm during that -40 week on Denali, as others here have suggested, but don't want to fork out top dollar, consider the rental option. FF also has expedition bags that allow you to shift the down around from top to bottom and vice versa, so you can be comfortable at warmer temps/lower elevations as well as colder temps/higher elevations. Keep it in mind.

Treat yourself to some nice wool undies from Ibex - they don't retain any odor...your tentmates will thank you! A complete list of sale items can be found at the website.

Are your tools available to the general public for rent? After a strong turnout at the Gear Expo, the only remaining tools are the Shrikes. Thanks to everyone who showed up. Next time we will have two kegs.

Update on the event: There will be a gear raffle as well, and prizes will include a Grivel Takoon leashless tool, a Mammut rope, some cozy FF down gear, and maybe, just maybe, a new pair of skis.

X-Monsters are on the way.

Feathered Friends stopped using DryLoft a few years ago because the number of delamination warranty returns that came back was surprisingly high. We also stopped using DryLoft because we found a more breathable laminate fabric, eVent. Since we started using eVent, I am not aware of a single delamination return, and the feedback from our customers on the breathability of the fabric has been positive. Any laminated fabric has the potential to eventually delam, so keep that in mind. Epic fabric offers excellent water resistance at a lighter weight without laminated construction. Also worth noting, the Snowbunting is about $50 cheaper and 6oz lighter than the Kodiak, but the Kodiak is a wider bag. A closer comparison would be our Ibis. Come on by or give a call if you have questions. Cheers- FF

Bad news for us, good news for you. Due to certain liability issues, Feathered Friends has decided to sell all of our technical ice climbing tools. Here are what is available. These tools will go on sale Wednesday night at 7pm at the Gear Expo at the shop (119 Yale Ave N, 98109). Prices are pretty damn low, so act fast. All prices are per pair. Conditions vary from brand spanking new on the Alp Wing to well used on the Shrikes, so come see them for yourself. BD Rage with leashes $180 BD Shrike with leashes $100 BD Fusion $250 (includes new extra picks) BD Viper with Viper Android leashes and Fangs $250 Grivel Alp/Light Wing $200 Grivel Racing Wing $250 The Fusions and Racing Wings are leashless tools and thus do not include leashes. We have leashes and replacement picks/parts in stock for most of these tools. Plus there will be beer and enormous slabs of ice to swing your new tools into. See you there. Bye bye rental axes.

Feathered Friends stocks the Alp Wing and Aztar, has a Light Wing in rental, and Quarks are on the way. Come on down!

Hey! This kick ass event is Wednesday, and some expensive prizes have been donated by certain generous gear companies to be given away in a raffle. Sorry, no new Nomics up for grabs, but some other attractive items will be available for a few lucky people to win. Show up at 7pm or you're a sucka! Don't forget the

To set the record straight, the Nomic is NOT a replacement for the Ergo. Petzl Charlet will continue to make both tools for the foreseeable future. Feathered Friends will be one of the first recipients of the Nomics, so if you want a pair, give us a call. Once these sell, they won't be available again until spring. We didn't order many, so the motivated climber gets the tools. 206-292-2210.

Feathered Friends carries Intuition Denali liners and has staff trained in the intricacies of the thermo-mold process. We have put Intuitions in Nuptses before, so it can be done. Give us a call if you have questions- 206-292-2210. FF

Just checked them out - they look normal enough. Crazy, though; I hope they get it figured out. - Eddie

Nope, just the standard ones - Eddie

Woo hoo! We just received a shipment of Aliens. We now have black, blue, green, yellow, silver, red, orange, purple, and grey. Get 'em while they're hot because these don't last long.

"I wonder whether this thread is just a ruse..." No - I wish we could be that organized It's just a funky coincidence the thread popped up before the sale. We'll have plenty of extra stock in our jackets if you wanted to compare them with other jackets. - Eddie

Feathered Friends would like to point out the following price differences: TNF Nuptse $199 Western Mountaineering Flight (in taffeta = poor water resistance) $215 Mountain Hardwear Phantom $225 Feathered Friends Hyperion 800+ fill (in Epic = good water resistance) $182 Feathered Friends Helios 800+ fill (Epic) $203 You be the judge of whether they cost a lot.

More info and complete list of sale items here.