The Feathered Friends Flicker Quilt Sleeping Bag is an excellent trail quilt with a great design that will help you sleep comfortably in the wilderness under many different conditions. We absolutely love how it can be opened fully like a blanket or cinched up tight like a mummy bag to hold in heat on chilly nights. It’s a very smart, comfortable, effective, and well-designed quilt sleeping bag.
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Feathered Friends Flicker Quilt Sleeping Bag Review
Published:
May 28, 2019
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Quick Specs
Feathered Friends Flicker Quilt Sleeping Bag
Price: $429 for UL 20°F model, $369 for YF 20°F model
Weight (Regular Size): 1 lb. 10 oz.
Fill Power: 950+ Goose Down
Temperature Rating: Comes in 20°F, 30°F, and 40°F models
Fabric: YF (slightly heavier, but more affordable) and UL – both are great
Sizes: Regular, Wide, & Long sizes available
Color: A few color choices available
Product Tested: We tested a 20°F Long/Wide UL model in tangerine for this review
Pros
- Warmth
- Versatile
- Width/Length
- Solid zipper
- Materials & craftsmanship
- Durability
Cons
- Price
- Weight & Bulk
- Neck cinch straps can get in way
Pros
WARMTH
Feathered Friends has a reputation for making sleeping bags and quilts that actually live up to their temperature ratings and the Flicker is no different. This bag has a lot of loft and we trust that it will actually keep us warm down to 20°F, which is pretty rare in the sleeping bag industry. Feathered Friends doesn’t list EN Temp ratings, but we think their ratings are far more conservative than most of the competition.
VERSATILITY
The Flicker can be left completely open and used like a blanket on warm nights or fully zipped up and cinched to hold in heat when temps drop. This design is excellent for maximum versatility on backpacking trips and is one of our all-time favorite backpacking quilt designs.
WIDTH/LENGTH
Some ultralight quilts skimp on width, and that can be a big mistake. Quilts tend to be more drafty than sleeping bags, so it’s good to have enough width for full protection when the quilt is opened up. We tested a wide/long version of the Flicker and thought its coverage was excellent.
SOLID ZIPPER
The flicker has a strong, full-length no-snag zipper that functions well. This can be a major hang up with other quilts and sleeping bags, so this is great.
MATERIALS & CRAFTSMANSHIP
Feathered Friends uses top notch materials with all their products and it shows. Their down is very high quality and responsibly sourced and their fabrics are durable yet comfortable against the skin.
DURABILITY
We’ve had excellent experience with Feathered Friends products and we think they’re built to last. If you take good care of the Flicker, it should last for many years and thousands of trail miles.
Cons
PRICE
There’s no way of getting around the fact that the Flicker is an expensive piece of gear. Pretty much all high-quality down sleeping bags are that way, so it’s no surprise. When you compare the quality of the Flicker’s materials and craftsmanship to the competition, you’ll see that the Flicker is very fairly priced for what you get. Also, the flicker comes in a more affordable YF model that only adds a few ounces if your budget is tight. Even more economical and basic trail quilts like the REI Magma 30 still cost a few hundred dollars, so that’s just kinda how it goes. Still, when put to good use and taken care of, we think high-quality down sleeping bags and quilts are well worth the investment.
WEIGHT & BULK
At 1 lb. 10 oz., the Flicker UL 20°F is far from heavy and bulky, but when compared to other ultralight backpacking quilts, it’s a bit on the bulkier side. The main reasons for that are its durable build, full length zipper, and the fact that it will actually live up to its temp rating, so it’s hard to fault FF for any of that. Because we tend to view quilts as more of a summer backpacking item and rarely take them on sub-freezing trips, you could easily bump up to the 30°F model (1 lb. 7 oz.) or 40°F model (1 lb. 2.4 oz.) to save some weigh and pack space. Given our backpacking style, we think the 30°F model would be our top all-around choice.
NECK CINCH STRAPS CAN GET IN WAY
Most quilts have one cinch cord around the neck to help hold warm air in on chilly nights, but the Flicker has two different cords. This is nice when the quilt is fully opened, so the straps aren’t in your face, but it creates twice as much cord around your head and neck when fully cinched, which can be annoying. It’s not a huge deal, but it would be nice if they tucked away somehow.
Bottom line
The Feathered Friends Flicker is an excellent backpacking quilt and has earned a spot on our Best Backpacking Quilts list.
If you’re a cold sleeper or want coverage on sub-freezing shoulder season trips, the 20°F Flicker model is a good choice. For us, we think the warmth, weight, and bulk of the 20°F model might be a tad overkill for summer trips, so the 30°F model is likely the way we would lean. We can always sleep in a puffy coat for extra warmth if need be. If you’re a hot sleeper or mostly backpack in warm summer conditions, you could also bump up to the 40°F model.
If you’re looking for the most economical option, our top recommendation would be the Flicker 30°F YF model. If weight is a key concern and you’re willing to pay a bit more to keep weight and bulk to an absolute minimum, the 30°F UL model is the one we would recommend. Both are excellent choices. Also, make sure to choose a length and width that will give you full coverage. We generally recommend bumping up in size if you’re on the fence.
