2 Attachment(s)
Found and older Fairydown sleeping bag, help with specs?
Hello all, so here the story goes...
I've always been into tinkering with thing(motors, bikes, models and the like) I have made a few camping things as well with marginal to pretty good results. I recently got into hanging in a hammock and joined the hammock forum. I had been looking into purchasing an underquilt but the cost was more than I could afford. So, I had been frequenting the local thrift stores in hopes of finding some down filled articles that I could use to make my own underquilt. I came across a down sleeping bag. It felt rather heavy and definitely older but clean, I figured, what the heck and brought it up to the counter anyways. No price tag, cashier looks at me and asks what do I think? I suggest $5, she says cool. When I got it home and unrolled it I found that it was actually 2 bags zipped together. I'll try my best to describe it here, and I'll also try to post a couple pics if I can manage.
it is, semi-rectangular, light blue in color
In case I can't get the photo to upload here's what the label reads
'Fairy'
DOWN SLEEPING BAG
Model:EVEREST
Manufactured in New Zealand by
ARTHER ELLIS & CO.LTD
DUNEDIN~CHRISTCHURCH~INVERCARGILL
Attachment 17894Attachment 17895
What I'm wondering is this; mainly, temperature rating, weight(I don't have a scale), and possibly its age.
I asked around the hammock forum and wasn't able to get much of a response other than jealousy for finding such a great deal. Also, another user directed my to MacPac, an Australian outfit that has since bought the fairydown company. I tried to contact the company via e-mail but alas, I have received no response. The zippers, to me, look like these were made in the 70's. Maybe somebody here has some experience with this brand or even better yet, this particular model.
Ultimately, I'm wondering if in your opinion it would be a good or bad idea to cut one of them up to make an underquilt out of.
:bananadancing banana? why not
Thanks in advance for any responses
thanks for the loft/rating idea
Thanks snowleopard for that idea. I hadn't considered that. I was wondering if I could pretty much split it in half and make both an underquilt and topquilt out of a single bag or if topquilt+underquilt=more than a sleeping bag (down, fabric wise). But that is definitely a question for a diy thread.
I am still going to hold off for the moment on cutting it open for about a week or so to see if I get any more replies.
Thanks again :D
How much would a Fairydown Polar sell for on a forum such as WhiteBlaze.net or eBay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CanKiwi
I don't think there's a collectors market for these bags and I doubt they're financially valuable - I've never run across any for sale except the odd one on NZ websites where they go pretty cheap. They were good, but I think anyone buying them would do it more because they're good and they're cheap. Bag technology keeps on improving ....
I think with those Fairydown bags it was more that they were absolutely top quality - they were the best you could get in NZ then, they used a lot of down (my Polar, fluffed up, is about 18 inches high) and really really good for use in extreme conditions. I've used my Polar outside in a tent at minus forty Celsius and been warm and comfortable - they were made for those high altitude Himalayan climbing expeditions and use in the Antarctic and that kind of thing. Everest bags weren't quite as extreme as the Polar bags, but still very good. And like I said, bought mine in the 80's and 30 years on, they're still as good as new.
They were popular in New Zealand and they exported to Australia but as far as I know, nowhere else - so the numbers manufactured were probably fairly small as compared to say North American bag makers - New Zealand's just not that big a market. If you find one in North America its probably from someone who got one in NZ at some stage.
Thanks for the reply. How much do you think a Fairydown Polar would sell for on a forum such as WhiteBlaze.net or eBay? (I've checked, by the way, for any past "sells" w/in 90 days and found none). Might there be a better forum (or market) to offer a Fairydown bag for sale? Maybe you know of one in Australia or NZ?