hi robert,

could you post the link to your quote? that is with reference to FF, right? thanks.

mike

Yep that was a direct quote from a comment Feathered Friends left on their Facebook page.
This link might work? https://www.facebook.com/FeatheredFriends?ref=ts&fref=ts

A few years ago I walked into the feathered friends shop wearing a Montbell Alpine (baffled) Down Jacket and one of the staff was really excited to check it out and commented that they hadn't been able to achieve that level of detailed workmanship with ultralight fabrics in US production.

Hopefully this move is driven by a need to produce some more innovative light weight garments and not just by cost cutting measure. I would certainly prefer a US made product but if they will document the working conditions, environmental impact and down gathering practices used in their overseas production and start producing some garments to compete with the lighter options from montbell, patagonia, rab etc that would be cool too.

I just gave a thought about ordering a pair of down booties, and looks like the shipping cost to Portland, OR comes to 15% of the product cost. M

"I would certainly prefer a US made product but if they will document the working conditions, environmental impact...."

I was wondering when someone was going to bring this up. What has become of us if all we're concerned with is the price we see on the tag and quality? What about enviro degradation from many (most?) of the factories spewing out toxins like there's no tomorrow? This is a well documented issue with Chinese manufacturing. And, no one is concerned how this stuff will affect us indirectly or more importantly, what it means to future generations? What about how these toxins move north via the airstream and are affecting the Arctic people right now? Another well documented fact....yet, we're concerned about the price tag of something we want.

If we were paying ahead to cover all the hidden enviro and health costs every time we purchased new gear, particularly Chinese made stuff, no one here could afford any of it.

Edited by rustyb on 12/07/2012 19:07:01 MST.