The Feathered Friends Flicker 40 UL Quilt Sleeping Bag is a 19-ounce quilt sleeping bag designed for backpackers and climbers who want to the flexibility and lightweight of an insulated sleep system that can be used in many ways, including:
- a hoodless sleeping bag for tent or cowboy camping under the stars
- an ultralight quilt in a tent, under a tarp, or in a hammock
- a down comforter in a tent or under a roof
- or a hammock underquilt
If it’s hard to imagine how a single piece of gear could perform in all of those roles, let’s look at the key features of the Flicker and how they can be used to configure it in different ways.
Feathered Friends Flicker 40 UL Quilt-Style Sleeping Bag
Warmth
Weight
Comfort
Features
Versatility
As a Hoodless Sleeping Bag
The Flicker 40 UL is easy to configure as a hoodless sleeping bag that ideal if you prefer wrap-around insulation and draft protection over using an open-backed quilt.
Full-Length Zipper
Featuring a full-length zipper, you can sleep on your back with the zipper on top or rotate the bag to your right or left if you prefer having the zipper along one side.
The zipper is covered by an offset flap (shown above), which prevents drafts from leaking into the bag while preventing zipper snags with the interior fabric. The flap contains goose down, so it also acts like a full-length draft tube that prevents heat loss.
Draft Collar
The Flicker 40 UL has a down-filled draft collar that wraps around your neck and can be cinched tight to prevent heat from being forced out of the bag (called the bellows effect) when you move around inside your bag at night. The draft collar is a horizontal baffle filled with goose down whose function is to seal the top of the bag closed around your neck and upper chest. There’s really no comparison between it and the primitive cinch systems found at the top of other ultralight backpacking quilts and hoodless sleeping bags.
Adjustable Foot Vent
The Flicker 40 UL has an adjustable foot vent that you can open or cinch shut with a drawstring. It’s a great way to cool off your feet when you still want warmth around your core and shoulders. The down in the horizontal baffle at the foot of the bag also helps seal in warmth when the drawstring is cinched tight, much like the draft collar at the head end.
High Fill Power Goose Down
The Flicker 40 UL is filled with highly compressible, 950+ fill power goose down with a high warmth to weight ratio that is optimized for ultralight backpacking gear and apparel. Bucking the industry trend, Feathered Friends uses natural goose down instead of waterproof-treated down in their sleeping bags because they’ve found that treated down never lofts quite the same once it’s gotten wet or it’s been washed.
Continuous Horizontal Baffles
The goose down across all Feathered Friend’s Flicker Quilts (available in different temperature ratings and sizes), is held in place using continuous horizontal baffles. This gives you the ability to reposition the down for maximum comfort, shifting it to suit your specific needs. This is a feature you find in the very best backpacking and ultralight sleeping bags and quilts. I’ve taken this bag down to the low-40’s and feel that I could easily take it down to the mid-thirties, without a problem.
Water-resistant/Breathable Shell
The exterior shell of the Flicker 40 is made with ultralight 10 denier Pertex Endurance (0.94 oz/yd² total weight), a water-resistant/breathable fabric that protects the Flicker from condensation and splashback in tents, under tarps, or when sleeping out in the open.
As an Ultralight Quilt
It’s also easy to configure the Flicker as an ultralight quilt for warmer temperatures. It doesn’t matter if you sleep in a tent or use it as a top quilt in a hammock. Simply unzip the back partway to whatever length you prefer and drape it over you. The full-length zipper is completely unobtrusive since it’s backed by the overlapping flap described above. For example, I use the Flicker like this as a top quilt in a hammock.
As a Down Comforter
Unzip the Flicker all the way so it lays completely flat to use it as a down comforter in very hot weather. The advantage of this configuration over many backpacking quilts is that your feet will be cooler because they’re not trapped in a foot box. It’s also a comfortable way to sleep in a hammock or on a bunk at a hostel.
As a Hammock Underquilt
The Flicker 40 UL is also designed to be used as a full-length hammock underquilt and is easy to rig up a simple suspension system using elastic cord and mini S-biners. Feathered Friends does not offer a suspension kit for this, but it’s easy enough to rig with 2 x 80″ packs of Gear-Aid elastic cord and a pair of Nite-ize #2 S-biners.
If you’re familiar with full-length hammock underquilts, they often have draft tubes at the head and foot end to prevent cold air from flowing between the bottom of the hammock and the underquilt. The Flicker’s adjustable foot vent and draft collar give you that same capability when they’re cinched closed. Feathered Friends rates the Flicker 40 UL to 40 degrees when used this way, and I’ll update this review when I use the underquilt capability in cooler weather this autumn.
Recommendation
When I first received the Feather Friends Flicker 40 UL, I wondered if it was a bit overbuilt for three-season backpacking. Was an insulated draft collar really necessary or a full-length zipper? While highly desirable, you don’t find these features on other ultralight quilts or hoodless sleeping bags.
Then I started using the Flicker UL 40 on backpacking and camping trips and became a complete convert to the design philosophy behind this bag. If you’re the kind of person who likes to switch between different tents, tarps, or hammocks as the seasons change, it’s nice to have a sleep system that can be reconfigured for different temperatures and in different ways to compliment them. Especially, if there’s no weight penalty or price premium for the added flexibility. I’d rather own one product that can be used in several different ways than buying several products that only have one purpose.
If you’re looking for a new lightweight sleep system, I’d encourage you to include the Flicker 40 in your search. Do the price and weight comparisons and consider the benefit of the added versatility that the Flicker provides. I can tell you that I’m seriously considering selling my top quilt and hammock underquilt and replacing them with a Feathered Friends Flicker 40 UL Quilt Sleeping Bag. Consider me a convert.
Likes
- Can be configured in many different ways
- Sophisticated draft collar
- Adjustable foot vent
- Offset zipper with draft tube
- Fabric perimeter loops
- 950+ fill power goose down
- Low weight
- Highly compressible
Dislikes
- None, really
Manufacturer Specs
- Length: Reg 6′ 0″ / 183 cm | Long 6′ 6″ / 198 cm
- Width: 62″ / 48″ / 39″
- Weight: Reg: 1 lb 4 oz / 564 g (1 lb 3 oz on the SectionHiker Scale)
- Fill Power: 7″ x 10″ | 5L
- Fill Weight: Reg: 8.4 oz / 238 g; Long: 8.7 oz / 248 g
- External Fabric: Pertex® Endurance UL
- Liner: Flite 15 denier ripstop nylon
- Temperature Rating: 40ºF / 4.4ºC (FF is known for very conservative temperature ratings; your bag will likely be warmer)
- Zipper: Center
Visit Feathered Friends for complete product specifications and sizing information.
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We only make money if you purchase a product through our affiliate links. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides.Disclosure: Feathered Friends loaned Philip Werner a Flicker 40 UL Quilt Sleeping Bag for this review.
the only difference between the ul and the fy seems to be 950 fill or 900 fill and the inner fabric on the ul is 15 denier as opposed to 20 in the fy.what the heck does denier mean? at this point im going for longevity over 2 oz of weight. I ask because I see this term used for tarps, packs etc.
Denier is a unit of measurement that is used to determine the fiber thickness of individual threads or filaments used in the creation of textiles and fabrics. Fabrics with a high denier count tend to be thick, sturdy, and durable. Fabrics with a low denier count tend to be sheer, soft, and silky.
It can be a comfort issue. Higher denier may breathe less and trap more moisture despite being generally more robust. Lighter fabric often performs more comfortably and dries faster. Folks value these qualities differently. I sleep hot and appreciate the evaporation and drying of light stuff in addition to the weight relief, which is cumulative.
Phillip, do you find that when zipped up one can toss a bit in one’s sleep, turn over, and sleep on one’s sides, without the bag getting too bunched up or annoying? I’m still pondering the benefits of a center-zip, thanks!
I roll around all night. It’s not an issue because the Flicker doesn’t have a hood.
But there’s no reason you have to keep the zipper on top. You can keep it on the side too.
Thanks. I plan to have this as my new main bag – I camp primarily between 45 degrees (the coldest would be 35, and i could layer well for that) and 70 degrees. Will use it on your other recommendation that I’ve already bought- the S2S Ether Insulated – does that sound like a good combo? Always find your insight so helpful.
Hey Philip,
I have my eye on a Flicker 30. How do you find the footbox works? Does it seal drafts well or does it need something like a sock to close off the small hole left over? Difficult to find information/photos of this specifically.
Also, how do you find the draw cords function around the draft collar. Do they have a cord lock to keep them in place? Are they finicky or difficult?
It has a draft tube at the foot end so it seals completely.
I bought the Flicker 30 UL last summer for extended backpacking trips throughout the Adirondacks. I can tell you that this product far surpassed any expectation that I could have ever imagined. I will have this for many years and will buy another one for an under quilt for hammock camping.
Thank you Feathered Friends!!!
I’d buy a real underquilt. It will work better.
pourquoi les prix ne sont pas affichés ?
Because I don’t sell this product. It’s just a product review. You have to buy it from feathered friends.
Hey Phillip! Love your review. It’s got my wallet scared. Quick question: you ended your review about considering selling your top quilt and under quilt for hammock camping. Would this FF bag be large enough to wrap around an ENO single hammock like a burrito and not compress the layer under the quilt? Thanks much!
I honestly don’t know. I kept my top quilt and underquilts – it’s just easier that way.
It seems that we have a lot in common from a gear philosophy perspective as I share many ‘favorites’ with you. This is one of them. I’m mostly a tent (versus hammock) camper whether backpacking or bikepacking…also use an RTT for roadtrip camping. I initially appreciated the flexibility of the Flickr (along with high-quality materials and it’s being made in the US) but have also really come to appreciate the draft tube features (helping me use the bag in temps quite a bit lower that the 40 degree rating…coupled with lots of other best practices for warm sleep) and it’s durability. I think it’s a fantastic piece of gear with, seemingly, no real drawbacks unless you want make a decision based on a couple grams for products that might not actually be comparable. I’m in need a colder-weather setup and, after sooo much research / thinking, I just pulled the trigger on another Flickr in a 20 degree…also the UL / wide version.
Love my Flickr. Good choice.
The Tanager was another consideration..I’m generally a ‘rotisserie’ sleeper but I can keep still too if I’m needing to stay warm and I generally like sleeping with a puffy on (and don’t like mummy bag hoods). They’re currently out of stock but I would like to try one. I could see using it, happily, as well. I’ve also recently tried my Flickr 40 plus a 50 degree quilt I had in the Sierras last week when we got a couple 15-20 degree nights and I was plenty warm…just wasn’t quite as simple as I’d prefer. I live in San Jose so WM is always on my mind…I’d like to own something from them at some point too.
The tanager is my main 20 degree bag. I do wish it had a draft collar, but I make do with a down hoodie. It’s a great bag nonetheless. No drafts, but no zipper either.
Sounds as if the good news here is that there are multiple good answers…those are the best kinds of decisions with which to be faced. It’s doubly good that the only way to find out is to try the different products / approaches…which means more camping! I have words from John Stamstad (legendary endurance MTB racer) ringing in my head about the value of minimizing gear that can only be used for one thing…he includes sleep system in that of course…so the Tanager strikes a chord for me given that I always have a puffy with me and rather enjoy sleeping in them. He also ignited, for me, certain ideas such as using a puffy vest as lower-body insulation…what I, affectionately, call my ‘sleep skirt’ these days (a 3 oz 1000 fill Montbell plasma vest). It can be used as insulation for the most important part of your body (core) to extend the warmth of a puffy, it can be pulled up over your lower torso in the ‘sleep skirt’ configuration, or can add a really nice layer of comfort to a camping pillow / be used as a knee pillow when not needed for warmth. And, of course, it can be used during the daytime too ;-). It’s a pretty nice little piece of kit for the measly 3 oz.
And, btw, I need to give you some props for a really well-done body of information you provide via this site…it’s been super helpful to me…in particular, as I add more backpacking to my outdoor pursuits.
Funny how it seems the more things change, the more they remain the same. I have a hoodless North Face Chrysalis goose down bag that’s at least 35 years old that does all of these same things. It can be used a semi-mummy with the sturdy zipper placed on either side or on top; it can be completely opened as a comforter or, zip it halfway up, flip it over and it’s a quilt. Likewise, the 2-way zipper opens the foot box to ventilate there. Two people? Open it completely, zip it to its matching nylon doubler and you have a bag big enough for another. Finally, as it has an open horizontal baffle design, you can shake the fill wherever you want to suit the temp you’re in. I think I just talked myself into keeping it! And yep, it’s heavier at @ 2.5# but for the occasional weekend hiker, the versatility makes the extra weight irrelevant.