....do I want to get, to make quilts, booties, pillows, etc. I've seen goose down, water fowl down, duck down. Is one better than the other? Also, should I avoid stuff that has feathers in it, even a minimal amount.
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....do I want to get, to make quilts, booties, pillows, etc. I've seen goose down, water fowl down, duck down. Is one better than the other? Also, should I avoid stuff that has feathers in it, even a minimal amount.
Diygearsupply.com and wildernesslogics.com are great places to check for down.
For lightweight hiking gear, look for 800+ FP (fill power) goose down. It's the lightest weight and most compactable insulation out there. However, it has the issue of being virtually useless when wet. So, invest in a trash bag or roll top dry bag to keep it dry.
If you want the lightest option then go with diygearsupply or wilderness logics. If you want a cheaper option, then see if you can find a down pillow. I've found pillows with 2 pounds of 700fp down for as cheap as $25. The lower fill power will require more down to be used to achieve the same warmth as higher fill power, but all depends in what you want.
And to answer your last question, it is best to have as few feathers as possible, but I'm not sure you can avoid them completely. The pillows I've used have been about 85% down 15% feathers. I didn't bother picking them out, I just grabbed handfuls and loaded up the baggies to be weighed.
Well I've picked up some goose down jackets from goodwill for pretty cheap. I just saw some today that had duck or water fowl down in them. Wasn't sure the difference.
Technically, there's no difference between goose and duck down (the highest quality down in the world comes from the Eider duck).
The quality of the down depends on the age of the bird it was harvested from - mature down being what constitutes a higher fill power due to the larger size and density of the plumules. Otherwise, it simply comes down to the fill power(quality/maturity).
The only complaint I have seen regarding duck down is that it can have a slightly gamey odor if it wasn't processed/cleaned correctly. I haven't experienced this myself, and own a sleeping bag and a couple of jackets filled with it.
HTH
Sweet, good to know for next time