Western Mountaineering

It was Apple guru Steve Jobs who said: ‘Do not try to do everything. Do one thing well.’ It’s an ethos that California brand Western Mountaineering has been practising for over 30 years. The San Jose-based manufacturer only makes down gear. But it happens to be some of the best down gear in the world. In fact, pound-for-pound, they make just about the warmest sleeping bags around.

How do they do it? Well, pretty much the same way that someone becomes an expert in any field – dedication, persistence and an absolute commitment to uncompromised excellence. The result is a range of down sleeping bags built from the finest raw materials, meticulously designed and manufactured to the highest standards.

All Western Mountaineering products are made in the USA. That enables unrivalled quality control. But the start of the supply chain is just as rigorous – the brand sources its premium goose down from a breeding goose farm in Eastern Europe. Birds are never live-plucked or force-fed. The geese range freely and have a much longer life span than birds reared for the meat industry. Plumage is gathered from their nesting area, with an average yield that generally exceeds 900 fill power. In terms of warmth for weight, that’s as good as it gets – something you’ll really appreciate on sub-zero nights in the great outdoors.