I am going to purchase a Hammockgear incubator Underquilt soon for my trip this year. They come in two options. Premium which use goose down and economy which uses duck down. The price difference is $100. What justifies the $100 markup in down material?

The high quality goose down takes less to fill the same volume. You also get a lighter fabric for the $100. It's all about the weight for a backpacker

The HG Econo is the best deal out there for a quilt IMO

The difference is almost as much difference as the change from synthetic to 550 fill down. High loft down, say 800 fill and up feels better, lofts quicker and more regularly, does not clump as much or as quickly, packs tighter, washes and dries easier, and breathes better. Almost all this is explained by the size and age of the down source producing stronger and larger down plumes, from larger and more mature sources, duck vs goose. After upgrading from 650 down bag to an 850 I will pay for the extra fill every time. I feel the expense is justified if it can be afforded.
Having moved to down some years ago from synthetic, I think the same reasoning applies to upgrading to the best fill you can afford, especially if you will use it a lot.

butthead

butthead: "The difference is almost as much difference as the change from synthetic to 550 fill down. High loft down, say 800 fill and up feels better, lofts quicker and more regularly, does not clump as much or as quickly, packs tighter, washes and dries easier, and breathes better. Almost all this is explained by the size and age of the down source producing stronger and larger down plumes, from larger and more mature sources, duck vs goose. After upgrading from 650 down bag to an 850 I will pay for the extra fill every time. I feel the expense is justified if it can be afforded.
Having moved to down some years ago from synthetic, I think the same reasoning applies to upgrading to the best fill you can afford, especially if you will use it a lot.


butthead"

So the specs say the duck down is 800 fill and the goose down says it’s 850 fill for the same temp rating. You same knowledgeable on down. Regardless of the duck down or the goose down do you recommend an overfill? I am leaning towards a 2 oz overstuff just because from what I’ve read it will help prevent cold spots. I am quite torn on picking because the econ “duck” is very highly rated as well

DontPanic: "So the specs say the duck down is 800 fill and the goose down says it’s 850 fill for the same temp rating. You same knowledgeable on down. Regardless of the duck down or the goose down do you recommend an overfill? I am leaning towards a 2 oz overstuff just because from what I’ve read it will help prevent cold spots. I am quite torn on picking because the econ “duck” is very highly rated as well"

I have a collection of quilts from Hammock Gear. My oldest quilt are from 2012 and have been used at minimum 20 nights/year but likely closer to 30 so, a safe estimate is they have well over 100 nights use. I have never elected the extra overstuff and have never had issues with cold spots or with down shifting.

My only regret is that I occasionaly use my top quilts for ground sleeping. On those rare instatnces, I would have prefered the wide option for my top quilt.

For canoe tripping, a three day backpacking trip or, one trip/year use I'd certainly stick with the Economy line. However, if you backpack a week at a time or average a camping trip more than monthly, you will appreciate the 850 or even 950 fill power down.

Good Luck

I agree that the HG Econ line is the best bang for your buck. That said, the higher fill power and lighter fabrics in the premium line do offer lower weight and better packability for a given temp rating.

I, too, have a collection of HG quilts, none of them overfilled, and have never experienced cold spots. HG does a pretty good job of filling their quilts standard (they don't skimp), so overfill may not be necessary. One thing I would caution against is trying to overfill a higher degree quilt to get to the lower temp equivalent (e.g. trying to overfill a 20* quilt to get to a 0* quilt). The baffles are not as deep on the higher degree quilt, and will not allow your extra fill to fully expand, thus not allowing the down to do its job to get to a colder rating.

Another point on the duck vs goose discussion is that much of the current cost difference is market driven. The spread was not as great five years ago, and may not be as much five years from now. One could certainly argue that goose down is better, but it truly is a personal cost/benefit analysis. The others have both offered great points, and I don't think you could go wrong with either of the options.

With Hammock Gear, Underground Quilts, Enlightened Equipment and the other quality cottage vendors, you only have to consider overfilling if you are planning on taking the quilt to temp ratings lower than what is advertised. As others have said, duck vs. goose down is about packability vs. cost. You can't go wrong with either the regular or the Econ version of the Hammock Gear quilts. I have both versions (20 degree incubator and 30 degree burrow for myself and the Econ versions of the same for others that want to hang with me) and they are all top shelf quality.

I'm not advocating any gear snobbery and do shop price and value, hence most of my choices are used or clearance as a way to afford more value. You are looking at custom made gear and that of itself brings a higher level of quality and value, especially to a frequent user.
Talk to the supplier about your temp rating needs. I'm sure HG will work with you on choices and give solid advice. I tend to consider overfill as a temperature adjustment not a cure for poor design or build. Same could be said for the insulation source decision. HG is probably more interested in customer satisfaction as a cottage industry and will give solid accurate advise.
While I can be cheap or frugal on most stuff, I understand the added value of custom made, to personal specifications, owning several hand made pairs of hiking boots and tents. My next sleeping gear purchase will be a special order bag or quilt. I just spend so much time in one the value shifts toward specialty makers.
OCDave, Othello, unshavenman, etc. all give excellent first hand advise. A much more reliable source than opinions found in more general online forums

butthead

I believe farts emanating from one bag sound like "Quack" and those from the other are more like "Honk."

carmike: "I believe farts emanating from one bag sound like "Quack" and those from the other are more like "Honk." "

Now that explains a lot, hahahahaha.