Exped Waterbloc Pro -15 Down Sleeping Bag Clearance

High Quality Down: The further north a duck or goose is reared the more developed and complex its down becomes. Exped sources its down exclusively from an RDS certified manufacturer that obtains its down from farms in the Ukraine and Russia. These waterfowl have highly developed plumage resistant to the cold of those regions. Down is a natural product that has been in use for thousands of years. No other form of insulation is longer lasting and more sustainable than high quality down. Even after a period of 20 years, not more than 15% of the used down needs to be replaced to attain the original loft!

The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) aims to ensure that down and feathers come from animals that have not been subjected to an unnecessary harm. The RDS is an independent, voluntary global standard, which means that companies can choose to certify their products to the RDS, even if there is no legislation requiring them to do so. The RDS was developed and revised over three years, with the input of animal welfare groups, industry experts, brands and retailers. The standard recognises and rewards the best practices in animal welfare. Not only farmers, but brands and supply chain members need to meet their obligations to respect the Five Freedoms of the animals that provide their down and feathers, and to meet the trust of consumers that are choosing RDS products. Five Freedoms:

• Freedom from Hunger and Thirst - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour
• Freedom from Discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
• Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
• Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind
• Freedom from Fear and Distress - by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Key points in the standard:

• Any removal of down and feathers from live birds (Live-plucking or molt-harvesting) is prohibited
• Force feeding is prohibited
• Holistic respect for animal welfare of the birds from hatching to slaughter
• RDS down and feathers is properly identified
• Each stage in the supply chain is audited by a professional, third party certification body
• Only products with 100% vcertified down and feathers carry the RDS logo

Since its introduction in 1992, the central focus of the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® has been the development of test criteria, limit values and test methods on a scientific basis. On the basis of its comprehensive and strict catalogue of measures, with several hundred regulated individual substances, the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® takes account of:

• Important legal regulations, such as banned Azo colourants, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, nickel, etc.
• Numerous harmful chemicals, even if they are not yet legally regulated.
• Requirements of Annexes XVII and XIV of the European Chemicals Regulation REACh as well as of the ECHA SVHC Candidate List insofar as they are assessed by expert groups of the OEKO-TEX® Association to be relevant for fabrics, textiles, garments or accessories. Discussions and developments that are considered to be relevant are taken into account as quickly and effectively as possible through updates to the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® requirements.
• Requirements from the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regarding lead.
• Numerous also environmentally relevant substance classes.

With its decades of experience, the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® therefore contributes to high and effective product safety from a consumer’s point of view. Test criteria and limit values in many cases go far beyond applicable national and international standards. Extensive product checks and regular company on-site visits also ensure that the industry has a globally sustainable awareness of the responsible use of chemicals. With this concept, the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® has taken on a pioneering role for many years.

The precondition for the certification of products in accordance with STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is that all parts of an article meet the required criteria - in addition to the outer fabric, for example, also the sewing threads, inserts, prints etc., as well as non-textile accessories, such as buttons, zip fasteners, rivets etc.

Additional preconditions are the existence and application of operational quality assurance measures, as well as the legally binding signing of undertakings and conformity declarations by the applicant.