The Beginning
Feathered Friends was founded in 1972 by husband and wife team Peter and Carol Hickner. Struck by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, they settled in Seattle Washington but their timing was unfortunate and the Boeing Bust of the early 1970’s left them struggling to find employment. Determined to stay in this beautiful city and enjoy convenient access to the backpacking, climbing and skiing they had come to treasure, Carol and Peter turned to their creative skills and began producing tents, jackets and sleeping bags from the basement of their home. A project that started from the necessity to build the gear they needed to enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle soon turned into a full time job as word spread and friends and colleagues lined up to place orders for their hand made down garments and bags. They soon realized this venture needed a name, and while they gathered around a fire with some good friends and cold beers Feathered Friends was born. They had neither a business plan nor financing, but what they did have was the determination and skill to create world class down products.
The Future
Today the same owners, Carol and Peter Hickner, still oversee the factory and retail store in Seattle. Their mission follows one simple caveat - Feathered Friends wants you to be warm wherever you are. We start with the highest quality materials available, refine our construction with time tested design and techniques, and fill our products with the best goose down we can source. Feathered Friends began with a dedication to excellence in the craft of down filled products and we are proud to continue that tradition.
The Future
Today the same owners, Carol and Peter Hickner, still oversee the factory and retail store in Seattle. Their mission follows one simple caveat - Feathered Friends wants you to be warm wherever you are. We start with the highest quality materials available, refine our construction with time tested design and techniques, and fill our products with the best goose down we can source. Feathered Friends began with a dedication to excellence in the craft of down filled products and we are proud to continue that tradition.
We have recently made the difficult decision to expand a small portion of our production to China. With 40 years of domestic, in-house manufacturing and a loyal customer base that has come to equate that legacy with quality and craftsmanship this was not a decision we undertook lightly. Please understand that we are not displacing our domestic production, we have actually increased output in recent years, but difficulty finding the highly skilled sewing labor that our products require coupled with a high demand for our lightweight garments necessitated that we expand production beyond Seattle. Our lightweight garment production still utilizes the exact same down and fabrics that are used in our Seattle production, with the same time-tested designs so quality is not compromised. All of our sleeping bags and a large portion of our garment line will continue to be produced in our Seattle based facility and we will make every effort to keep you informed of any future changes.
Feathered Friends values your opinion and we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other aspect of our business. Please email customerservice@featheredfriends.com and let us know what you think, we're looking forward to hearing from you.
Feathered Friends values your opinion and we welcome any feedback you may have on this or any other aspect of our business. Please email customerservice@featheredfriends.com and let us know what you think, we're looking forward to hearing from you.
The Store
In addition to the full collection of Feathered Friends indoor and outdoor products, the Seattle retail store is one of the premier expedition outfitters in the country. If you’re passing through town, please visit us to find a complete selection of gear for backpacking, rock climbing and expedition mountaineering as well as a unique clothing and soft goods collection.
Media
We have been privileged to work with some fantastic photographers.
Our studio photography, video production, and many active shots are captured by Seattle resident, and all-around awesome guy, Dan Holz. Check out his work at Dan Holz Photography
World explorer and Portland-based photographer Eric Guth's work can be seen throughout our site. See some of the more remote places on earth at Eric Guth Photography.