You've just completed a big chunk of your thru and the stench coming off of your down bag (like my Big Agnes) has become unbearable. I know about only using a front load washer and precautions in the drying phase (low heat setting and something to bang around in the dryer to break up the clumps), but I'm assuming your typical thru hiker is not carrying a specially designed soap, like "Down Wash" by Nikwax, to clean the bag.

So what have you veterans of the AT used in this situation?

Woolite. No problems.

An afternoon in the sunlight helps too

One of the best applications for Fabreeze !! Get the smallest size and split it among a couple hikers. Turn the bag inside out and give it a dousing.

'Slogger

Seems prudent to buy the right stuff, and launder in the same town. Does it not take half a day to wash a bag?

Beware Febreeze if you have allergies.

stench is removable by washing with woolwash or woolite. freebreze only ruins your sleep for weeks and then the stench is back. that crap stinks , dosnt work, and stinks. and it stinks. and it takes alot longer than half a day. it takes a couple washes to get the soap out and many many dryings to really walk away with a dry bag. you need tennis balls and soap and coins for the machines. around 25 dollars for a down bag of 20 or below. its best to wash your feet each night before getting in. and unzip the zipper from the foot about 8 inches if you can. wiping the inside with a banndanna wet with water and dr bronners works way better than frebreze and costs pennies. for an intrim cleaning, it only takes an hour to dry in the sun. also,...you can use dr bronners soap in the wash to machine wash a bag . it just takes alot of soap. a pint minnimum. dr bronners dosnt make suds when over diluted. so its safe to use .and its casteel soap so it leaves no film. makes a bag smell great too! of course you can allways use regular bleach free detergent but only in such small amounts that it really dosnt do as good of a cleaning as other soaps .allways unzip and sun your bag as long as you can each morning. dirt ruins a bag so if its muddy or dark with body oils around the hood,...it can only be washed within a few months of soiling. waiting longer will permenently lower your loft ,breathability and or waterproofness. my two marmot bags with their eq waterproof coatings are stink trappers. as hard as we try, our bags stink because stitching and designs have evolved to a point where trapping body heat now includes not breathing as well as older styles. its a trade off youll not mind at that wonderfull moment when your alive and warm and just a bit stinky!

I try to air mine out when I can. I'll speak for the whole thru thing when I get back. What works for me is to wear sleeping only clothes in it to help keep the filth down.

I think a damp cloth with maybe some soap might work wonders.

I would caution against leaving it out in the sun a lot for long periods of time. UV light can break down nylon over time.

Some good ideas above.

But I can think of at least one Trail veteran that has it a lot easier because he simply doesn't use a Down bag on the A.T.

Synthetics are much cheaper, easier to care for, more durable, dry out quicker, aren't ruined when they become soaked, and are only slightly heavier. Oh, and they're simple to keep clean, too.

The easiest way to avoid problems with a down bag on the A.T. is to not carry one.

When I read the headline for this thread, my mind first went somewhere else. Sorry. :o

Some good ideas above.

But I can think of at least one Trail veteran that has it a lot easier because he simply doesn't use a Down bag on the A.T.

Synthetics are much cheaper, easier to care for, more durable, dry out quicker, aren't ruined when they become soaked, and are only slightly heavier. Oh, and they're simple to keep clean, too.

The easiest way to avoid problems with a down bag on the A.T. is to not carry one.

I agree with most of what you say, Jack.

Cheaper....yes.
Easier to care for....yes.
More durable....fer sure.
Dry quicker....absolutely.
Ruined when soaked....well, ruined is such a "terminal" term. I like to think along the lines of "non-functional until the problem is corrected" i.e. the bag is dried.
Slightly heavier.....um, I guess that depends on you definition of "slightly". I'm no gram weinie but I feel there is a decided difference between the two. Enough so that I consider the down weight advantage a definite plus.
The really big advantage IMHO which you didn't mention is "squishability". I have a 3600 cu. in. bag and the ability to compress a down bag much more than a synthetic one really comes into play for me.

Oh, well, to each his own.

most trail laundry would be done at the laundry mat, which has front load washers. i've washed my down 0 in what ever they had (any thing from woolite to regular detergent), it's at least 10 years old, still works great, and i've never babysitted it a day in my life.

Really, Woolite works fine. Use the largest front-loading machine in the Laundromat, add three capfuls of Woolite, run it on gentle and don't worry. Woolite is made for things that don't like rough treatment, and I was pointed towards it by an outfitter who was out of Nikwax at the time.

Dry it on medium or low with two or three tennis balls, if you can find 'em. About three quarters usually does it.

I have to wash mine about three times per year, and it comes out like new every time.

And yeah, rinse yourself off every night and the bag stays cleaner, longer. Plus, you sleep much better to boot.

stench is removable by washing with woolwash or woolite. freebreze only ruins your sleep for weeks and then the stench is back. that crap stinks , dosnt work, and stinks. and it stinks. and it takes alot longer than half a day. it takes a couple washes to get the soap out and many many dryings to really walk away with a dry bag. you need tennis balls and soap and coins for the machines. around 25 dollars for a down bag of 20 or below. its best to wash your feet each night before getting in. and unzip the zipper from the foot about 8 inches if you can. wiping the inside with a banndanna wet with water and dr bronners works way better than frebreze and costs pennies. for an intrim cleaning, it only takes an hour to dry in the sun. also,...you can use dr bronners soap in the wash to machine wash a bag . it just takes alot of soap. a pint minnimum. dr bronners dosnt make suds when over diluted. so its safe to use .and its casteel soap so it leaves no film. makes a bag smell great too! of course you can allways use regular bleach free detergent but only in such small amounts that it really dosnt do as good of a cleaning as other soaps .allways unzip and sun your bag as long as you can each morning. dirt ruins a bag so if its muddy or dark with body oils around the hood,...it can only be washed within a few months of soiling. waiting longer will permenently lower your loft ,breathability and or waterproofness. my two marmot bags with their eq waterproof coatings are stink trappers. as hard as we try, our bags stink because stitching and designs have evolved to a point where trapping body heat now includes not breathing as well as older styles. its a trade off youll not mind at that wonderfull moment when your alive and warm and just a bit stinky!

I agree with most of what you say, Jack.
(snip)
The really big advantage IMHO which you didn't mention is "squishability". I have a 3600 cu. in. bag and the ability to compress a down bag much more than a synthetic one really comes into play for me.

Oh, well, to each his own.

Jack has a 105 or 110 cubic inch bag. That isn't an issue for him. Neither is the three pound versus 1.5 pound bag.

Hope your hike is going well Jack. I came home to fix a money issue, then got some intestinal stuff happening that may have to get invasive. I really pray/hope not. :(

Woolite does work, or just get the Nikwax, use it, then mail home the leftovers, bounce it, or leave it in a hiker box -- that could bring you some seriously excellent hiker karma.

I heard once that down bags lose their effectiveness the more often you wash them. So I kept my bag as clean as I could. I slept in a tent instead of dirty shelters. Before bed I always changed into (relatively) clean camp clothes, or at least a non-hiking t-shirt and clean underwear. And I opened it up and aired it out whenever I could, both on the trail and in town.

Taking these few simple precautions, I ended up having to wash my bag only once during my hike from GA to VT. It did stink, but not horribly. I think my backpack smelled worse.

I heard once that down bags lose their effectiveness the more often you wash them.

I have no idea why that would be. Mine gets as flyffy as new every time. It's lackof a good rinse that would get in the way, IMO.

When I read the headline for this thread, my mind first went somewhere else. Sorry. :o

Well, depending on how hairy you are, Woolite might be just the thing to use. :eek:

Between washings, and airings, I throw a sheet of fabric softener in my bag. Probably does nothing but cover odor. Very light smell, pleasant, not at all overwhelming and lasts days. Can't detect it at all outside of bag.
Kerosene Charlie

Ivory Flakes laundry soap (pure soap--no additives) works well on down.

It can be easily stored in a zip loc and carried/mailed ahead. :)

They use liquid Dawn to clean aquatic birds when there is an oil spill.

[QUOTE=Nightwalker;369246]Jack has a 105 or 110 cubic inch bag. That isn't an issue for him. Neither is the three pound versus 1.5 pound bag.

I've met Jack, that pack is 110 liters, not cubic inches. My shoe is 110 cubic inches, my couch is 110 liters!!
Possibly my worst ever AT related hike was when I volunteered to slack Jack from Hog Camp Gap to Fish Hatchery Road. I carried his pack from the gate on the road to the trail, which is about a mile straight up. Jack's pack weighs about 110 pounds and it smells like death. Or maybe he still carries the groundhog around with him.
Anyhow, back to bags. Down bags last a heck of a lot longer than synthetics and their care and maintenance is no more difficult, it just takes more time. Drying requires patience, lots and lots of patience. Get a book and a roll of quarters. Also, down is more comfortable in a wider range of temperatures than synthetics. Less overheating and waking up all sweaty, which leads to more stench in the bag.

Original question:

You've just completed a big chunk of your thru and the stench coming off of your down bag (like my Big Agnes) has become unbearable. I know about only using a front load washer and precautions in the drying phase (low heat setting and something to bang around in the dryer to break up the clumps), but I'm assuming your typical thru hiker is not carrying a specially designed soap, like "Down Wash" by Nikwax, to clean the bag.

So what have you veterans of the AT used in this situation?

My suggestion would be to limit the funk factor from the get go: wash at night before bed, use "jammies", use a liner, use a waterproof bag to protect your bag from other sources of odors....

..but try this: wash it more frequently. Don't let it develop that nasty-ness to begin with. Just my thoughts.....

They use liquid Dawn to clean aquatic birds when there is an oil spill.

Buy then they have to keep the birds for a while (7-10 days?) until their feathers regenerate their natural oils that the detergent removes along with the petroleum, otherwise, the birds will die when released. :eek: Since a down bag/jacket cannot regenerate these natural oils (the previous owners of the feathers having gone to that big rotisserie in the sky :D) using this, or any other type of detergent will ruin an expensive piece of down-filled gear! :mad:

Hmmm. I've got four down bags, of various ratings and ages. The oldest is now 35 yrs old. I've washed them all (except the newest one) on numerous occasions with plain old laundry detergent. They're all still useable, and have lost little or no loft due to the washings.