Washed quilt.....again

[MuddyWaters]

Getting ready to head out for a few days
Based on forecast in arkansas (29-30) my 20 F quilt will be good enough

But.....it had about 18 nights on it from this past summer since last washing.
Been stored loose since sept.

So, i fluffed it, and took pics again, before and after washing , for the unbelievers who never wash their down. With the depth it takes up in storage bin after some shaking to settle. Gets folded over once in large plastic bin to store. About 15% more loft by the ruler.

Smells better too....


Before:
4427344274

After:
4427544276

[sethd513]

I’m on the same scheduale with my quilts. About 15-20 nights then a wash. How do thru hikers manage? Is it normal to see them at laundry Mats sending the bags through the wash?


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[W8lkinUSA]

I would be interested in knowing if merely fluffing the quilt via dryer machine and tennis balls would have yielded a similar result on a quilt with only 18 nights of usage.

[MuddyWaters]

I would be interested in knowing if merely fluffing the quilt via dryer machine and tennis balls would have yielded a similar result on a quilt with only 18 nights of usage.
It tends to make it a little better when warm only, when cools it goes right back to where it was. Just like an item with soap residue not completely rinsed out.

[Rex Clifton]

Crazy to wash it so much, risk of a baffle pulling out. This happened to me, down flying all over the laundromat. I wash mine when it starts to stink.


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[MuddyWaters]

Crazy to wash it so much, risk of a baffle pulling out. This happened to me, down flying all over the laundromat. I wash mine when it starts to stink.


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Not that often
Down loses loft quickly from body perspiration and oils. Its noticeable in as little as a week.
If you dont need full loft.....and can stand the musty stank....go as long as you like.
15-30 days is normally where i make it a point.
In trips where sweat at hot low elevation some nights, ive had bags absolutely wrecked and and pathetic looking, and really stanky at 25 nights.

Machines are incapable of doing good wash job on down gear and shouldnt be used. Front loaders wont hurt it, but cannot get soap out adequately, even with multiple rinses. No substitute for doing it by hand in tub.

Obviously the more fragile the gear, the more care you should take. Todays gear made of angel hair and fairy dust still needs it though, and why i post pics so people wont be scared to get theirs wet.
But if you dont wash it...your not getting benefit of what you paid for....very long.
No wonder some complain they are cold at 40 in a 20 quilt.

Down doesnt last forever either...thats a fallacy. It lasts longer than most will use theirs in their lifetime...several hundred nights..but it does lose loft with use. Just...less. which is why common to have a couple oz topped off to replenish bags after a few seasons of use.

[daddytwosticks]

Because of issues like this, I always wear some sort of a clean sleeping layer when I crawl into my sleeping bag or quilt. It almost eliminates most of the funk factor. That, and frequent airings of the bag/quilt even when I'm out on the trail. Bright sunshine does wonders. :)

[garlic08]

I bought my first quilt a few years ago for a summer bike tour and used it continuously for two months. One of its best features, I thought, was that it didn't need washing. Skin contact is minimal. A few minutes of sunshine UV on breaks and it stayed fresh. I was prepared to launder it after the trip, but didn't need to. I've used it maybe twenty times since then (it's packed up now for an overnighter in the desert) and still haven't laundered it.

I've always needed to launder a bag mid-thru-hike, and that was pushing the limit.

[Time Zone]

Machines are incapable of doing good wash job on down gear and shouldnt be used. Front loaders wont hurt it, but cannot get soap out adequately, even with multiple rinses. No substitute for doing it by hand in tub.

With what technique are you able to get soap out better by hand in a tub than a commercial front-loader can get out through its own rinse cycle? Do you just use a ton more water? I.e., are front-loaders too stingy on water usage?

Your before and after pix: most of the extra fluff appears to be in the foot area. I would have said that maybe your down just shifted, but if you measured a difference putting the whole thing in a storage tub, then it probably is a real gain.

[MuddyWaters]

With what technique are you able to get soap out better by hand in a tub than a commercial front-loader can get out through its own rinse cycle? Do you just use a ton more water? I.e., are front-loaders too stingy on water usage?

Your before and after pix: most of the extra fluff appears to be in the foot area. I would have said that maybe your down just shifted, but if you measured a difference putting the whole thing in a storage tub, then it probably is a real gain.

My first washings years ago, were in commercial front loaders. Didnt loft that great, lost it quick , smelled like soap after 3 commercial rinse cycles were done..

Took those and rinsed by hand several times...and improved. And no soap smell. There should be no smell at all, no "clean" smell, nothing.

Just myo, you need to work water thru by hand, squeezing all the down around in tub.the fabric is almost waterproof and airtight, its not easy to get water in.....or out. Repeat at least 4-5 times , spinning water out in washer to minimize cross contamination. It does that well.

I use my top loader at home to spin water out, and it rinses too. Just put wet towel or jeans on opposite side to stay in balance. My home dryer is big enough too. Even on low, commercial gas dryer melted tyvek tag on one of my WM bags once. I took them there to dry two at once to save time....never again



I didnt attempt to redistribute down for pics, all tubes are fuller .


Heres when this one was washed in 2016..i did little how to with pics then. Still cant convince some to wash their down though.......seein aint believin apparently.

44280
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/122389-washing-down?highlight=

[wordstew]

If it's hot and musty why not carry one of these instead of down

https://www.thermarest.com/camp-quilts-and-tech-blankets/proton-blanket

https://www.bigagnes.com/Kings-Canyon-UL-Quilt-PrimaLoft_2

[MuddyWaters]

If it's hot and musty why not carry one of these instead of down

https://www.thermarest.com/camp-quilts-and-tech-blankets/proton-blanket

https://www.bigagnes.com/Kings-Canyon-UL-Quilt-PrimaLoft_2

Because when it's hot it 7000 feet it may be freezing at 12000.

Not to mention frontal systems come and go with the weather. in the South you may have a 55-degree low one week in the next week maybe 25.

Synthetics have there application but they're a poor choice for longevity. In as little as 50 stuffings they're done. Seriously seriously compromised.

I've yet to wear out the down bag or quilt past the point of usefulness, German tourist reported hers being wore out at seven hundred nights once, if memory serves me correctly.

I got a lightweight synthetic sleeping bag I reserved for conditions that are wet near freezing. Since I do my best to avoid those conditions it's only got about 10 nights on it. I happened to see a new one in a store one day hanging and I was like holy crap that's got twice The loft of mine.

[wordstew]

Because when it's hot it 7000 feet it may be freezing at 12000.

Synthetics have there application but they're a poor choice for longevity. In as little as 50 stuffings they're done. Seriously seriously compromised.

point taken

[Dogwood]

Will you wash other backpacker's gear too? I need a down jock strap and earmuffs re-fluffed.