View Full Version : Questions of down, water, quality, and compression
Passionphish
12-23-2007, 03:13
I personally own a REI Mojave (http://www.rei.com/product/746219). It is filled with 600 down. Not great stuff. Not horrible.
I want to use a compression sack with this bag for my thru-hike. But compression and water, over time, will destroy the loft of the down. But I think I read somewhere that the lower quality of down is not as sensitive as the better stuff. Is this true? Will the compression sack destroy the loft over the distance of my hike? I expect some loss. But will this be major? Or should I seriously consider a different bag?
Any down experts out there? Anyone think they are? I'm open to anybody!
Just Jeff
12-23-2007, 08:48
Compression and water will destroy synthetics over time, too.
Lower quality down is more susceptible to compression damage than higher quality down. Just don't compress it with all your strength and it'll be ok...bags are made to be stuffed!
Wash it and fluff it in a drier when the loft starts going flat...that'll help.
I'm not an expert. Didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn last night.
maxNcathy
12-23-2007, 09:01
If you want less weight get a bag with 800+ down and don't use compression bag.Stuff it into strong plastic bag along with sleep clothes.
How much does your down bag plus compression sac weigh?
I've owned down bags for many years from inexpensive to top-of-the-line. I store them hanging, and when I hike I have them in as small a bag as I can fit them in. Any loft they have lost is so insignificant it's unnoticeable to me. I've treated quality synthetic bags the same way and they tend to lose a lot of loft over time.
It seems like water would only be factor in loft loss if you stored it wet/damp for extended periods of time where it could mold/mildew. I've washed my down bags with down soap and they are fluffier than ever afterwards.
Water ought not be an issue. With a down bag, you must take care to keep it dry.
If you don't overcompress it will save your pack and save time also. Good point about 800+down. Not just lighter, but also less volume when packed for the same amount of warmth when unpacked. Less likely to be overcompressed if you think about it. As far as water goes, I think if your clothes are based on a mix of wool layers and synthetic layers, then you can use cheap light wind and rain layers, and more likely to afford 800+ down for a sleeping bag and keep it dry. If it does get wet you will have suitable clothing to fall back on. Cheers.
Just Jeff
12-23-2007, 11:36
Yeah - I didn't think about what I was writing b/c I was concentrating on the compression part. Water shouldn't have any long-term impact on synthetics or down, unless you let it mildew or something.
To the OP: compress the bag while it's in your pack, sure. But when you get home, keep it loose. I use pillowcases to hold my down bags. (I have four at this point.) And when you're hiking, get the bag out of its compression/stuff sack early in your make-camp routine, so it has maximum time to loft.
Appalachian Tater
12-23-2007, 12:11
I personally own a REI Mojave (http://www.rei.com/product/746219). It is filled with 600 down. Not great stuff. Not horrible.
I want to use a compression sack with this bag for my thru-hike. But compression and water, over time, will destroy the loft of the down. But I think I read somewhere that the lower quality of down is not as sensitive as the better stuff. Is this true? Will the compression sack destroy the loft over the distance of my hike? I expect some loss. But will this be major? Or should I seriously consider a different bag?
Any down experts out there? Anyone think they are? I'm open to anybody!
Personally, I would invest $300 in a top-quality, 800-fill down bag if I were going to be sleeping in it for 90 nights and carrying it on my back for 90 days. That's a little over $3.33 a night. With a $250 tarptent and a $75 pad, you're still under $7.00 a night for shelter and bed. If you use any of it for more than 90 days, the cost per use goes down. If you use a cheaper bag, you're probably only saving $100 bucks or $1.00 a day.
NICKTHEGREEK
12-23-2007, 12:14
Regardless of the loft rating you'll be packing the bag to minimum volume with a compression sack assuming you size it right. The damage to the down (if any) will most likely equal out regardless although intuitively 800 down might be more fragile than 600. You still compress the bag substantially using a regular stuff sack.
You know people were proud of 600 or 650 down years ago. A lower loft rating doesn't make it junk.