View Full Version : Compression and Down
Will daily compression of a down bag over a thruhike do any damage to the bag? Assuming, of course, it is uncompressed at least 9 hours of every day while it sits in my tent.
Appalachian Tater
02-25-2008, 22:15
Over-compression can actually damage the individual plumules and reduce their ability to expand.
Over-compression can actually damage the individual plumules and reduce their ability to expand.
That's my concern. I am moving to a smaller capacity pack and may use a compression sack for the bag and tent. A good tight cinch with a compression sack on a daily basis would permanently damage the bag or merely make it take longer to regain loft?
hammock engineer
02-25-2008, 22:30
Mine would show mild compression over time. All I had to do to restore it was to put it in a dryer on the no heat setting for 15 minutes or so. I remeasured the loft to be about the same as when I first made it.
Appalachian Tater
02-25-2008, 22:34
Sorry, I don't really know exactly how much compression is too much.
It will definitely take longer to loft. I always take my bag out of the sack when setting up camp so it can regain loft. In the long-term storage bag there is little or no compression and the bag is pretty much at full loft when laid out.
No manufacturer of down bags recommends compression, as far as I know, and many caution against it.
Thanks for the tip. Looking at the WM Summerlite. Gonna make it a graduation gift to myself. The Tarptent Rainbow that was shipped today was also a graduation gift to myself. I might also be able to squeeze another pack out of this happy occurrence.
What about just a loose stuff? I have a large volume pack, but a fairly low weight, so I think I can easily stuff my bag and underquilt in without crushing them too much.
Survivor Dave
02-25-2008, 23:37
I find the OR Hydrolite stuff sacks to be great. A compression sack does mess up the down after a while. It's also easier to press stuff against a softer stuff sack than a hard compression IMO.
SD
hammock engineer
02-25-2008, 23:37
That's my plan for my next pack. A large pack with large stuff sacks. Making it easy to pack in the cold.
88BlueGT
02-26-2008, 00:03
I was having the same thoughts.
mweinstone
02-26-2008, 00:09
compression ruins the bag. leaks everywhere. years of sneezing. when you stuff it do you sneez? you busted it. leave something out and make more room. spare yourself the stuffing and do it with more ease. its a lifetime of better.next question.
so if compression ruins then down why is such a big deal made about the size you can compress down to?
Actually, Matthewski, yours is not the only opinion I was seeking, so I'll be happy to stay on this topic a little while longer. I believe the proper response would have been, "next thread".
Thanks for all the replies everyone. I am normally a straight stuffer, no stuff sacks or nothing (except for food), but with a small capacity pack (my Gust was driving me nuts with all the excess space) I am worried about gear damaging the bag as well. So it will be stuffed in some sort of sack, just not sure if compression is needed or desirable.
take-a-knee
02-26-2008, 00:55
That's my plan for my next pack. A large pack with large stuff sacks. Making it easy to pack in the cold.
The voice of experience. It really, really sucks trying to stuff ten pounds of frozen, frigid crap into a five pound bag with painfully numb hands.
so if compression ruins then down why is such a big deal made about the size you can compress down to?
matty's full of it. that blue thing in my avatar is a down bag... it's old enough to vote. the bag is still fine. hasn't lost a bit of loft.