Reminder Storing Sleeping Bags for new folk

[Wise Old Owl]

Yep its winter and you section hikers and three season types frequently store the bag in the compression sack without thinking. Find a couch in the basement and lay them out, in a area free of mice. Or sink a hook in the closet ceiling and hang them. Regardless of the fill they must not be stored compressed, they will be worthless in months. :-?

[TheChop]

Screwed this up with my down sweater. Anyway to get the fill back with it?

[Roche]

Try a tumble in the dryer - LOW HEAT - with tennis balls to punch up the down.

[4eyedbuzzard]

If you do accidentally store a down bag compressed, there are some remedies that can help. The first is to get them out of the stuff bag, fluff them up by hand as much as possible, and hang them for a day or so while periodically shaking and fluffing them. Fresh air does wonders. Then put them in a dryer on air or low heat (check every 5 to 10 minutes to make sure they don't get hot) with a sneaker or a few tennis balls to help create some static electrical charge - this helps the down filaments repel each other and fluff. Keep at this for a few days and you'll be surprised - much of the loft is often restored. Depending on how long the bag has been compressed, and the quality of the bag/down, often the original loft can be restored to a great degree.

If the bag is dirty as well, washing can also help. It's best done in a front load machine or bathtub with Nikwax or other soap made for down articles. Handle the bag very carefully, fully supporting all parts of it and its weight at all times when transferring it from the washer to the dryer while still wet to avoid tearing internal baffles which are usually made of netting. If done in a tub, immerse the compressed bag in the water and soap mixture while pulling it out of the stuff sack, this will allow less air pockets to form. Gently knead and wash it, rinse the same way in clean water several times, and then drain the tub allowing lots of time so as much water as possible drains out by gravity. Then try to slowly press out as much of the remaining water as possible. Carefully kind of fold it up and transport it to the dryer, and dry on low or air with some tennis balls or a light clean sneaker - this can take a long time. Break up any clumpy down by hand as you are doing this.

And don't ever do it again!

I don't like storing bags laying flat unless they are covered with an old sheet or something - too much dust and oils in a house will settle on them. I prefer either hanging vertically or keeping them loose in a storage bag (most bags come with one of these).

[Joshuatree]

I would use just a straight powdered soap with out any fabric softeners or other additives. It helps prevent build up that can lower fill preformance and helps retain the weatherproofing if the bag has any. Its also a good idea to wash jackets in the same type of soap since the fabric softeners can ruin weather treatments. Cheap fabric laundry bags work well to store them in I picked up a pack of three of them for less then 10 bucks

[Tinker]

Yep its winter and you section hikers and three season types frequently store the bag in the compression sack without thinking. Find a couch in the basement and lay them out, in a area free of mice. Or sink a hook in the closet ceiling and hang them. Regardless of the fill they must not be stored compressed, they will be worthless in months. :-?

Thanks for posting this. It's one of the things I didn't know years ago when I was a newbie.
ALSO - never dry your insulated clothing (especially synthetic filled) in a HOT dryer. The loft of synthetic fills is given during manufacturing by putting - how should I word this - a perm in the fibers (a permanent crimp) at high temperature. Exceed this temperature in a dryer and the crimp will relax and you will lose the loft.

[Big Dawg]

Yep its winter and you section hikers and three season types frequently store the bag in the compression sack without thinking. Find a couch in the basement and lay them out, in a area free of mice. Or sink a hook in the closet ceiling and hang them. Regardless of the fill they must not be stored compressed, they will be worthless in months. :-?

probably more appropriate to say... any newbie hiker.

[TheTwanger]

Much appreciated wisdom old owl!

[SMSP]

I have a BA Encampment. It came with 2 sacks. One large sack for storage and one stuff sack for packing. Is it okay to store this bag in the large storage sack, or do I need to suspend /hang/lay it out as mentioned above?

SMSP

[Wise Old Owl]

probably more appropriate to say... any newbie hiker.
I was deliberately avoiding that.



I have a BA Encampment. It came with 2 sacks. One large sack for storage and one stuff sack for packing. Is it okay to store this bag in the large storage sack, or do I need to suspend /hang/lay it out as mentioned above?

SMSP

The large storage sack is fine.

[wornoutboots]

I have a Marmot 15 degree down & it came with a large cloth storage bag just for this, kinda neat

[Big Dawg]

I was deliberately avoiding that.



understand,,,,, but sometimes the truth must be told. ;) We were all newbies once.

[kayak karl]

if you hike enough this ain't really an issue, is it?

[Wise Old Owl]

ahh KK Just trying to make sure folks don't make a simple mistake......

[Don H]

If your down bag didn't come with a storage sack buy a large cloth laundry bag to keep it in. Then hang it up.

[kayak karl]

ahh KK Just trying to make sure folks don't make a simple mistake......
just teasing LOL hope you had a good christmas. KK&K

[rjjones]

Great thread,wasn't sure about this myself.RJ

[Bags4266]

Got me wondering how my new Marmot bag is doing in transit. I bought a new pinnacle and due to the Holidays it will be in the mail over a week. Not sure if their shipped loose or compressed.

[kayak karl]

wise owl was talking of long storage. remember your bag/quilt is compressed 2/3 of the time. if it is stored compressed throw in dryer no heat with 2-3 tennis balls and it will be restored. i have 8 hammock quilts and i hang them in mesh laundry bags as mentioned.

[mweinstone]

i can tell you all how to get any bag beyond its wildest lofty dreams of loft. sleep under it for months at a time in your house. thats it. if you sleep every night with it unzipped and as your primary blanket, you will have a bag that never can be unlofty again. as long as when your not hiking, its your blanket at home. no amount of machine tumbeling and fluff settings with the finest ragg soc covered tennis balls can acomplish what long nights of a warm human in staticy underthings, rolling and tossing gently in a warm house can. bags treated in this way get folks asking routenly," what the heck is that? a million below bagg?!". loft is my game. dont ever talk to me again of this.lol.

[alphaPig74]

What if I only use my bag a few times per year. For instance, if I use it in April, then not again until September, should I decompress it for a bit in between?

[Bags4266]

It should always remain decompressed till use.