How long can a sleeping bag stay in a stuff sack?
Can I safely put my sleeping bag in its stuff sack today and not take it out until sunday without doing any danger to the good protection the bag provides?
Thanks,
Kirby
yes you canOriginally Posted by kirbyinanutshell232
Fantastic, thanks for the quick reply.
Kirby
Kirby,
Short-term storage in a stuff bag will not harm the down, but when you get home, make sure that you store the bag unstuffed. Find someplace where you can store it lying flat and uncompressed, and the bag will last you almost forever.
Equally good is in a very large laundry type bag that can breathe. NEVER hang a bag over a coat hanger.
The Weasel
"Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service
Gee, that's the way I have stored my winter down bag for decades.
...well, maybe use one of those fat-rod hangers and shift it around every once in awhile. That's what I do
Down is damaged less from compression than polyester. But I guess keeping down uncompressed is best. My down bag is 30-years old. Occasionally it stays compressed for weeks. Most of the time I toss it loose in the back of a closet. It used to weigh two pounds. The last time I checked it was down to 1 pound, 12 ounces. So something good is happening to it.
Weary
Most bags of decent quality come with a large storage bag. That is the best method for storage.
"If you don't know where you're going...any road will get you there."
"He who's not busy living is busy dying"
You can get bags specifically designed for storing sleeping bags from REI, EMS, or a local outfitter.
I would much rather be anywhere on a trail right now
than just sitting in front of some computer reading about it.
do they roll up, or fold? Can you find a portable vacuum packing machine to help with size?
We're talking sleeping bags here, not pets. They don't roll up, fold, play dead, shake hands, sit, or stay.
Kinda purpose defeating since the idea is to let the loft uncompress.
I would much rather be anywhere on a trail right now
than just sitting in front of some computer reading about it.
I would think that if you put a down bag into one of the popular vacuum storage bags and then remove all the air with a vacuum cleaner, it would totally destroy the loft.
Down is a very resilient insulation, and it can be compacted many times and then the loft regained. Some have said that putting a down bag into a compression storage bag is harmful. I can't imagine what a vacuum bag would do, especially over the long term. I would think it would be quite impressive...but not with MY bag.
Large nylon mesh laundry bags from the dollar store are ideal for this. We used to use a down bag as a top quilt, at home, in the winter. The bag will last forever. Mine did...until it was ripped off by aq no-longer-trusted family member.
I always just tossed it in a stuff sack and never paid any more attention to it until I needed it. Then I left it at my buddies house and have it no longer.
" It's a fool's life, a rogue's life, and a good life if you keep laughing all the way to the grave." -- Edward Abbey
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