Washing your sleeping bag

[Don H]

When thru hiking do you wash your sleeping bag occasionally? I noticed my down bag was loosing some of it's loft so I washed it. The mfg. says wash it after every 20 nights of use so it seems to be something thing that would need to be done during a thru hike.

[garlic08]

Only if it really gets too nasty to consider getting in it. Like the time a hostel cat peed on it. That's the only time I had to wash my down bag during a hike. When I get a day off, I try to give it some time in the sun. It's amazing how some UV will kill the stink.

[Colter]

Like Garlic, I wait until my bag really needs washing. Seems like I use a bag about 90 nights between washings on average. I also completely agree that good strong sunlight on a nice day, especially with a good wind, does wonders for a sleeping bag.

[dloome]

I've never washed down gear while on a thru-hike. Most of the time all it needs is some sun and wind, or a quick tumble dry in town. Properly washing and drying down is kind of a PITA. Washing it every 20 days will probably prove impractical or simply unnecessary if you make some effort to keep your things clean.

I use a 3 oz. silk liner inside my sleeping bag to help keep body oil and dirt from getting the inside of my bag dirty, which I find is where most soil comes from- Very easy to wash and dry a liner vs. a bag. I only wash my down gear about once every season, and I use it a lot.

If you do want to wash your gear, Western Mountaineering has some good info on their site about down washing here:

http://www.westernmountaineering.com...s%20and%20Care

I've also put together a step-by-step guide with pictures for hand-washing down stuff on my website here:

http://www.davidloome.com/index.php?...:diy&Itemid=56

[Erin]

I would like to get a liner for my sleeping bag. I prespire at night. Cottton v. Silk?
I thought one has to dry clean silk. Do you wash silk?

[buz]

Erin,

You can wash silk, just follow directions. Liner questions, first figure out if you can use a liner. Buy one that you can return, or make a simple one out of an old sheet. Reason being, you may hate it. I tried a nice silk one, and am a flip floppy side sleeper. Never could make it work, always woke up feeling like 1/2 of some kind of complicated knot, the liner being the other half, lol. Returned it. Summer camping, not long distance, I bring a single bed top sheet. Any other time, I have light weight silk top and bottoms, love them. Also, I wear either a cotton or fleece hat to sleep in, unless really warm, keeps hair oil off the bag.

[Jonnycat]

Montbell recommends this stuff; I think I'll pick some up for fun.

[maxpatch67]

I agree the sun works really well to freshen it up.

[The Solemates]

i would never wash a sleeping bag. i dont think they are the same afterwards. would never wash raingear either.

[The Snowman]

I have never washed a bag while on a hike

[Chaco Taco]

Washed my down a couple of times. Its true what the Western site says about clumps. If you still have clumps, dry it, but never more than low. Tennis Balls work really well. Am looking to revive my bag before fall and feel like I can get it nice and lofty again.

[Blissful]

I would like to get a liner for my sleeping bag. I prespire at night. Cottton v. Silk?
I thought one has to dry clean silk. Do you wash silk?

I washed my silk liner on the trail. But at the end of my hike and many months, it disintegrated.

[Erin]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have asked one of my friends with a sewing machine to sew up a double bed cotton sheet to make a liner for a try out.

[Snowleopard]

Have your friend sew up a silk one. Silk is cheap at: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1634599-AA.shtml
Probably 8mm or 10mm would be good (mm = momme, weird unit of weight for silk).

[Tinker]

As long as you wear something inside the bag (or use one of those single purpose bag liners) you probably will only have to wash it once a year (unless the cats get at it).
Whenever the subject of bag liners comes up I have to state that they are a single use item which is weight in your pack for very little benefit. Wear long underwear (or, if you really prefer it, silk pajamas). At least you can wear them around camp.

[Summit]

Two reasons I have always used synthetic sleeping bags: you can dry wet clothes in them at night, and they wash well. Some of the newer synthetics are less than a pound heavier than the same temp rated down bag, so the weight factor vs. winning the battle of wet clothes makes the newer synthetic bags a winner for me.

[Jonnycat]

Whenever the subject of bag liners comes up I have to state that they are a single use item which is weight in your pack for very little benefit. Wear long underwear (or, if you really prefer it, silk pajamas). At least you can wear them around camp.

That is my philosophy/technique as well.

[Summit]

silk pajamas). At least you can wear them around camp.

If I come up on a guy walking around a camp site in silk pajamas I'm hiking on several miles further, thank you!

[Midway Sam]

If I come up on a guy walking around a camp site in silk pajamas I'm hiking on several miles further, thank you!

Beware of "The Continetal" whilst on the trail...

[buz]

Nobody sees my silkies, except my sleeping bag, so no worries, lol.