Hey, I keep seeing people mess up their sleeping bag storage after trips

Just got back from a 3 day hike in the White Mountains and saw a buddy stuff his damp bag right into its stuff sack. This is a huge deal, especially with down. If you pack a bag away wet, even a little, the insulation can clump and lose its loft permanently. I learned this the hard way after ruining a $250 Marmot bag years ago. Now I always hang mine in a dry, airy spot for at least a full day before storing it loose in a big cotton sack. It's not just about drying it out, it's about letting the fibers decompress. Are you guys using those big storage sacks or just leaving them out on a shelf?

3 comments

3 Comments

theajohnson2d ago

Yeah, that "letting the fibers decompress" part is key. I drape mine over a door in a spare room, the one with the ceiling fan. I'll run the fan on low for a whole afternoon. Even if it feels dry from the outside, the inner loft needs to air out.

henryt182d ago

My old Patagonia puffy has been through the dryer on low heat for years and it's still fluffy. I think @theajohnson is overcomplicating things. Modern down and synthetic fills are made to handle a gentle tumble dry cycle. Hanging it up for a whole afternoon just wastes time and energy when a dryer with a couple of clean tennis balls gets the job done in under an hour. The key is using low heat and checking it often, not avoiding the machine completely.

bailey.jennifer2d ago

My buddy Mark learned this the hard way. He tossed his puffy jacket in the dryer for like ten minutes, thought it was good, and packed it for a camping trip. That first cold morning he put it on and it was just flat, zero warmth. The outside shell was dry but all the down inside was still damp and clumped together. He spent the whole weekend freezing.