Proper care of a sleeping bag

[Ralph Rotten]

Y'know I see a lotta guys go out and buy a hundred dollar sleeping bag (or more) and turn around and ruin the thing. Worse yet, they don;t ruin it camping, they ruin it during their time at home.

See the deal is that sleeping bags should always be stored loose or hanging. Never store them in the stuff sack because it causes the materials (hollofill and down both) to break down faster. Once you crack enough of those nanotubules that make up hollofill the stsuff doesn't work as well. Ever wonder why that 15 degree sleeping bag you bought 3 years ago only works down to 45 degrees? Likely you killed it by leaving it compressed.

Another benefit of hanging your bag when it is not in use (or draping it over a flat shelf) is that it gets aired out between trips. You gotta get those farts outta there, even if they contribute to global warming.

[RangerXanatos]

Another thing I like to do is open and leave my sleeping bag out in the sun when I wake up from a night in it. This will help air it out to get any moisture out and the suns uv rays helps kill any bacteria.

[hunter63]

Sleeping bags are kinda like tents.....

When you fold them up you fold the "Space" inside....and when you open them back up...there is the Space again.
Looks the same, smells the same, same dead spider.....

So storing them hanging open and fluffed up is a great idea.....
But not very practical, at least for me.

[kyratshooter]

Guess I could nail them to the walls like decorative tapestries. Otherwise I just don't have a 7' tall 4' wide extra closet.

Hopefully I will never have to test a -30 bag again anyway.

[natertot]

After usage, I hang them over my fence for a day for the same reasons as already mentioned. Airing out, cleaning out, and fluffing the fill. If a bag is particularly bad (such as the night my daughter threw up in one), then I will take a garden hose to it really good, followed by a light hand wash in the bath tube using a gentle detergent and then hanging it over the fence to dry and fluff up.

My storage is like others, don't have a place to hang them. I usually roll them up loosely to store them. The next time they get used, I will generally set up my tent first followed by rolling out the sleeping bag and a fluffing well before bed time.

This has worked well for me in my existence. I am not using expensive bags either. I think the most expensive bag I own is $50 and some are even $2 garage sale finds. I have a hard time passing those up because they make nice back ups or give-a-ways.

[crashdive123]

I leave them rolled up tightly, in their stuff sacks and in the back of my truck. That way when I use it next I get fond reminders of my last trip through odors and little things left behind. I used a bag the other day that was last used in Hawaii. When I opened it I had visions of the surf, a cool tropical breeze and sun drenched bathing beauties with the smell of Australian Gold tanning lotion on.

[Rick]

Ditto for me. It's nice to unroll that rascal inside a tent and find that piece of Twinkie still waiting for you. I probably have half a dozen bags or more. Who has room for all that?

[finallyME]

Ralph, your advice is spot on for expensive bags. If you have a down bag, it will last 20 years if stored properly, but can be killed pretty quick if stored compressed. A synthetic bag will last 5 or 6 if stored properly, but only a season or two if not. You don't have to hang them. A lot of down bag manufacturers will give you a cotton bag that is bigger than the stuff sack. The cotton lets the bag breath, and it is big enough to let the insulation fluff out. I either get a bag that is bigger and breathable and store it in that, or I will lay it out flat under a bed or something.

Now, this isn't true for all bags. Just for down or lightweight, expensive synthetic. A cheaper, heavier synthetic, or cotton fill can be stored compressed without much damage. I have an old army mummy bag from the 80s. It has a cotton shell and cotton insulation. I store it compressed with no ill effect. Those big square canvas covered bags that you have to roll up, no stuff sack... they are fine to store compressed as well.

Anyways, this is the same principle as putting oil on a carbon steel knife, or cleaning your rifle after use.... if you want to keep it nice for a long time, store it properly. Do you pack your canvas tent up wet and store it that way?

[kyratshooter]

This reminds me, I have an old style GI down mummy bag in the SUV that I have not unrolled in 10 years. I might need to check that.

[hunter63]

Had one of those mummy bags....MF gave it to me was WWII surplus.....didn't have the outside canvas part....always smelled like wet chickens and sweat.

I think they used a loose interpretation of "Down".....
No amount of airing out or washing got the round "butt stain" and smell out.

[kyratshooter]

Mine was "new surplus" still in the plastic bag from the mfg when I bought it back in 1980something. So no butt-stains and sweat smells.

But since the contents are about 20% down and 80% chopped chicken feathers if it gets wet it is gong to smell. That is one reason chicken feathers were not preferred for feather beds back in the old days. You never get the wet dog smell out.

[finallyME]

One of my scouts found one of those down surplus bags at the local thrift store. It was the exact same design as my surplus bag, but it had down insulation, still had a canvas cover. I don't know when they were issued because I never saw one when I was in. For the most part, we had 2 types, the cold weather version and the moderate weather version. Both were cotton shell with cotton insulation. In basic at Fort Benning in the summer, I was issued a moderate weather one. When I was in my first unit in Salt Lake, they issued me the cold weather version. I later transferred to a unit in San Antonio, and by then we were issued the newer MSS sleep system. My BIL in the airforce gifted me the older moderate weather version, which I use all the time. It is good to 20F. I forced my daughter to take it to a summer camp with our church up in the mountains when she was 12. She complained that it was OD green and all the other girls would make fun of her. When she came home, I asked her how it went and she said she was the only one who was warm. I really like the older cotton shelled surplus bags. They aren't for backpacking, but they are warm and very tough. Perfect for kids, or 18 yr olds who don't take care of their stuff because they didn't pay for it.

[natertot]

I got a few like FinallyME's. Cotton filled mummy bag. I even have one of the bivy covers as well. They work pretty good and if I am dressed right, it holds me in temps below freezing. Keep one in the trunk at all times.

[hunter63]

This last year, I invested in a couple of sleep sacks or in many parts of the world are called a "swag or sleep sack".

Had them made by my canvas guy.....
http://www.springvalleylodges.com/mi...vas-items.html

Kinda reminds me of the old canvas "bed roll" outer cover on the mummy bag.

Anyway room of a sleeping bag, foam pad and wool blanket.......in side.

I'm thinking the was the inspiration for the Military 3 or 4 piece sleep system.

We do re-enacting so went...... with the old style.
Image from Google images, but looks like mine, w/mods....had a left hand and right hand fold made so DW and I can pick our spots in the tent.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[Ralph Rotten]

Ralph, your advice is spot on for expensive bags. If you have a down bag, it will last 20 years if stored properly, but can be killed pretty quick if stored compressed. A synthetic bag will last 5 or 6 if stored properly, but only a season or two if not. You don't have to hang them. A lot of down bag manufacturers will give you a cotton bag that is bigger than the stuff sack. The cotton lets the bag breath, and it is big enough to let the insulation fluff out. I either get a bag that is bigger and breathable and store it in that, or I will lay it out flat under a bed or something.

Now, this isn't true for all bags. Just for down or lightweight, expensive synthetic. A cheaper, heavier synthetic, or cotton fill can be stored compressed without much damage. I have an old army mummy bag from the 80s. It has a cotton shell and cotton insulation. I store it compressed with no ill effect. Those big square canvas covered bags that you have to roll up, no stuff sack... they are fine to store compressed as well.

Anyways, this is the same principle as putting oil on a carbon steel knife, or cleaning your rifle after use.... if you want to keep it nice for a long time, store it properly. Do you pack your canvas tent up wet and store it that way?

Very true. Cotton will not break down, but it works best when it is fluffy and airy. Once it takes on long term compression it will be less fluffy, and less effective as a result.

Some of you mentioned the difficulty of storing a bag, but I usually just drape mine over one of my camping shelves. The only downside is that every time I go to bag that thing up it is like the first time. Since I do not ruin my bag by leaving it compressed, even after 5 years of hard use it is still so fluffy that I can barely get it into the stuff sack. We just had some -10 weather on the last trip and my ECWS bag held up admirably.

If you are serious about outdoor survival then get a good bag that can handle any season. You can get an ECWS from sportsmansguide for under a hundred bux, or a surplus military bag for just under $200. The only difference is one is new and the other ain't (and the SG bag comes with a waterproof bivy instead of the Gortex bivy, but you can buy a Gortex bivy for about $60.)

[Ralph Rotten]

This last year, I invested in a couple of sleep sacks or in many parts of the world are called a "swag or sleep sack".

Had them made by my canvas guy.....
http://www.springvalleylodges.com/mi...vas-items.html

Kinda reminds me of the old canvas "bed roll" outer cover on the mummy bag.

Anyway room of a sleeping bag, foam pad and wool blanket.......in side.

I'm thinking the was the inspiration for the Military 3 or 4 piece sleep system.

We do re-enacting so went...... with the old style.
Image from Google images, but looks like mine, w/mods....had a left hand and right hand fold made so DW and I can pick our spots in the tent.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

I used to have one of those for summer camping. They have a flap that is used when rolling them up that is particularly handy as a face shield in the morning. Helps to pull that flap over your face when the flys start coming out and you're trying too sleep in. Sturdy bag, just the right size to be tied to the back of my saddle.