In my ongoing cleaning out of the trailer, I came upon my USGI ‘extreme cold’ sleeping bag. Now, being from Southern California I haven’t actually slept in it. I’ve used it as a blanket. So it’s ‘like new’ and still clean. But eventually it will need to be cleaned. It’s filled with down and polyester. The tag says not to dry clean. Mrs. L.A. says to just throw it in the washing machine. But with down filling?
And the last time I rolled it up was over a decade ago. Haven’t used it in all that time. When I rolled it up today, I folded one edge (the wide part) in. It didn’t roll up as nicely as it did years ago. I seem to have forgotten the technique. Any tips?
I still use my dad’s old down sleeping bag (Black’s of Greenock, maybe?) that he got sixty years ago at the very least. I put it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle with warm water and mild soap. It has definitely lost some down over the decades but is still nice and warm.
I would say take it to the laundromat and wash it in the biggest machine by itself. That way you are just gently rolling it in water and soap but not crushing or agitating which will break down the feathers.
Also be careful about how you dry it. Don’t use high heat, use little to none and just air dry it. But again, tossing gently in the largest dryer will dry it faster and more gently.
I wash my down bags by putting them in the tub with warm water with a little soap and pretend that I’m stomping grapes. Dry them gently. Just air dry and also in a dryer with a few tennis balls or a gym shoe. Something to agitate it. Break up any clumping of the down. Not to much of anything is my approach.
Yeah, don’t risk really compressing or squashing the down by smooshing the sleeping bag as small as possible. Give it containment and protection without too much squish.
Huh? Every down bag I’ve ever seen is packaged tightly in a stuff sack when you buy it. I thought that was the whole point of using down for camping, because it packs down small and then lofts up when you unpack it.
Sure, the manufacturer/seller isn’t going to waste space and packaging to keep every sleeping bag gently cushioned in a mattress-sized box. And ordinary use and travel will definitely compress the down temporarily, while its natural resilience will, as you say, allow it to loft up again when the pressure’s released.
But it still doesn’t make sense to keep the thing permanently stored under maximum compression pressure. Let it sit reasonably loose in a bag. (ETA: as Telemark explained.)
Yep - pack small for backpacking/canoe’ing/traveling but store in a pillow case. Both my down sleeping bags even come with a large storage bag.
As far as cleaning goes: Do it as little as possible. I have a lot of outdoor gear and I wash only when absolutely required, particularly outer rain gear. Washing removes the DWR from rain gear. I have washed and dried down sleeping bags, coats and vests: Wash on gentle and dry on gentle. The drying helps restore the loft. I still have my first, fairly heavily used down sleeping bag from the late 90’s and it’s in good shape. It’s only been washed a couple times in it’s lifetime. I tend to wear light, clean clothing when sleeping to keep the inside as clean as possible (plus, it helps you get away with a slightly lighter bag).
