1 lb 700 fill down quilt at Costco. $20

FYI, I think they may have these again.  Also, cheaper!? :)

on sale, TWO pack,  $32 off of $40.

https://www.costco.com/Double-Black-Diamond-Packable-Down-Throw-2-pack.product.100314979.html

cheers.

We have one of these and get it out of its big trash can liner bag every winter. It is a real bargain.

Gave one to my sister and brother-in-law a few Xmases ago. Last time we talked on the phone I asked her if they were still using it she said, “Yes we just got it out of its little sack.” I said, LITTLE sack??” I wrote specifically on the card to put it in a large sack for storage or it would lose its loft. To which she replied, “Well I’m not as anal as you.”

To which I replied, “Yeah, and obviously not as smart either.” End of conversation. Some people can’t be helped.

“Yes we just got it out of its little sack.”
There is an assumption there, that storing it in a little sack would cause a significant loss of loft or insulation.
But has it actually done so?

Cheers

They are still for sale, but not on sale.

https://www.costco.com/blue-ridge-activ-packable-down-throw%2c-2-pack.product.100506435.html

$25 each is good tho.

Roger – all of my down bags & sleeping quilts are kept in a large storage sack that they came with a laundry bag that we purchased just for that purpose.  However, with these Costco down quilts we just store them in the little bag that they came in.  I’ve had several of them for three or four years now and they seem to rebound just fine when we take them out.  These are never used as a primary sleep system – just supplemental or for added warmth.  With that being said, I’m sure that there is some test or system that could determine if storing them in their small bags somehow degrades their insulation abilities.  Perhaps someone on here could add more info about that.

It sticks in my memory that the military stores sleeping bags in vacuum packs until they are issued. I would imagine they might spend a year or two in this really squashed state. They do not seem to have any problems with that.

Cheers

I read somewhere that stuffing and unstuffing puffy things does the most damage, not staying stuffed for a long time. Which defies decades of conventional wisdom and manufacturer recommendations.

Data? What data?

— Rex

Good point Rex. I’ve always followed the traditional recommendations but also wondered if that was based in fact or just something we’ve accepted as fact. I have a compression sack that I’ve used with my WM Alpinlite at the beginning of week long trips when I’m short on space. (I have some light but bulky items.) I don’t get carried away but find it more efficient than just loosely stuffing it in my trash bag liner. It lofts back up just fine. Not sure if I really cranked it down if it would have a negative effect or not. It lofts back up just fine. I measure it now and again after I was cold on a trip and realized that it was -1.5″ of loft. Washing it returned it to normal But now I keep an eye on it.

I cut the Costco quilt into 4 pieces to make a quilt for my dog. It’s rarely used by I cram it down super small and then put it into a ziplock to keep it dry. I’ve compared it to the other pieces I haven’t used and it looks the same. Not that there’s a lot of down in them anyway.

But I am interested if anyone knows of any studies that has been done of down compression.

A recommendation from REI – https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-store-a-sleeping-bag.html

and by Backpacker.com – https://www.backpacker.com/gear/how-to-store-and-clean-a-sleeping-bag

And finally a “study” that says they tested down for thousands of compression cycles – https://www.phdesigns.co.uk/cleaning-down-sleeping-bags-and-clothing