Is this sleeping bag worth the effort

You could try and wash it, which isn't expensive but can be an all day chore. Be sure to buy down soap. Wash it by hand in a tub (set up the video camera so you can submit it to Americas funniest home videos trying to submerge a down bag – starting with it in the stuff sack helps) or in a front load washing machine. Rense the bag thoroughly (most people that mess it up don't get all the soap out. – this part will take a few minutes) then dry on low heat with a couple of tennis balls in the dryer. This will take a long time as well but in the end it should help. It kind of sounds like either: A- the bag is really dirty and needs a wash B- the bag has been stored compressed a LONG time C- the bag was stored wet D- they tried to wash the bag and didn't get all the soap out. Good sleeping bags are expensive but they can last a long time. If you have ever spent a cold night shivering you know this isn't something you want to skimp on. If you decide to get a new bag, I recommend looking on gear swap here for a nice used bag. You can generally get a significant discount and if you don't like it, you can resale it and recoup most (if not all) of your cost. Look for 800 fill (or higher) bags from Marmot, Western Mountaineering, mountain Hardwear, feathered friends, and others. A good bag is probably the largest purchase for a new backpacker but you just have to consider it an investment.

Regardess of what you paid you have a near useless bag. Get your money back. A good New down bag for a good price can be had from Camp Saver or Campmoor. If you are doing 3 season camping (i.e. not winter camping) then a less expensive synthetic bag will do. The North Face makes some as do many other reputable companies. Better yet rent or borrow equipment first. You have not said what your physical limitations are but I assume they relate to strength/endurance. If they are back problems you need to get a pack with a comfortable padded waist belt so most (80%) of the weight can be transferred to your hips and off your back. Good luck and come back here with any questions. Folks here like to help people new to the sport.

I have dropped, over the years, more than $1000 on quality down gear – down booties, down jackets, down quilts, a down filled sleeping pad – and have yet to regret a single one. None of those items cost less than you paid for that sleeping bag. I recommend spending once, and well, rather than frittering away your coin on inadequate gear in pursuit of a "good buy." You can sometimes get a Western Mountaineering bag second hand on the Gear Swap here, or on craigslist, and those cost $500-$700 new. You likely won't spend less than 200-300 used/in good condition. But that bag would be worth the money. I have given away cheap gear, including a sub-$100 synthetic bag that I could not sell for love or money. It was a hard lesson to learn. I dislike spending money and having to discard the item. The quilts that I have would sell easily for 2/3 their original price, because they are quality brands, quality gear, and still in demand. Not that I'm going to do that until the day comes I am completely disabled and unable to backpack! In case it isn't obvious… I don't think your bag is a good deal, if the loft isn't there. You can try to wash it and see if it helps. 3.5 pounds — wow. My 0 degree quilt weighs less than 2… a three season quality bag (15-20F) would, too.

I guess I need explain a little more. Someone asked about my disability. Well I just went through cancer and chemo. So 8 months ago I was in a wheelchair part time as I couldn't hardly make it from the couch to the bathroom. Now I am in remission. Very slowly getting better. But not there yet. The chemo destroyed the nerves in my legs and feet. Gave me severe nueropathy in my hands and feet. I can walk. Barely. But I don't know about hiking just yet. That brings me back to I do not want to spend much money on gear. Besides. I'm financially embarrassed as I am on disability. Which doesn't even cover the bills. So I need cheap,,,,lol. I need to do yet further explaining. I'm not quite ready for a big hike. So no need for ultra light gear just yet. But what I am doing is going camping on my Goldwing motorcycle. So I do need more compact gear for that. This is just my starting point just to see if I want to stick with the whole camping idea. Back on point. I wanted a down bag that I could compress small as not to take up valuable space. So I got this starter bag is what I'm going to call it. It is duck down so it can't be all bad can it. I threw this thing in the dryer. It fluffed up pretty well I'd say. I think I'm going to go ahead and wash it. If it turns out to be junk, I'll give it to my Grankids to play with,,,lol.

I am guessing that a lot of the weight is in the fabric. You can buy pure soap from a supermarket for less than "down soap" which is just pure soap in liquid form. Typically pure soap is sold as a bar or in flakes. Takes time to wash it by hand but safer than with a washing machine. Make sure that you rinse several times. If using a washing machine , run first a wash on empty, hot cycle, to get rid of as match detergent residues as you can.

"I wanted a down bag that I could compress small as not to take up valuable space. So I got this starter bag is what I'm going to call it. It is duck down so it can't be all bad can it. " Cheap, light, warm – pick two. The cheaper/lower quality the down, the heavier and bulkier it will be. Lower quality down has a huge ratio of feathers to actual down (not the same thing, feathers and down). Most duck down items I've seen have been 500 – 600 fill power, even 400 fp, and leaked tons of feathers – the pins pierce the fabric and work through the holes along seams. An old down comforter I was using did this – duck down, and the leaking got worse the older it got. Lower quality down items don't compress as well, because feathers don't. 800 – 900 fill power items I own leak very little down, even the 8 year old quilts I've been using every month since I switched from bags. If you require cheap and warm, and are willing to try a quilt, the Ray Way kit and a local seamstress would be a great way to go. The result will pack to about the size of a basketball, but the Ray Way I made that ostensibly has a rating of 20-25F is the same weight as my 3 season, 20-25F 800 fill power down quilt – 22 oz. My down quilt compresses to a third of the size of the synthetic. I paid around $80 for the kit. I am cheap – I consider the quilts an investment and a cost savings. I expect them to last for decades. So far, so good. I won't be replacing them in my lifetime. It was my way of escaping cold nights (cheap bags more frequently are inaccurately rated, and being warm is a necessity) and repeated buys as I kept getting inadequate bags in the hope of them being adequate.

Calvin, you might find THIS THREAD an interesting read

$45 for the bag? You have very little to lose. My guess is that the previous owner sold it because it was no longer as warm as he wanted, but that may well be because he never washed it. This happens. Give it a wash in proper down soap or Sports Wash, then dry it PROPERLY. Plenty of references here on how to do that. Cheers

Calvin, Glad to hear you're in remission and my best wishes to you for a speedy recovery. As mentioned, measure the loft, wash it, and then re measure the loft. If this bag doesn't work out, since you're on a tight budget, synthetic may be the way to go. If you want to stick with down, the Kelty Cosmic Down may be worth consideration. You can find them new on Amazon for $120 Also search the forum here for $300 kits. Most people here have the dirtbag gene and really know how to stretch a dollar.

You won't have to search far for the threads on $300 or less kits since my link above will give you links to them

"You won't have to search far for the threads on $300 or less kits since my link above will give you links to them" Ok. Didn't realize Alex was a member here. I really like his YouTube channel and he's really motivated me to add a canoe to the mess in my garage.