Sleeping Bag in a trash bag?

[Jeffrey Davis]

So this is going to be a total noob question, but I am about to head out on a trek with my new WM Ultralite, and I read in a number of places on this site that many of you stuff your sleeping bag in a trash compactor and put it in the bottom of your pack, letting it self compress with the rest of your gear on top.

So, I have been fiddling with that, and I must be missing something. The bag in a bag is huge and takes up a ton of space. Is there a trick to this? How tightly should I be folding up the sleeping bag?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[First Last]

It's easier if you put the empty garbage bag in your pack first. Then the sleeping bag and sleeping clothes go in, close the garbage bag, put everything else on top, pushing down if needed to squish down the volume. Works like a charm.

[Greg Mihalik]

Jeffrey,
Two fine points:
1) You want to be using a Trash Compactor bag. They will take days of serious abuse without tearing. A 'Tall Kitchen Trash Bag' will fail on day 2.

2)After you have stuffed in your sleeping bag and perhaps other fluffy clothes, squash all as much as possible, then twist or roll the excess bag, forcing air out as you go, and tuck the excess between the bag and the pack, but do not cinch-tie it. You want to be able to let the captured air slowly escape as you pack gear on top of it. Tuck the excess with the opening pointing down so rain water can't run in.

If you are at risk for a swim – a stream crossing – then twisting, doubling, and cinching is a good idea and you just have to take the time to get out as much air as possible.

[Author]

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