Newby – down sleeping bag

[Will Webster]

I'm new to lightweight backpacking and just bought my first down bag (actually 2 matching bags for my wife and me). I know better than to store it stuffed – we never did that with our synthetic bags either – but I'd appreciate any other tips on how to store/carry/use them for maximum benefit and life. There's a thread going on about down bag life that I'm following but I didn't want to hijack it.

Thanks, Will

[Anonymous]

I know people advocate liners to keep their bags clean when they are dirty.

[Ken Bennett]

We store our down bags in their large cotton storage bags in the top of a closet. We don't use bag liners when sleeping in the bags. We wash the bags every couple of years (depending on how much use they've received) to restore loft and get rid of any hiker funk.

[John S.]

I always wear windpants (usu only worn while sleeping) and a fairly clean windshirt (worn before and during sleeping) in my sleeping bag to help keep it clean.

[David Ure]

Micro silk top and bottom that weigh 6.8oz combined.

[Will Webster]

Thanks for the insights. How about carrying it? We're heading out in the woods for a long weekend and there's a good chance of rain. I'm thinking a trash compactor or turkey bag inside the pack holding the sleeping bag and dry clothes (but the damp stuff in the morning goes outside the bag) plus using a silnylon pack cover. Is that the standard for rainy conditions?

I also saw a post about using an oversized stuff sack instead of the one which came with the bag. What's the consensus on that? The bag is a WM Summerlite if it makes a difference.

[Hiking Malto]

If you use a bivy, zip it in the bivy and stuff in pack. It can expand as much as needed to fill up the volume of your pack as food volume goes down. That allows you to remove all the compression straps on your pack for further weight savings.

[Frank Steele]

I use either a Granite gear Air Bloc compression bag, a medium or large, I don't compress it too much. I originally used the big green bag that comes in the Outdoor Products 3 pack of water proof bags at Walmart for $9.99. the bags are very light, I use the Orange one for my Ibex Woolies (great to keep warm and keep the bag clean)and fleece pants. i use the small blue one as my WP ditty bag.

[Lee Fitler]

I have a WM Ultralite and I tried using a silnylon stuff sac but reverted back to the stuff sack that came with it. The WM stuff sack I have fits perfectly and is coated nylon so it is very water resistant. The silnylon stuff sack was a little too small or I would still use that because it is lighter. If expecting to hike in rain I will add a trash bag as an inside liner to my pack – sometimes even make a pack cover out of a second trash bag.

[Amy Lauterbach]

I don't use any stuff sack. I need a big plastic bag to keep the sleeping bag dry anyway, so just use that as the stuff sack. And let the sleeping bag expand to fill all free space in the pack. Avoid compressing it if at all possible.
For what it's worth, I don't think pack covers are worth the trouble. In a serious windy rain storm none of them really work, and that's when it matters most. I use one big plastic trash compactor bag to line my whole pack. At the bottom of the pack, inside a second plastic bag, is the double down quilt and my camp-only stuff. On top of that inner bag is the keep-dry stuff that I need to reach during the day. And on top of everything, outside the plastic bags, is my wet stuff (rain gear and the days food supply).
Amy (Palo Alto, amyl.smugmug.com)

[Will Webster]

Thanks all; some great stuff here. We're hitting the trail tomorrow morning – still a long way from UL but at least a lot lighter than we used to be.

[Scott Lehr]

I have a WM Irquois thats 10 years old. I stuff the crap out of it, sometimes leaving it stuffed for weeks at a time, ive never washed it, and it has about 500 nights in it. I figure if ive abused it this bad and its lasted 10 years, then i wouldnt worry too much about it. But on the other hand, it is on its last leg, and maybe would have lasted alot longer if i would have been more careful.

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