Adding Down to Box Baffles

[Curt Peterson]

So my favorite bag ever (now 20 years old, I believe) is a MontBell Super Stretch Down Hugger. This is pre-Spiral. Even pre-single color. This is one of the old black-on-bottom, color-on-top models. Still, I’ve never found a bag that fits as well or works as well and certainly nothing that’s so much better that it’s worth $400 or $500 to change. It’s a number 2 – supposedly rated to 25 F.

It’s been well taken care of and I’m convinced it has lots of life left, but there are a few spots where the down is getting pretty thin. When I hold it up to a light there are areas that appear to have little or no down. My plan was to open the side seam and add some down, but it looks like it is box baffled, not continuous tubes. I’m not entirely sure of the best way to get down into those boxes. I’m thinking maybe just a small 2″ slit right in the middle of the box – shove a few pinched of down in – and sewing it up. I’d end up with a bunch of weird little 2″ seams all over the bag, but other than the cosmetic impact, would this work? Is there a better method? Anybody ever done this before?

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

 

[Jerry Adams]

have you washed it?  Sometimes that will restore loft

and fluffed it up?

[Curt Peterson]

Yep. Usually about once every year. It does restore some loft each time, but some of those boxes are still pretty thin. No issues on summer nights, but it’s definitely noticeable when it drops into the 30s. I have 3 ounces of down to add to it, just need to figure out how to get it in there the cleanest way possible.

[BC Bob]

I would access the boxes from an edge. Can you access the internal boxes from an edge or are they sealed off from each other?

I’ve done a couple of DIY quilts.  I had chambers that were all connected (Karo or vertical).  I used a 3′ Christmas wrapping paper tube to insert the down.  I stuffed some down into the tube, positioned the end inside the quilt, and pushed out the down out with a broom handle.

[Jerry Adams]

another technique is to weigh the amount of down you want to put in the tube, grasp some down between fingers and sort of wad it up, put inside the baffle, release the down.

[Curt Peterson]

Those tube techniques are exactly what I was planning on. It does appear that the baffles are closed off from each other, so I don’t think I can access “middle” boxes from the edges. I think I’ll experiment on a low-impact area and see how it goes. Maybe the shin area. Can’t ever recall thinking, “man, my shins were sure cold last night!”

[Ivo Vanmontfort]

Curt, you said ” It does appear that the baffles are closed off from each other, so I don’t think I can access “middle” boxes from the edges.”

take a closer look at the inside. Somewhere you will find the place where the manufacturer filled the baffle.
Today posted a video of my technique (unfortunately in Dutch)

https://ivovanmontfort.blogspot.com/2014/10/httpwww.html

[Mark Ries]

I own two #3 super stretch bags I have found that the vertical baffles that keep the down separated from moving within the baffles across the width do indeed have holes and mine have had the down shift out of baffles when washing and drying it’s not real easy but I’ve have shifted down between baffles. Love the bag bought on BPL well used and needing a wash. Once clean it became my favorite bag so much that I just got in a bidding war on eBay over one that’s pretty much like new

[Curt Peterson]

Yep. They’re pretty great. Still competitive weight-wised even after 20 years and WAAAY more comfortable. I used to have a #1 and sold it. I’ve regretted that for 10+ years. I’ll keep this #2 limping along as long as I can!

[Mark Ries]

Are you able to feel the holes actually maybe just cuts in the side baffles that down can pass through

[Mark Ries]

Montbell used to advertise flo-gate construction and maybe that’s what it is

[Curt Peterson]

Interesting about the Flo Gate. I’ve been trying to figure out how they would have the original construction. Seems really complicated – especially with the stretch fabric – to do it without some sort of continuous access. I haven’t opened up a side yet. My sewing machine is in the shop and once I open it there’s no stopping the project!

I’m hoping those box baffles have some gaps to get some down in and are more for down movement mitigation than truly contained boxes. It would explain the loss of down in certain boxes over time. Should be a fun – but messy – project for sure.

[todd]

Unless you tear the fabric, your initial method will certainly work with only a bit of fly-away down.  Sitting in a shower/tub that is closed off, with the bathroom door also closed, and the AC turned off during the stuffing should do the trick.

WEAR A FACE MASK!  Not for COVID (LOL) but to keep the little fluffy boogers from flying up your nose.  Not fun.

Please let us know what you end up doing.

[Roger Caffin]

I got a number of empty cardboard toilet rolls (the cardboard core) and stuffed them from inside a large plas bag with down. I had the scales inside the bag as well, so I could fill the tubes to the required weight.
Then I carefully removed a tube, one at a time, and inserted it into the channel in the sleeping bag, closed up the fabric end around the tube and pushed the down into the channel.

It’s a terrible photo (low light levels without ASA adjustment), but you should get the idea.

Cheers

 

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