My job requires me to keep sleeping gear stored and ready to go at all times. This means I have to keep a sleeping bag stored in a compressed state for possibly weeks at a time. I still need it to be as small and light as possible as well. I’m curious to know what the best sleeping bag insulation would be, as well as how much damage I’m doing to it. For example should I get/build a 0 degree quilt and expect it to perform like a 20 degree? If anyone has any articles or experiments done, or tips on mitigating damage, it would be appreciated.
Topic
Long Term Storage of Sleeping Bag in Compressed State
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They ship down and down gear in a compressed state. It probably takes longer to relax when you get it out. Maybe shake it out a little more?
Make sure it’s very dry before compressing. That could ruin it, some fungus
Ethan, Stephen ran some tests at BPL in ’22. The Primaloft Gold was pretty resilient to compression.
https://backpackinglight.com/compression-resistance-primaloft-gold-vs-climashield-apex-part-4/
I use a Montbell spiral down bag that stays loose in a light netting sack at all times except when in the pack and on my back. When I used bags with synthetic fills, I found them much inferior with respect to warmth for weight, not to mention comfort in widely varying temps.
Made a bag with overlapping shingle construction (like that used by Northface) using Thinsulate Lite Loft that was the best of the synthetics tried. Note, this was not like the Thinsulate made for gloves, etc.; but rather, a puffy batt. The shingle construction is only sewn crosswise, giving the bag an appearance of a down bag, so allows most of the Lite Loft to decompress except at the top and bottom edges of the batt where sewn.
However, the Montbell could be carried outside in a larger waterproof sack on the pack’s top shelf were it necessary; but have not found this necessary for any reason, so it goes more compactly inside the pack when hiking. So the Lite Loft and some other synthetic bags were sent to the Ukraine at their request.
Not sure this is helpful because am not sure why your bag must be tightly stuffed at all times.
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