Sleeping bag compression help

[archp625]

How many days do you stuff your sleeping bag in a compression sack prior to your hunt? I don’t want to ruin my first good bag

 

[Apollo117]

Pack into the compression sack when you pack the rest of your gear. You won't ruin a bag leaving it compressed for a short amount of time.

I am reading into that you already know not to store the bag compressed.

 

[archp625]

Pack into the compression sack when you pack the rest of your gear. You won't ruin a bag leaving it compressed for a short amount of time.

I am reading into that you already know not to store the bag compressed.

Yes Sir. It’s stored in the big bag that came with it hanging in my closet. WM said to store it I. That bag long term. I bought a sea to summit 14L for my pack.

 

[Apollo117]

Yes Sir. It’s stored in the big bag that came with it hanging in my closet. WM said to store it I. That bag long term. I bought a sea to summit 14L for my pack.

Great. You're storing it right.

I wouldn't worry about leaving it compressed for a few days.

I've got an REI Igneo that I've spent over 150 nights in and it still holds it's loft just fine. I definitely don't leave it compressed if I don't have to though. I'm sure I've left it compressed for several 48-72 hour periods.

 

[archp625]

Great. You're storing it right.

I wouldn't worry about leaving it compressed for a few days.

I've got an REI Igneo that I've spent over 150 nights in and it still holds it's loft just fine. I definitely don't leave it compressed if I don't have to though. I'm sure I've left it compressed for several 48-72 hour periods.

Thank you. I’m leaving Friday morning. I think I will compress it Thursday night.

 

[tdot]

You can compress the bag days ahead of time and not worry about losing loft or damaging a good down bag. My emergency quilt is often stuffed for several weeks at a time and I've never noticed any loss. Same with my WM winter bag, it was stuffed atleast 1 to 2 weeks before it was used, no loss, and that waa true for the 7-8 years that I had that bag.

 

[archp625]

You can compress the bag days ahead of time and not worry about losing loft or damaging a good down bag. My emergency quilt is often stuffed for several weeks at a time and I've never noticed any loss. Same with my WM winter bag, it was stuffed atleast 1 to 2 weeks before it was used, no loss, and that waa true for the 7-8 years that I had that bag.

Thank you for your experience. Sounds to me that I am worrying about nothing and I just don't want to go weeks or months compressed sitting in my closet.

 

[CO-AJ]

I stuff my WM when I load the pack and then at camp obviously once the tent and pad are up and inflated it gets laid out to reloft. I have the Versalite so it compresses small, I think I use a 10L sack.

 

[sndmn11]

You are totally over thinking it, there is no harm in storing high quality dry down compressed.
https://www.westernmountaineering.com/faqs/
Under storage and care.

 

[Franger]

You’re fine for a few days. I compress the hell out of my down bag and it’s never been an issue for a few days. Even if I leave it compressed for 72 hours, as long I as let it “loft out” for an hour or so before trying to sleep in it, it’s good to go. Ive seen some guys pull their nice down bag out of a compression sack and toss it in their tent right before bed time. The next day they’re complaining that they think their bag is shot. In my opinion, it’s important to let the bag sit out for awhile after decompressing it. It takes a bit for everything to rearrange in those baffles and air to get in there.

 

[CO-AJ]

You’re fine for a few days. I compress the hell out of my down bag and it’s never been an issue for a few days. Even if I leave it compressed for 72 hours, as long I as let it “loft out” for an hour or so before trying to sleep in it, it’s good to go. Ive seen some guys pull their nice down bag out of a compression sack and toss it in their tent right before bed time. The next day they’re complaining that they think their bag is shot. In my opinion, it’s important to let the bag sit out for awhile after decompressing it. It takes a bit for everything to rearrange in those baffles and air to get in there.

100% correct. The loft is what gives the down its insulation properties. This is why you couple a bag with a high R value sleeping pad, and shake the bag (if you have continuous baffles) to move the down from the bottom (backside) of the bag to the top. Compressed down has little to no insulation properties, another reason quilts have become popular, you shave weight and compressability by removing the part of the sleeping bag with little to no advantage. The trade-off, IMO, is that if you are an active sleeper you will catch many cold drafts with a quilt as at best it is tied down to the sleeping pad.