Down bag in pack question

Rob5589

Rob5589

WKR
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Location
N CA
So I purchased my first down bag this year and it looks like you should not leave a down bag in a compressed state for a significant period of time due to crushing the loft. I run my pack like EXO recommends; stuff everything in loose (no comp sacks) and use the pack for "compression." So my bag is on the bottom, under my tent, sleeping pad, and the other usual gear and snugged down. I run my pack for work outs in the same way (minus food and water) as an actual hunt but do not want to damage the loft. Is there a risk of damaging the loft in this particular scenario?

Thanks
 
Someone else may chime in with better insight for you but my understanding is that it's just not something that you should do for extended periods of time. I would suggest finding a substitute for training and only compress the bag when you head out intending to use it. It's the same for synthetic actually but I dont think it has quite as dramatic of an effect.

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Any bag should be compressed as little as possible. My experience is that down lasts longer in this regard than synthetic. My bags are stored hanging fully uncompressed and I try to keep them that way as much as possible. There are a number of super lightweight compression dry bags on the market. I put my down bags in those, then in my pack. Takes up a lot less room that way, keeps any moisture away from it (sweat, leaking water bottles/bladders--more than once I've been very thankful my bag was in a drybag...) and when I'm packing camp and meat out all at once, that becomes a factor quickly.
 
I don’t compress any of my gear until game time.

I use an old sleeping bag in the bottom of my pack for space filler, a bag(s) of kitty litter (to desired weight), and old clothes to take up the additional void space for year round training.
 
There has to be a study on this somewhere. "Down" encompasses a wide variety and I've personally seen a big difference in repeated loft of 650 vs 800 fill...with the 800 maintaining its loft better over the long haul.

Personally, I haven't seen much of a problem stuffing my bag in a sack for a couple days at a time.

I would never carry my down bag in my pack without it being in a waterproof sack- especially on a hunt.

...
 
You never mentioned anything about the new bag other than it was new, different bags will re loft differently. I would compress it in a compression bag for 5-6 hours and then lay it out and see what you get from it. That gives you a starting point, at least. I agree that a sleeping bag should be in a waterproof bag while in the pack.
 
Thanks all. It is not a high end bag; Mountain Hardware 650 fill 15* bag. Had not considered using a waterproof bag as I have a pack cover that is waterproof.
 
This is from Western Mountaineering's faq page

FAQs – Western Mountaineering

www.westernmountaineering.com www.westernmountaineering.com

"Will my bag be ruined if I keep it compressed?
Contrary to popular belief, bags stored compressed can get their loft back as long as they were stored dry. NEVER store a bag wet. If you accidentally store a bag compressed, take it out and shake it vigorously. If the down is very compacted try putting it in the dryer on no heat with tennis balls. If this still does not fully get the loft back the down may be clumped due to moisture and dirt from use and is in need of washing."
 
Pulled from another site while I was researching the same topic.

----------------
I emailed Feathered Friends and PHD about this issue. I only got a reply from FF so far:
A compression bag greatly reduces the size of a sleeping bag. There is no limitation to compressing down, as long as the down is not being stored compressed for an extended period of time, It will not be damaged.if you are taking it out and using it everyday. Just don't leave it compressed while not on a trip. As for the larger backpacks, some people believe compressing down can damage it. That is true for lower grades of down, but we only use the finest quality down so that does not apply to Feathered Friends products.
Click to expand...
That is reassuring. EDIT: Also PHD got back. With this link, which I couldn't find before asking. And yeah its states that quality down not only does not degrades but actually benefits from occasional compression! From this link:
Some years ago, when testing the effects of repeated compression on down and various synthetic waddings, we found that after thousands of compression cycles the waddings had all lost between 30% and 40% of their loft, as expected. By contrast the down was 5% loftier than before - the compressions had merely warmed it up! This illustrates that down is not the fragile touch-me-not substance some people think. Treated right, it will give good service for a very long time.
Click to expand...
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What I do is leave the bag loose in a plastic storage bin during off season.

For training rucks, I don’t use my actual gear inside my pack. I substitute with a training sandbag. I’ve tried other things but the sand has a pretty good weight/volume for Ruck work. Lots of good brands out there that won’t leak sand throughout your pack. I vary the weight, but you can get to the same weight as your fully burdened pack easy enough with sand. I run the reckoning and I can keep the bag in the right position with the compression straps, but if your pack doesn’t have them you can elevate it with old T-shirts, etc.




You can’t cheat the mountain
 
I went down last year. One of the best things I've done!

I use a EE quilt and I do have a WM Alpinelite.

I work on the road a bit during the week or during the week when I am home I don't have much time to pack.

So on Sunday I'll pack my pack and I'll compress the quilt/bag and I'll leave it.

Then on Thursday or Friday morning I can grab my bag and go.

I just pull the quilt out and let it loft as I build camp.

Doesn't seem to be an issue. I know some guys don't compress their bags but I seem to always have a ton of bulk in my gear.



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Always store open and uncompressed, train with a pillow if you want volume, pack it for outdoor use with dry bag. If it gets wet, you're going to be in a sticky situation. Its worth a little weight.
 
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