Gear

Quote tom sargeant

"Chris- thanks for the tip. I've a selection of dry bags with a goretex panel to allow air to escape- these sound the ideal for your idea."

I've just purchased some Exped bags and one Uutdoor Designs dry bag with the gore tex panel in the bottom to expel air. I found that prolonged exposure to water, i.e both the expend and OD bags sitting in the bottom of a wet ruck sack, the water can get in through the gore tex panel, not much mind, but it can. The Exped ones were fine.

Chris - really interesting comments about packing down bags and the relative merits of down and synthetic bags. What's your view of down bags with a DWR lining/shell? Are they necessary?

Mr Boggs, I certainly don't think waterproof shells are necessary and I mostly use bags without them. All bags have slightly water-repellent shells so they resists drips and dry quickly. Ones using waterproof fabric such as Mountain Equipment's Drilite are much more water resistant though not waterproof as the seams still leak. For snowholes these shells help keep bags dry but otherwise I'm happy with standard shells. There's little in it though. I wouldn't reject a bag because it had a waterproof shell but I wouldn't pay extra for it either.

I wouldn't use a bag with a DWR treated or waterproof inner as it would almost certainly be very sweaty (though in extreme cold in polar regions fully waterproof vapour barrier linings are used).

I have noticed that some companies supply stuff sacks with compression sacks for their sinthetic bags but without for their down bags so I assume this means they dont want you to use compresseion straps on the down bags.

The only time my down bags go in their stuff sacks is when I am backpacking.

If a down bag is taking a very long time to loft what use is it?

You get to your wild camp spot, you pitch and you want to be in bed in a couple of hours. If the bag does not get fully warm in that time you could be in for a chilly night.

Compression stuffsacks are provided with synthethic bags because otherwise they are very bulky when packed. However using them shortens the life of the bag. I would never use a compression stuffsack with a synthetic bag. I wouldn't use one with a down bag either simply because compression stuffsacks are quite heavy and down compresses well anyway. Some down bags do come with compression stuffsacks.

Even when compressed under the weight of the load I find that down bags regain their loft in a matter of minutes in camp. You only get maximum loft when you are inside the bag providing the warm air that fills the spaces between the down tendrils. That's why if you get into a bag feeling cold it can take a while to warm up. Better to get in while you're still warm.

If my down is looking a little limp then I give it a few minutes in a big tumble drier on a no heat setting before taking it out. It does wonders for the loft.

I guess given Chris's evidence though, this is more for my own peace of mind and I could activate this bag by just getting in it.

Richie S, tumble drying down is a good idea. On long walks I've done that with my sleeping bags when its looking a bit flat or has got slightly damp. It dries out any residual damp and breaks up clumps of down. I usually use a low heat rather than no heat setting.

very slightly off topic, but would a wash and a tumble dry help to renew a synthetic bag ? I've a snugpak softie which is currently looking like not much more than a pertex shell suit for mummies. Would this be a way of avoiding it becoming a one season bag ?

dt

Is compressing a down bag and leaving it compressed for a year or two the same thing as repeatedly compressing a bag? It seems to me that most of the damage would occur when actually compressing the down.

Perhaps you could compress a bag tightly a few dozen times and tell us what happens Chris.

John