Sleeping bag maintenance

balzaccom

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
740
We've owned our REI Sub-Kilo sleeping bags for about six years now, and that means that we've used them on about 750 miles of backpacking trips. Since we usually hike about 7-8 miles a day, that's about 100 nights in the bag, not counting some of our car camping trips. Ewww.

So as you can imagine, the bags had started to look a little grimy in places. We've meant to wash them for a couple of years, but it's such a major process that we never got around to it.
IMG_2015.JPG
Until now.

A visit to REI got us the NikWax soap for down bags, and Ifilled up the tub and away I went, first washing the bag, then soaking it for a while, washing again, and then seemingly endless cycles of rinse and rinse and rinse and repeat. Then the delicate process of slowing squeezing most of the water out of the bag, and about 3 hours in the dryer on the delicate cycle. But it worked.

What was a grimy old sleeping bag now looks more or less fresh and new. And we were surprised to see how well they filled out their big "pillow case" storage bags once we had washed them. Before washing, they were not nearly so fluffy--although it's possible we could have fluffed them up a bit in the dryer even without washing them. At any rate, they are now clean! I can hardly wait to get mine packed away in its stuff sack and on the trail again.
 
:twothumbs:

There are so many times that I get into my sleeping bag and say "eww." The hassle of washing is such a drag but is so worth it, and then the process of making it filthy again repeats... sigh.
 
Washing a bag has added anywhere from 1-4 inches of loft to my old bags. One of my winter bags is now 12" thick and at least 35 years old.
 
my mom used to put a soft tennis shoe in the dryer with my dad's bag to help it fluff. Any one hear of that? Or is it outdated and no longer considered the right thing to do?
 
I wash my down bag (NF Blue Kazoo) in a front loader on delicate. Dry on delicate or low with a couple tennis balls and a couple bounce sheets. It takes several dry cycles to dry but turns out nice and fluffy every time. I'm sure it does wear out the bag a little but worth having a clean smelling bag.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
regehr zipperless sleeping bag General Discussion 6
Bob Gear Review NEMO Riff Sleeping bag Gear Reviews 1
OwenM SOLDMarmot Pinnacle 15° sleeping bag Gear Market: Buy, Sell, Trade 4
TrailScot Sleeping bag decision : WM Versalite vs Apache MF Gear 6
wsp_scott Recommend me a sleeping bag Gear 40
Adr1an +5 C° comfort temperature sleeping bag Gear 12
Yvonne Below Zero Winter Sleeping Bag Gear 18
Perry Anyone Have any Experience with Sierra Designs Nitro 800 0-degree Sleeping Bag Gear 11
Pianomover Sleeping bag liners. Gear 40
D Western Mountaineering sleeping bag recommendations plz General Discussion 5
Tystevens What is your sleeping bag lineup? Gear 23
kimbur96 Winter sleeping bag? Gear 17
AKay09 Sleeping Bag Thoughts Gear 9
pstm13 Sleeping Bag Loft and Temp Rating Gear 3
Spencer Sutherland Long Sleeping Bag Gear 7
Mike K Sleeping Bag Repair (With Tape) Gear 7
natylka Advice on the best lightweight sleeping bag for backpacking. Gear 27
TrektheWorld Kids/Child Sleeping Bag ?? Gear 9
mtjack Late Fall/winter sleeping bag Gear 2
IntrepidXJ 0 Degree Semi-Rectangular Down Sleeping Bag? Gear 15
Nick Sleeping Bag Alternatives Gear 23
Tyler Gear Review Kelty light trekker 20 degree down sleeping bag Gear Reviews 12
HomerJ Gear Review Mont Bell U.L. Super Spiral #1 - Sleeping Bag Gear Reviews 0
pixie1339 Sleeping bag help Gear 43
F Your go to insulated sleeping pad? Gear 17
regehr sleeping in the vehicle Trip Planning 34
Janice Sleeping Bear Dunes Hiking & Camping 13
Adr1an Deuter: sleeping bags versus backpacks Gear 0
Miya Beach Backpacking and Creek Bed Sleeping Backpacking 29
Ugly Sleeping with Pfieff, Maybird in May, or Summer -Winter Backpacking Winter Sports 7
Born to Hike Can the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad be used for this? Gear Reviews 5
T RMNP sleeping pad question- mid July Trip Planning 4
Vegan.Hiker New sleeping platform for my car General Discussion 9
Kelley Another Sleeping Pad question. Gear 5
Miya Water Resistant Down Sleeping Bags? Gear 36
Lincsco Sleeping pads for side sleepers Gear 17
Wanderlust073 Sleeping Pads Gear 49
N Sleeping bags for 2 Gear 8
Outdoors24 Sleeping Pad! Gear 9
andyjaggy Sleeping General Discussion 37
uintahiker Patching Sleeping Pads & Air Mattresses Gear 23
DrNed Nemo Astro Air Ultralight Sleeping Pad Gear 6
Eugene Sleeping bags Gear 23
Tater Head Now entering the ring... (sleeping pads) Gear 44
TheDunedain Sleeping ute access? Trip Planning 2
K Recommendations for sleeping bags/pads on a college student budget? Gear 15
Aldaron Sleeping Pad Straps Gear 7
Deadeye008 Klymit sleeping pads sale Gear 0
Deadeye008 Gear Review Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad Gear Reviews 3
RyanP Sawyer Squeeze questions: how to pre-filter, and recommended dirty-water bag? Gear 30

Similar threads

Back
Top