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Just found out my old sleeping bag was stuffed wrong for like 10 years
Was at a gear swap last weekend and this old timer saw my bag stuffed in its compression sack. He asked if I ever noticed cold spots and I said yeah all the time. He told me you're not supposed to cram it in there the same way every time because the down gets compressed in the same spots and loses loft. I've been doing it totally wrong since I bought it back in 2016. Has anyone else been storing their bags loose in a cotton sack instead?
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beth_hunt13d ago
Wait, storing it loose in a cotton sack isn't quite the right fix either. The old timer was right about not cramming it the same way every time, but a cotton sack isn't great for long term storage because cotton can trap moisture and cause mildew. Down needs to breathe but stay dry. I actually made that mistake and ended up with a funky smell after a few months. You want a big mesh or breathable storage sack, or even just a pillowcase, so the down can fully expand and air can circulate. Compression sacks are only for transport, not for storing it for months at a time.
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Hold up, wait - cotton traps moisture and causes mildew? I never even thought about that. I guess @beth_hunt has a good point about the pillowcase thing though. So are you just keeping it loose in a pillowcase now or did you go buy one of those mesh sacks?
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