[at-l] Compression Sack for Sleeping Bags?

[icw@xxxxxxxxxxx (Clark Wright)]

I would add to Jim's good advice that I think you should NEVER store
your sleeping bag in even the larger storage bags - leave it fully
lofted either under your bed, hung by the hang loop on the foot end, or
somewhere else where it can remain fully lofted.  Next best is folded
one time on a large hanger in a closet where it is not squeezed tightly
by a bunch of other clothes . . .

thru-thinker

Jim and/or Ginny Owen wrote:

> Duane wrote:
>
>> A local outfitter suggested we stuff both our sleeping bags (WM
>> Megalites) into a single compression sack, which I could then carry in
>> the
>> sleeping bag compartment of my pack.  I've tried it and it fits, so it
>> seems like a decent idea.  But will the bags regain their loft quickly in
>> the evenings (with a good shaking) after being compressed all day?
>
>
>
> Duane -
> We had an outfitter try to talk us into doing the same thing.  We've had
> outfitters try to talk us into a lot of things.  A lot of them don't work.
>
> You asked a good question - but I'm afraid you won't like my answer.
> Having
> done it once, you may have already permanently lost some percentage of the
> loft in both bags.  If so, every time you do it again, you'll lose more.
> This applies more to synthetic bags than to down, but even down "will" lose
> some loft under extreme compression.  And putting both bags in the same
> compression sack could reasonably be termed extreme compression.
>
> For synthetic bags, the insulation is made up of thousands of tiny hollow
> fibers - and every time you compress those fibers some of them will be
> crushed and won't expand again.  And you'll lose some insulation value.
> Even for down, the forces applied by a compression sack can compact "some"
> of the down to a lump rather than the soft, fluffy stuff you'd think of as
> "down".  And again, you'll lose some insulation value.  With down, the loss
> may or may not be permanent.
>
> Personally, I'd take the compression sack back to the man and get my money
> back. And then bite the bullet and use packs big enough to handle the
> bags -
> or save weight/space in other ways.
>
> One more thing here - no matter what the relationship is - NEVER, NEVER,
> NEVER - put yourself in a position such that one of you has both sleeping
> bags - or ALL the food.  If you're hiking together it seems like it
> wouldn't
> make any difference, BUT --- it's real easy to get separated even if you
> don't intend to.  It's even easier to get separated if your hiking
> styles/speeds are different.  And once you're separated, even on the AT,
> there's no guarantee that you'll get back together that day.  So each of
> you
> should be always prepared to spend a night alone.  That means each of you
> should carry food, sleeping bag, pad and fire - at a minimum.
>
> And another thought - if the bags are in the same container, if perchance
> one of them gets wet - so will the other one.  If they're in separate
> places, then one of them may stay dry.  That's happened to  Ginny and me.
>
> Walk softly,
> Jim
>
>
>
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