The Year Round Down Bag

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Most hikers, however, agree that occasional washings won't damage the down. A simple water and soap solution is generally favored over dry cleaning, because chemical cleaning solvent tends to remove the natural oils from the down and leave a residue on the bag's surface. In addition, the cleaning fluid is extremely toxic. . . and could be dangerous to campers who fail to air their bedding properly. So if you must dry- clean your sleeping bag, be certain that the operator has had experience with down garments and uses a petroleum-based cleaningcompound (as opposed to a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent)...then air your bag completely-for as much as a weekbefore sleeping in it.

The majority of backpackers, though, prefer machine or hand washing to dry cleaning. Some use a mild soap, then carefully lay the sack out flat in the sun for several days to air-dry. (Never hang a wet sleeping bag on a line...the inside baffles that hold the down in place could rip out when stressed by the added weight of the water.)

Other hikers maintain that a quality bagwon't be harmed by machine washing . Ifyou agree, do be sure to use cool or lukewarm water and mild soap (not detergent).It's also a good idea to use a front-loading(tumble) machine rather than the agi . tatortype, as the latter could tear the nylon shell.You can machine-dry the sacks-at a lowto medium heat setting-as well. Throw aclean sneaker in the clothes dryer with thebag...the combination of rubber and nylon causes a buildup of static electricity andhelps give loft to the sleeping sack, and thefootgear will also help break up any clumpsof down.

As you can see, then, there's no one cutand-dried guideline for down-bag cleaning. I believe it's best to simply wash the feather-filled sleepers as infrequently aspossible ...and to shy away from dry cleaning. With that sort of care, your downbag"should provide you with many years of cozy comfort.

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