Compression sacks/ bags

[Scoutfish]

So, have you ever used them?

 

Will they work on a sleeping bag?

 

My sleping bag is a Coleman and is made great. Really nice and comfortable and plent of room for my 6'2" 256 pound frame.

 

But the bag it came in is pretty cheap. Starting to tear on one side and it came with that extra zipper that has the two runs about 5 inches apart. You know, the ones - that in theory - you can hook together and compress it down.

 

So I am looking at some compression bags at Campmor thatuse 3 or more buckled straps. Star larger and use force to compress whatever you put in there...which I assume is usually clothes?

 

So, for a sleeping bag. Will it work?

 

What say you?

 

[boomerscout]

"Storage: Repeated and long-term compression wear out a sleeping bag faster than anything else. Never store a sleeping bag in a stuff sack of any kind. Either hang it up, lay it out on the floor, or put it in the large storage sack provided with your bag. "

The theory, which I've not researched further, is that compression puts enough torque on the textile fibers to weaken or even break them causing the textile to wear out more quickly than normal

[Basementdweller]

Fish......

 

 

I would get a 120liter duffle bag for camping.....roll your sleeping bag and keep it in there, with your sleeping pad, mess and hygene kit...that way you just need to add clothing for your camping trip.

[SeattlePioneer]

I keep my sleeping bag in a duffel bag with plenty of room for it.

 

When I'm backpacking I use a rather large stuff sack for the sleeping bag, extra clothing and whatever else I want and cinch it on my Kelty Tioga frame pack with a couple of straps.

 

My priority is to make it easy to get things out and packed up. Making things small is a bogus waste of time in my opinion.

 

I'm in the GREAT OUTDOORS! Why should I care how small my sleeping bag may be?

[ScoutNut]

When I'm in the Great Outdoors, I don't want to be lugging around numerous giant duffels, along with a backpack.

 

Compression/stuff sacks work fine for sleeping bags as long as you do not store them in there permanently.

[Basementdweller]

I think fish is referring to plop camping......In that case the best thing is a large duffel bag with all your gear inside.

 

 

I would never advise anyone to haul a sleeping bag in a duffle bag backpacking.

[Tampa Turtle]

For backpacking I use a compression bag. The bulk is an issue and the compression bags makes it easier to carry. After a campout I fluff the bags on real low in the dryer to restore the loft and hang in the closet.

 

I have a HUGE 20 degree Coleman I use for plop camping. I just use a garbage bag.

[Troop185]

Compression bags are used for frameless backpacks. Everything goes inside, so the smaller you compress your sleeping bag, the more room you have for everything else.

 

I purchase a new sleeping bag last year, with a compression bag. I have an exterior backpack, and have no use for a compression bag. I seen other backpackers spend 15 - 20 minutes, stuffing their bags into a compression bag. No thanks for me.

 

When backpacking, canoeing, etc., I put my sleeping bag into a regular stuff sack, and then place it into another stuff sack, with a heavy duty garbage bag between, for waterproofing. If I am going to be on the water, I tie the garbage bag close with a shoestring. In 40 some years of camping, I have never had a wet sleeping bag.

 

The exterior stuff sack will protect the liner from branches, rocks, etc. It will get dirty, but the interior stuff sack will stay clean. When I go to bed, I place my clothing I am wearing, into the interior stuff sack, and use it for a pillow. In the morning, all my clothing are in one place.

[Scoutfish]

I guess I should have been more clear:

 

I only meant while hiking in or out.

 

Not for starage at home, and not to keep in while not using at camp.

 

Thing is, teh bag that came with the sleeping bag is fallling apart. Seams pulling apart, bottom mesh ( kinda like what's under a matress) of the bag stretching and tearing.

 

At home, I keep it rolled up in my closet in a roll that is about twice the diameter as when the bag was bought.

 

Not gonna use a duffle bag for hiking.

 

This isn't just for parking my truck and walking 10 feet to teh campsite.

 

I am checking into and really researching some backpacks as this si something I will be doing til at least when my son Ages out as a scout.

 

By that time, I might keep doing this even if he doesn't.

 

I might end up at Philmont. I might end up at Betchel one day.

 

Could be I be an adult advisor to a venturing crew.

 

I have been asked to hike on the AT 3 times now - only turning it down as I know I am not yet in a good enough condition to do it........ YET - I am working on that tough.

 

So, I'm gonna buy a backpack that will distribute the weight nicely across my hips. I could see using a duffle for a short walk to a campsite, but that's about it.

 

 

So anyways, I was looking to find another "bag" for my bag. Sw the compression sacks and it seemed like agood idea to make my profile smaller while hiking,

 

Thanks for the replies and suggestions though, I do keep them all tucked away somewhere in my mind in case a different sitaution with somewhat different circumstances pop up.

[Jkaufman_95]

I Compress my bag in a Kelty Compression sack (which i DO NOT suggest) when im hiking, but otherwise it hangs up on a set of long horns in my gear room.

[Kudu]

 

The insides of a set of my seemingly well-designed compression sacks became sticky, as did the rain fly of my MSR Hubba-Hubba backpacking tent. Must be the chemical reaction of a waterproof coating of some sort.

 

Very mysterious.

 

Some Wal-Mart camping departments sell uncoated compression sacks VERY cheaply: No problems so far after ten years of use.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

 

 

[Engineer61]

We keep the sleeping bags bagged all the time. No room to hang up in my garage...

[Scoutfish]

Used to kep my sleeping bag in a sealed trash bag in my shed.

 

Opened it up for my pre campout air out and discovered a few friends.......waterbugs, Palmettoa bugs, roaches...whatever you want to call them.

 

 

Now I keep the bags loosly rolled up in my closet , but not in a bag.

 

Haven't had to let them pre air out or any more "friends" since!

[BrentAllen]

This is what most of the members of our Troop use. They work great and are very light. They sell them at REI. Figuring out the size you need will be the hard part. Nothing worse than a wet sleeping bag.

 

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/1

[SeattlePioneer]

To squeeze or NOT to squeeze. That is the question!