How to Store a Sleeping Bag
When storing your sleeping bag after a long season outdoors or following your yearly cleaning, there are a few key factors to consider. Proper storage is essential for maintaining your bag's longevity and dictates whether it retains its original fluffiness. To ensure your gear stays in top condition, here are a few helpful tips from our Camping Experts.
Avoid Compressing Your Sleeping Bag Long-Term
While compression stuff sacks are great for saving space while camping or backpacking, they are not ideal for long-term storage. Keeping a sleeping bag compressed for extended periods can damage the loft and resilience of its insulation. As soon as you return from your trip, remove your sleeping bag from its stuff sack and let the fibers fully expand. For long-term home storage, only use the larger storage bag the sleeping bag came with, as it is designed to house the bag without decreasing its loft.
Ensure Your Sleeping Bag is Completely Dry
Before packing your bag away, it is highly recommended to dry it out completely after every camping trip. This prevents mold and mildew growth and allows the insulation fibers to fully decompress.
Tips for drying your bag:
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Unzip the bag fully and let it hang dry for a full 24 hours.
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If drying outdoors, make sure it is placed in a covered area to avoid direct sunlight, as UV rays can weaken the bag's exterior fabric.
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If you lack outdoor space, you can toss your fully unzipped sleeping bag into a dryer on low heat. Add a few tennis balls to help fluff it up and prevent the bag from tangling.
Clean Your Sleeping Bag Regularly
Whether your sleeping bag features synthetic or down insulation, regular cleaning is an important step before long-term storage. For a step-by-step walkthrough on how to do this safely, check out our comprehensive guide on how to clean a sleeping bag.
Store Your Sleeping Bag in a Controlled Environment
Always store your sleeping bag is in a temperature-controlled, dry place like a closet. Avoid storing your bag somewhere prone to moisture like an attic or shed, as this can damage the loft and material over time.
When packing the sleeping bag into its long-term storage bag, there is no single right way to roll it. You can simply start from the bottom and loosely stuff the sleeping bag into the storage bag until it is full. If your sleeping bag did not come with a dedicated storage bag, you can use a large cotton laundry bag or mesh sack for long-term storage.
Proper storage of your sleeping bag is crucial for extending its lifespan, ensuring that you won't need to replace it frequently. If you have more questions about how to store your sleeping bag, stop into your local SCHEELS and speak with a Camping Expert!
