Washing and care instructions on a sleeping bag. Photograph by the Author.
Recently
Memorial Day came and went, and in much of the northeastern portion of the
United States, this is the day that marks the un-official start of summer. And for many people, summer is when they head
out into the wilderness.
If
you are like a lot of people, unfortunately at the end of last summer, you put all
your equipment away in a closet or in the basement, and you didn’t think about
it again until now. Did you remember to
clean it?
Probably
not, so now is the time to get everything clean and ship-shape for this summer’s
wilderness season. Do you know how to
wash and store your sleeping bag? It
says how on the label, did you ever read it? Again, probably not, I mean who reads labels,
right? So, let’s talk about it.
Washing
Your Sleeping Bag
First
things first, wash your sleeping bag in either cold or warm water, not hot, and
wash only with like colors; using only non-chlorine bleach, and only if it is needed.
A diagram of an agitator from a Sears Kenmore Top Load washing machine, it can damage your sleeping bag.
When
it says on the instructions “Top Load agitator washing machines can damage a
sleeping bag”, believe them! Years
ago, I decided to wash a nice, nylon four-season mummy bag in my top load washing
machine, instead of going to a laundromat.
I mean what could it hurt, right?!
Well somehow a piece of the nylon shell got stock under the bottom edge
of the agitator assembly, and even though it was covered in cold water, the
friction melted a three-inch (7.5 cm) gash in my sleeping bag1, so
believe them and use only a Front Load washing machine!
Only use a Front Load washing machine, photograph by the Author.
As
for drying, the instructions say to use a “large commercial dryer on low or
air dry”. Ever since the fiasco with
the washing machine, I have always used a large laundromat dryer or hung my
sleeping bag out on a clothesline to dry.
It is easier to use a large commercial dryer at the laundromat, photograph by the Author.
And
speaking of hanging sleeping bags, I have met a lot of people who I know must
not have read the label on their sleeping bag, because they stuff it into a
stuff sack and leave it in the closet or on a shelf for months at a time. The label says “Storage. Store bag loosely rolled or on a hanger. Long term storage of a tightly compressed bag
may reduce the bag’s thickness and warmth”.
From personal experience I can say that this is definitely true. During the early 70’s, my Father bought two
mummy bags and they were often stored, stuffed into their stuff sacks. When they were new, they were four-season
sleeping bags, today (yes, I still have them) they are only really good for
summer use. The filling clumped while it
was compressed in storage and now there are lots of thin spots and gaps that
let the cold right on through.
Oh,
and one more tip, if you have the extra weight capacity and space2, pack
a sheet, that you can fold and slide into your sleeping bag. Sleeping between the folds of the sheet, reduces
the number of times that you have to launder your sleeping bag, because most of
the sweat and grime will be on the sheet, which is much easier to wash. It is especially helpful (and comfortable) in
the summer when it is hot, and you are sweaty and being inside a sleeping bag
is way too uncomfortable!
Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Weather for Woodsman,
Beaufort’s Scale and Determining Wind Speed by Observation ©”, where we will
talk about how the wind is blowing and why it is important
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The
Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Notes
1 It
worked out in the end, because since the edges of the gash were melted, they
didn’t unravel, although now my sleeping bag has an ugly, Frankenstein Monster-like
scar running across its middle, where I stitched it back together again.
2 A
queen-sized sheet weighs 16 ounces (454 grams) and when rolled up measures 8
inches high with a circumference of about 13 inches ( 20 cm high with a
circumference of 33 cm)
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