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A cleaner sleeping bag!

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A cleaner sleeping bag!

Postby Lefty » 08 13, 2019 •  [Post 1]

When I was young Saturday was laundry day at our house. Our bedding was in the wash first thing Saturday morning. And when my brothers and I were older we had to have the bedding by the washer before we left to go camping, fishing, working or ran off before Saturday.

I just finished washing my -5 Big Johnson sleeping bag. I almost never use a liner for my bags. While washing is tough and reduces thermal quality in down and synthetic bags I like a clean bag .
My bag has been slept in a bit over 40 times since washed in December.

A few years back my wife took her dads nice down bag . The bag had mostly been used by my FIL on hunting trips. It maybe looked like some of the bags you fellers have.. body oil around the collar, dirt, grim and stink and about anything that could be found on the ground in the Arctic, Alaskan Wilderness American and Canadian Rockies . The bag was less than clean.

Anyway my bag is now dripping water and when I can lift it , it will go outside to dry.

Last week I took the scouts on an outing,.. even the other leader, none had ever washed their sleeping bags,.. If their mothers ever knew how nasty some of those bags must be .

One scouters bag, dad, three brothers , 9 scout camps, over a dozen years elk camps .I could smell that bag down wind over the stink of cow crap. :o
So maybe part of gear check you should consider cleaning, or washing your sleeping bag.
I hand wash bags in the tub,..
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Re: A cleaner sleeping bag!

Postby Swede » 08 13, 2019 •  [Post 2]

I air out my sleeping bag daily, and wash it once a year. On a long hunt it helps to leave it open every day, but is not perfect. It is just that the alternatives are worse. After scouting, I air my bag out for weeks in our daylight basement as I won't wash it until October.

It sounds like you are hand washing your bag Lefty. I take mine to the laundry and put it in an extra large washing machine. After the spin cycle it is not dripping wet and goes straight into a large dryer. That is just another way of handling it.
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Re: A cleaner sleeping bag!

Postby 7mmfan » 08 13, 2019 •  [Post 3]

I clean mine once or twice a year depending on how I've been using it. Usually in elk camp, I sleep with long underwear on (can't stand the feel of synthetic sleeping bag materials on my skin) and this helps keep it clean. I also leave it open every day when leaving camp and try to hang it once or twice if the weather permits. My bag is synthetic, and I do like Swede, in a big front load washer and then on low in a big dryer. Haven't had any negative impacts that I'm aware of.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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