HOW DO I ENSURE MY SLEEPING BAG LASTS FOR A LONG TIME?
If you have chosen a deuter sleeping bag, you will want to keep and use it for as long as possible. Proper care and storage are therefore crucial! Here we share some tips on how to store and care for your sleeping bag.
APPROPRIATE CARE
- Storage bag: when stored, the filling requires enough space to be able to expand and “recover”. The sleeping bag should therefore be loosely packed or stuffed inside a storage bag or pillow case and stored in a dry environment. Use the packsack for transport only.
- Stuff rather than roll: rolling always puts a strain on the filling at the same places and can damage the structure. Stuffing also makes it easier to compress.
- Air thoroughly: after each use, ventilate the sleeping bag thoroughly – for example, on the tent. Washing, on the other hand, reduces its insulating performance. You should only wash the sleeping bag if absolutely necessary. Individual stains can often be removed with a sponge and lukewarm soapy water.
NURTURE AND CARE
If you wash the sleeping bag, do so carefully!
- Close all fasteners and loosen all cords.
- Turn the sleeping bag inside out.
- Use only special down or synthetic fibre detergent.
- For hand wash Soak thoroughly with plenty of lukewarm water in the bathtub, gently knead and rinse well several times – do not wring!
- For machine wash Use gentle cycle (30°C), rinse several times OR run the wash programme WITHOUT detergent and do not spin! For a good washing result, use a machine with at least 5 kg capacity. Lift out the wet, very heavy sleeping bag with care to avoid tearing the filling fleece or down compartments.
- Squeeze out in a bathtub/shower and leave to drip dry. Do not wring!
- Dry in tumble dryer (Min. 7 kg) at lowest level (30°C). For a down filling, add a few tennis balls and dry until it has regained its full loft.
- Dry on a drying rack Always spread out open and flat, never hang!
Down needs several days to dry. Carefully loosen the clumps of down by hand several times daily. Artificial fibres dry faster and do not need to be loosened. Squeeze out in a tub/shower and leave to drip dry. Do not wring!
Down loss: why does my sleeping bag lose down?
A down sleeping bag must be breathable and, therefore, permeable to air in order to provide the appropriate comfort. This occasionally leads to finer fragments of down leaking out through the fabric. However, this “down loss” does not mean that the sleeping bag is defective. If you notice any down escaping from the inside of the sleeping bag, the best solution is to pull it back into the filling from the opposite side. The resulting gap in the fabric of sleeping bag should close by itself during subsequent use.
Fragments of down should not be pulled out as there is a risk that several more fragments will leak out too. This is a result of the structure of the down in the sleeping bag; the individual fragments of down are interlinked. Also, pulling at them may cause the gap in the fabric to expand further.
So, don’t worry about isolated fragments of down leaking out overnight. This is natural and does not reduce the insulation performance of the sleeping bag.