Packing a Sleeping Bag
Camping out is a popular activity among a lot of
people. Millions go out into the
wilderness each year to experience being at one with nature. This
means they've got to pack the right gear and take the proper care in doing
so. One such apparatus is your
sleeping bag. Whether one is going
hiking or just taking a vehicle to an accessible camp site, transporting
sleeping bags takes a little basic know how.
Packing your chosen sleeping bag isn’t simply a matter
of tucking the bag under your arm and taking it to the campsite.
A good sleeping bag should have a
compression stuff sack. It should
also be waterproof, as some bags such as those with down filling, do not do
well when wet. There are two ways to
stuff your bag. One way is following
the instructions that came with your product.
Normally, this entails properly rolling up your sleeping bag.
To roll your bag, you should fold it in half
lengthwise, and roll it up tightly starting at the feet.
Make sure straps and excess fabric
are all tucked in. Also, push out all
the air as you roll the bag. When the
bag is rolled tight enough, stuff it into the sack.
Depending on the sleeping bag, this
method might be difficult for some people. As
such, the other procedure is to compress the sleeping bag.
Without rolling the bag, just stuff a
handful into the sack as deep as you can little by little.
Rotate the sack a bit as you go to
evenly distribute the bag. When the
sleeping bag is in the sack, follow instructions on using the straps to
compress the bag. Some bags can be
compressed to the size of a football. Compressing
the bag should only be done during trips however, as compressing it while it
is in storage will damage the insulation.
After a bag is rolled or compressed, it’s time to
properly pack the sack. If your
sleeping bag is tightly compressed however, it would not be wise to put it
under all your gear. As mentioned,
too much compression can damage the filling.
Some backpacks come with a sleeping bag compartment at the bottom
that divides it from the rest of your items, to keep the extra weight from
crushing the insulation. If your
backpack doesn’t have this feature, you would do well to strap the bag
outside. This is not necessary
if a vehicle is involved. Just make
sure the sleeping bags are not covered by all the other equipment that you
have decided to take with you.
In spite of the additional pressure that seems to be
placed on the bag by stuffing it instead of rolling it, advocates of
stuffing a bag state that it actually works better in both the short-term
and the long-term. Stuffing a
sleeping bag wastes less space in the compartment, backpack or sack that you
use, it saves more time if the weather is uncooperative, and rolling or
folding the bag eventually causes creases in the fabric that may eventually
turn into full-sized rips and tears.
Return to Sleeping Bags Guide Home Page