Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Tangled Metal »

We used a tennis ball in the wash too. Then we slow spun it with the balls and hung it up to dry outside on a warm day. It was during an early summer late spring hot spell. Dried over the day and no clumping. 7 or 8kg washing machine. You need space to wash and dry it in.

There's a company in Ulverston south Cumbria that's got a good rep for renovating or repairing down kit. Usually they upgrade high mountain down kit for people. Sleeping bags are a doddle for them. They'll even refill or over fill with down if you want. Free assessment I think. Send it to them if other options don't work. They told me most down bags come to them after someone has messed up with cleaning. So you'll not be the only one with this issue.

There used to be a company in chorley too.
User avatar
Graham
Moderator
Posts: 6489
Joined: 14 Dec 2006, 8:48pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Graham »

Thanks again to all.

I will report back as things progress.
At present, most of the compartments are looking reasonably good = good enough.

It is just the top five in the back & neck area which are unloftable.
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by PH »

pjclinch wrote:hands and feet (if you're not cold enough for socks and gloves!), if the pillow parts company with a head during the night.
Also, PJs typically bulk/weigh more than a light liner.
Pete.

Continuing this OT drift, I hope Graham doesn't mind, I think his question has been answered as well as it's going to be...
Although you may be right on the typical ones there's no reason for PJ's to weight more than a liner if comparing like with like, there's less material not more. My feet are within a box on the mat cover which also retains the pillow and I sleep on my side with one hand under my head and the other outside the quilt... I'm not saying one is better, but it's something that could be considered in the mix.
rualexander
Posts: 2639
Joined: 2 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Contact:

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by rualexander »

Some launderettes don't like you tumble drying something you haven't washed there for some reason.
User avatar
pjclinch
Posts: 5470
Joined: 29 Oct 2007, 2:32pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by pjclinch »

PH wrote:
pjclinch wrote:hands and feet (if you're not cold enough for socks and gloves!), if the pillow parts company with a head during the night.
Also, PJs typically bulk/weigh more than a light liner.

Continuing this OT drift, I hope Graham doesn't mind, I think his question has been answered as well as it's going to be...
Although you may be right on the typical ones there's no reason for PJ's to weight more than a liner if comparing like with like, there's less material not more.


I've never seen PJs made out of something as sheer as a lightweight silk liner so it's not like for like though. I imagine some, errr, niche products might be, but I further imagine they're not generally built for whole-body cover...
Put another way, a fine liner goes down to about the size of a medium apple, about the same as a stripped-down windshirt. My lightest base layers don't go down that small. I use a heavier liner (longevity being the driver for that) and that's about double the size, but not more than separate very-small-packing top and trews would be.

Also, I'm not sure there's significantly less (perhaps not even less at all) material. There is a lot of wastage in covering each leg and arm separately, with extra bulk for all of the seaming (which in very fine material does make a tangible difference).

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
User avatar
horizon
Posts: 11275
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Cornwall

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by horizon »

Inspired by this thread and also because I was using my old Vango Force Ten Mk 2, I pulled two old down sleeping bags from the back of the cupboard for a couple of nights retro cycle camping along the Cornish coast. The first bag was bought in 1973, the second I haven't a clue but it must be at least 30 years old, probably forty. I put one bag inside the other: together they weighed just over 2 kg. The cotton outers account for a lot of that but even so, it's a lot of down, these days I think enough for an Everest style bag (Rab do a polar region bag for -35 deg C at 1.6 kg with 1 kg of down).

On both nights the temperature plummeted to 7 deg C despite being on the coast. And was I warm? Yes, the bags perfomed extremely well* - OK it wasn't polar but it felt very cold. Yes, they were heavy but potentially saved anywhere between £200 - £1000. I suppose they have lost some of their loft and don't feel fluffy and light like a new bag though they compressed well. And with a tumble dry and tennis balls? Well, that's the big question. I might give it a try.

* Of course, the Vango might have to take some credit for that (cotton inner) which was of course the object of the exercise in the first place.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
User avatar
Graham
Moderator
Posts: 6489
Joined: 14 Dec 2006, 8:48pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Graham »

As a matter of curiousity I have just weighed my egyptian cotton sleeping bag liner / sheet sleeping bag = 280g.

I also have a Pertex sleeping bag cover = 260g.

The combination of these two^ with the sleeping bag ( 1030g ) provide much flexibility.
boblo
Posts: 799
Joined: 24 Sep 2009, 7:35pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by boblo »

My PHD Minim with 300g of down weighs 580g, packs into a 4L stuff sack and is rated to zero (Celsius not Kelvin - now that would be good...).

I've had it well below that with jimjams/hat/Primaloft etc. It was £160 in the PHD sale - 10 years ago now...
User avatar
Graham
Moderator
Posts: 6489
Joined: 14 Dec 2006, 8:48pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Graham »

A specialist outdoor equipment repairer in East Lothian replied :-

Hello Graham,

Thank you for your enquiry.
I’m afraid we would not advise for a refill of your sleeping bag as it is not cost effective. It would end up a similar price to buying a new sleeping bag.
We generally only carry out a down top up if the item has specific cold spots from losing down, rather than a full refill.

Kind Regards,
XYZ


To my enquiry :-
1970s down sleeping bag - Mountain Equipment Lightline. Weight 1050g. At some point in recent history this has been through a laundry service who have ( highly likely ) used detergent. Despite subsequent Nikwax Downwash washes the down is not lofting, but is claggy & lumpy. Can you give me a worst-case estimate for a complete refill ? Thanks Graham
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Check this company out. I've heard good things about them.

http://www.mountaineering-designs.co.uk/about.html
philsknees
Posts: 174
Joined: 14 May 2017, 2:29pm
Location: St. Ockport

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by philsknees »

Tangled Metal: It must be said that I made an approach for a quote from that company, possibly 18-20 years ago and didn't even receive a response. Shortly afterwards I saw several warnings in the mountaineering press from customers who were trying unsuccessfully to recover expensive down equipment that had been accepted for work to be completed by an agreed deadline and who urgently needed it for use on imminent expeditions. Again, there was no response to frantic enquiries.
However, the company is still trading 20 years later so presumably they are now operating responsibly? But forewarned is etc etc.......
User avatar
Navrig
Posts: 197
Joined: 9 Apr 2018, 12:46pm

Re: Can my down sleeping bag be saved ?

Post by Navrig »

Graham wrote:A specialist outdoor equipment repairer in East Lothian replied :-

Hello Graham,

Thank you for your enquiry.
I’m afraid we would not advise for a refill of your sleeping bag as it is not cost effective. It would end up a similar price to buying a new sleeping bag.
We generally only carry out a down top up if the item has specific cold spots from losing down, rather than a full refill.

Kind Regards,
XYZ


To my enquiry :-
1970s down sleeping bag - Mountain Equipment Lightline. Weight 1050g. At some point in recent history this has been through a laundry service who have ( highly likely ) used detergent. Despite subsequent Nikwax Downwash washes the down is not lofting, but is claggy & lumpy. Can you give me a worst-case estimate for a complete refill ? Thanks Graham
Who in East Lothian?

I live there and wasn't aware of someone who does this.
Post Reply