How to take care of your sleeping bag
With a few simple steps and a bit of TLC, your sleeping bag can keep you warm and comfortable for years to come.
Always hang up your sleeping bag and air it after a trip
t is very important to ventilate a sleeping bag well after a trip. Regardless of whether the sleeping bag feels wet or not, the filling can be damp due to condensation or sweat. When you return home, it is important to take the bag out of the compression cover and dry and air it in a dry and cool place. Open up the zip, turn the sleeping bag inside out and hang it over a drying rack or similar.
Remember that the cover must also be dried, as it can be damp inside. It is better that the sleeping bag is aired out too long, rather than too short. If you pack a wet sleeping bag, mould can quickly form in the bag.
If you are on a long trip, we recommend that you air out the bag every day. Hang it up in a tree while having breakfast, or over some ski poles (the blunt end!!) if you are skiing. This will provide you with a dry and comfortable sleeping bag to crawl into when evening comes.
After the sleeping bag is aired and completely dry, it can be packed into the storage cover that came with the bag when you bought it. Down bags should not be stored in the compression cover, as it will ruin the down if compressed for a long time.
A dirty sleeping bag can lose its effect...
This is especially for the case with down sleeping bags. If you sweat a lot, or there is body oil, sunscreen or grease on the down, it will lose its ability to keep warm. If you are on a long trip, it is advisable to have a clean "sleeping outfit" which does not get sweat or sunscreen on it during the day.
But you can use a sleeping bag liner...
A sleeping bag liner is a good and cheap way to protect your sleeping bag. It prevents sweat and grease from getting into your sleeping bag, and it can withstand frequent washing. Sleeping bag liners come in different shapes and different materials, so you can choose the one that suits you best. We recommend a mummy shaped liner as it fits better inside the sleeping bag. We recommend using liners if there are several family members who use the same sleeping bag, or if you want to lend it to a friend.
... or wash the sleeping bag when required
Washing a sleeping bag is almost as easy as washing everything else, but you should avoid doing it too often. Only wash your sleeping bag if it is visibly dirty, has an unpleasant smell or if it has lost its "fluffy" effect.
Here's how to wash your fibre bag
Bags can be washed at 40 degrees and low spin, using a mild detergent or one made specifically for sleeping bags. It is important that no residue remains in the filling. Most fibre bags can withstand being washed at higher temperatures although this will shorten their life span. This is why we recommend a sleeping bag liner to avoid frequent cycles in the washing machine.
How to wash your down bag
Wash the down bag in the washing machine with down detergent and rinse out excess water at the end of the washing cycle. Wash at 40°C with approx. 30 % of the normal amount of a mild detergent. The minimum capacity of the washing machine must be 7 kg. Remember to close all zips when washing. The best way to dry it is in a dryer on low heat. Use tennis balls or wash balls to restore resilience and fluffiness. If you follow the washing instructions for your bag, the down will regain its carrying capacity after washing.
Damaged zip?
When customers send us sleeping bags with "broken" zips, in 99% of cases only the slider is worn. After changing the slider, your sleeping bag will be as good as new again. We can do this for you, of course, but you can easily fix it yourself at home, as shown in our service department video below. We will send you a new slider in the mail for free.
Is there a rift in your sleeping bag?
If you get a rift in your sleeping bag, you can always do a quick fix on the spot using tape. When you return from your trip, send us the sleeping bag, and we will make it as good as new again. The construction of a sleeping bag is intricate, with many chambers and various layers of insulation, so we recommend that you send it to us to be repaired properly.
You can read more about our service department here.