Econ 0 compression sack

**Hangdang** · 02-21-2018, 22:14

I was thinking about getting a compression sack for my econ 0. I'm not a big fan of the one that comes stock with it. Not having had a lot of down gear before I thought I'd check and see if there are any concerns. For example is it possible to over compress down? I can see where that would be a problem if the feathers were still attached to the bird

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**dakotaross** · 02-21-2018, 22:44

I wouldn't worry about that. Use a compression sack for trips, and then store it loose at home. Should not see any wear from that, its more of an issue with synthetics. Speaking of feathers, do be aware that the pointy ends tend to stick out more when they are compressed (after you uncompress them), but just push/work them back in.

**TrailSlug** · 02-21-2018, 22:44

It's never a good idea to over compress down and the less it gets compressed the longer the down stay "in tact".

**Snaps** · 02-22-2018, 03:17

Since I'm currently in an apartment and don't have room to hang things, I bought a large cotton laundry bag to store my down insulation in. It's stored uncompressed and happy.

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**Five Tango** · 02-22-2018, 07:45

I own a couple of compression bags for quilts.The thought I had was that I could compress them down to make more room in the pack.
However,after numerous attempts my conclusion is that its best to put them in a big liner bag,either a compactor or official pack liner bag,pack it down and close the bag.Then work your other items into cracks and crevices as much as possible.My experience is that I get the same to slightly more in the pack without the compression bag.Note,Shug has a good video on loading a pack this way.

**gfd131** · 02-22-2018, 13:08

Originally Posted by Five Tango

I own a couple of compression bags for quilts.The thought I had was that I could compress them down to make more room in the pack.
However,after numerous attempts my conclusion is that its best to put them in a big liner bag,either a compactor or official pack liner bag,pack it down and close the bag.Then work your other items into cracks and crevices as much as possible.My experience is that I get the same to slightly more in the pack without the compression bag.Note,Shug has a good video on loading a pack this way.

+1, i found that just the stuff pack will allow to get more things in the pack, sounds counter intuitive i know but seems to work. did you buy the econs new? mine came with both stuff sacks and cotton storage bags.

*edit* sorry just saw these were two different posters

**Hangdang** · 02-22-2018, 23:20

Originally Posted by gfd131

+1, i found that just the stuff pack will allow to get more things in the pack, sounds counter intuitive i know but seems to work. did you buy the econs new? mine came with both stuff sacks and cotton storage bags.

*edit* sorry just saw these were two different posters

Thanks everyone!

Many good points I think I am leaning towards the compactor bag instead of compression sacks.
My overall problem is fitting my hammock gear in my 48 leader backpack and still have room for comfort items like food.

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**FakeDavidBowie** · 02-23-2018, 02:18

I do a lot of canoeing so i own tons of roll-top dry bags. I use those for all my baaically everything. It adds a little weight with all those bags but the extra organization is nice for me.

**Mountnormal** · 02-23-2018, 06:13

From Hammock Gear's website...

**Grumpy Squatch** · 02-23-2018, 09:41

The rules for compressing down are one of those legends of camping that have been passed down from our great elders. Everyone "knows" that you shouldn't compress down items for long-term storage. But nowhere in decades of reading things on the web have I seen anyone actually test this. I've found anecdotes, but no long-term tests with controlled conditions. I hope someone actually finds some answers based on real studies.

What I have pieced together for my own use is this:

As with most things, I think quality matters. I think the "rule" that you shouldn't compress down for longer than necessary originated when "down" was full of feathers back when it first came into widespread commercial use. Several threads on WhiteBlaze and other forums like Backpackinglight say that when contacting manufacturers of high-quality down like Western Mountaineering about compression the answer has been: compress it all you want (see this for example https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/37074/). The feeling is that compression was bad for feathers because it tended to break the spines, but true down can handle compression fine. That same thread has a poster who claims that he had two identical down bags ... one stored compressed for three years and one in a loose bag. After some time open they both lofted to the same height.

So there are really two questions that matter: if I compress my down will it re-loft to its full thickness, and if I compress it for long-term, will it do lasting damage. I think the answers are yes and no. It will re-loft after serious compression and it probably won't do long-term damage, provided you have high-quality, featherless down to start with and keep it dry. And, provided you have enough time for it to re-loft completely. This last part matters. Even after 24 hours of compression, it may take several hours for quilts to re-loft fully. After long-term storage it may take days to weeks. But the anecdotes I've found where people have posted say it will eventually recover fully as long as it was stored in a dry place.

Do I compress my down? Yes. At least for the short term. I am firmly in the compression sack camp for both backpacking and other uses (like fitting in the hatches of my sea kayak). I compress my gear hard too: not just a stuff sack, but a compression sack.

Do I compress it for storage? No. Is this because I worry about damage? No. It's because I have the room to hang all my quilts and jackets in my dry basement and I like to be able to grab them without having to plan a week ahead of time to let them loft up somewhere.

Interestingly, when vendors ship down, they ship it compressed. On a couple TV shows that show how down was made (an old Dirty Jobs episode and a How It's Made), both showed compressed down in storage by manufacturers. Yes, users need to open it and let it loft during the final manufacture of garments/bags, but clearly the original producer wasn't worried about long-term damage.

I'm also not convinced that modern synthetic insulation needs much special care either, although there are so many differences between brands and types (sheets like Climashield and Primaloft vs down-like clusters of synthetics like Thermoball, which is a Primaloft product) that it's hard to make a blanket statement. But I also have no qualms about compressing my synthetic 20° and 40° underquilts or even my North Face Thermoball sweater which I use on almost every hike for short periods like overnight before a hike or the days between campsites.

Your mileage may vary and you may choose the safe route of never compressing down. But I've been fine for many years with my system and I'm comfortable with it.

Good luck.