Store Compressed or Uncompressed?

**Btdkd** · 08-03-2018, 08:35

Originally Posted by snwcmpr

I would expect that an accurate measurement of the weight of the bag/quilt would indicate any added material, be it soil, body oil, or moisture.

I would expect that you would be correct about that. Great idea! Thanks!

**Floridahanger** · 08-03-2018, 09:06

I'm not sure humidity that would be enough to cause mold, etc would be heavy enough to weigh properly so I would tend to agree with storing uncompressed and allow the quilts to breathe.

Also, it seems to me that the OP was measuring the opinion in number of compression/decompression cycles. I would agree if there were a definite set number of cycles to complete a mathematical equation, but each down cluster has it's own structure and limits. I don't think you can make an exact end-of-cycle guesstimation to be able to determine if left compressed would be advantageous without expanding the question to cluster structure and deformation. The anecdotal evidence of decompressing the quilts is enough for me. It takes less than 2 minutes to unpack and repack my kit as needed.

**Loonatic** · 08-05-2018, 11:01

I get what the OP is asking. If the thing that reduces loft is the compressing and uncompressing and that is all there is to it, then it would make sense to keep it in a compressed state when getting home.

However, our bodies release moisture during the night from our breath and our skin. And, there's often moisture in the morning air from the dew and whatnot. I assume that quilts are not 100% dry when I get back from an outing. I like to hang up the gear that might have some moisture when I get back, and I don't think there's a way to do that with a quilt while they are compressed. I hang to dry outside if it is sunny and dry, or if the weather is foul, upstairs. Then store in a cheap cotton laundry bag in a cedar closet.

**INhammockcamper** · 08-05-2018, 19:44

Just got home from a trip and pulled my UQ and sleeping bag out from the compression sack. Haven't ever spent any time thinking about this topic, just know that's the way I learned. Given how long down quilts can last stored uncompressed, I guess i'd be curious how long it would last compressed for a long period of time. If someone ever stored one compressed for 3-4 months or even a year and then pulled it out I wonder if it would re-loft just the same.

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-05-2018, 20:51

Originally Posted by INhammockcamper

Just got home from a trip and pulled my UQ and sleeping bag out from the compression sack. Haven't ever spent any time thinking about this topic, just know that's the way I learned. Given how long down quilts can last stored uncompressed, I guess i'd be curious how long it would last compressed for a long period of time. If someone ever stored one compressed for 3-4 months or even a year and then pulled it out I wonder if it would re-loft just the same.

How could you ever accurately and repeatably measure loft?

**geokite** · 08-05-2018, 21:21

This topic has been hashed out numerous times on backpackinglight. Stories of military down bags that haven't seen the light of day from vacuum compression; the bag simply takes longer to loft up due to the compression.

That said, I store all my down gear loose.

**snwcmpr** · 08-06-2018, 03:31

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

How could you ever accurately and repeatably measure loft?

2 rulers standing up on either side, with a straight edge between them.

I store uncompressed.

**cmoulder** · 08-06-2018, 05:54

Originally Posted by geokite

This topic has been hashed out numerous times on backpackinglight. Stories of military down bags that haven't seen the light of day from vacuum compression; the bag simply takes longer to loft up due to the compression.

That said, I store all my down gear loose.

I'm pretty sure that was my comment concerning the military down bag, the decompression of which I witnessed at USAF survival school. And it was something beyond vacuum compression... I swear they must have used a hydraulic ram. From a pilot's underseat survival kit, back then (1977 or so) referred to as a "butt boat."

**Chesapeake** · 08-06-2018, 10:59

I store all of my down quilts in HG storage bags, hung in the closet of my gear room. My synthetics are mostly Snugpak and are stored uncompressed in their compression sacks, per the info I received from the Snugpak R&D director. I've had most of my Snugpak quilts going on 3 years now and haven't had any noticeable loss of loft from storing them this way. All of my sleeping bags are synthetic and hung in the closet , and the few non-Snugpak synthetic quilts I have are either in HG storage bags or in totes. I just don't have the room to store all of my quilts in totes or hung up so since the Snugpak quilts can be stored in their compression sacks , uncompressed, I do it. That said, I do use them quite a bit so they don't all stay in their sacks for long periods of time w/o being taken out and used and I will often, out of laziness, just fold them up and lay them on the floor of the closet after I've used them. So far, I haven't noticed any difference in loft or performance with the Snugpak quilts, but as SS mentioned above it might be difficult to measure such miniscule losses in loft and performance is subjective.

**rweb82** · 08-06-2018, 11:22

Down quilts aren't cheap. Even though mine are a "budget" label, I still spent good money on them. They are an investment and an invaluable part of my sleep system. The manufacturer (who likely knows a lot more about the properties of their quilts than I do) says to store them uncompressed; so that is what I do.

I do not believe that our cottage vendors are trying to shorten the lifespan of their products to get us to buy more quilts by offering poor advice. I am not an engineer; but I am a man of common sense. And I don't think every single manufacturer of sleeping bags & quilts would say the exact same thing if it wasn't a best practice.