Sleeping Bag Care

The easiest way to make your sleeping bag last is keeping it clean.

• Frequent washing breaks down materials. Only wash your bag when necessary.
• If your bag is getting dirty, try spot cleaning it with a paste of non-detergent laundry soap and water and a toothbrush.
• Never dry clean your bag. 
  • If you have to wash the whole thing, use a front load washer with an extra spin cycle to remove the excess water
• Wear clean clothes to bed or use a liner to keep you bag clean.

Storage

• Never store a wet bag
  • Unpack your bag out when you get home and let it air out for a couple of days. 
  • A dry bag will hold up much better than a damp one.
• Storing your bag in a stuff sack will break down the insulation and reduce loft. 
  • Store your bag in a larger sack that won’t keep it so compressed.

It’s best to air dry your bag, but this can take a while. If you must use a machine dryer use a low, or no, heat setting. You can also try throwing a clean tennis ball into the load to help redistribute the insulation as the dryer does its work.

Other Tips

• Down Leaks: Many down bags feature "down-proof" liners and shells made of very tightly woven fabrics. It’s normal for a few feathers to escape. The sharp quills of the feathers may poke through, especially when the bag is new and the down hasn't totally settled. Work the feathers gently back inside, pulling from the opposite side; the holes should be minimal and will close back up.
• Fabric Tears: For small holes or tears in the sleeping bag shell, a patch of nylon repair tape will do the trick until you get home. 
• Broken Zipper: Campers Village has an in-house repair centre than can replace or fix broken zippers. Call 1.888.231.4753 in Calgary or 1.800.661.3847 in Edmonton for estimates.