When do you pack your down?

**Catavarie** · 02-04-2012, 00:13

I've heard of people who have left their down compressed for years, completely forgetting about it and when they found it, it still lofted just fine right out of compression.

Of course a spin in the dryer doesn't hurt anything either.

**dragon360** · 02-04-2012, 00:50

I am definitely in the night before camp. When I ordered a couple of quilts at one point, they were caught in transit for 5 weeks stuffed in their sacks.

**weird1** · 02-04-2012, 01:23

The funny thing is I buy and sell so much gear I hang mine when stored just so when I sell it I can say I did. But when I get my kit settled I will quit hanging it. I too have seen bags stored compressed for years and they lofted just fine. I won't store mine compressed, but the extent that some people go to seems a little over kill to me, but to each there own down gear is not cheap, but I for one think it is far tougher than most people give it credit.

**floorman** · 02-04-2012, 08:08

If any gear is that delicate, it should go into the woods.

**FireInMyBones** · 02-04-2012, 08:19

Depending on what time I am leaving, I may wait until the morning of. If it will be an early morning, I definitely pack the night before.

**dippyhippie** · 02-04-2012, 08:23

I pack night before. Fluff the down when I sat up camp.

**Dblcorona** · 02-04-2012, 08:27

I usually have my stuff packed 2 to 3 days in advance. There really isn't problem with down lofting. My daughter has left a sleeping bag or 2 in the bag for a few weeks before I realized and have had no problems.

**kayak karl** · 02-04-2012, 08:27

i used to compress my 2 quilts in a 4 strap compression sack. was carrying 40 lb back then. they were much harder to fluff to full loft even after only 16 hours.

**Acer** · 02-04-2012, 08:30

give you a example..sleeping bag manufacturers mass produce, then box up, then put on the shelf in the box, in the bag compressed, and how long do they sit on the shelf before the retailer orders it shipped to his store..then you walk in the store, maybe one is hanging up for display,,all the rest are pretty much still packed the way they were made and how long have they all been sitting on a shelf before the consumer buys it and takes it home? I sometimes pack everything 2-3 days before going out playing and tweaking with pack and stuff,,throw it in the car or jeep and hall my butt to the woods and give it alittle shake and everything is fine. I don't use bags as I pack the pack with down on the bottom and let everything else compress it. Easier for my style of backpacking.