Cleaning a Robens Down Lite 500 sleeping bag

[Matt2matt2002]

Hi folks.
Time to check out my camping kit in prep for a few mini Summer trips.

I have a Robens Down Lite 500 sleeping bag. UK purchased.

11+ years old. First used on my Pamir trip 2015 and subsequent UK trips.
No issues with the bag; zip still zips!

It looks in good shape and has been stored open in a dry area.
I think it's time for a clean rather than an airing.
The wash guide has faded away but I can see ' Duck Down 80%'.

Any thoughts? Dry clean or hand wash with a special detergent?

Matt

[WorldTourer]

I would never wash a down bag. No matter what precautions you take, they inevitably come out with less loft. I always use a sleeping liner to avoid bags themselves getting very dirty, and when they eventually seem dirty nevertheless, I just purchase a new bag. You might want to look at the quilts from Cumulus, they are affordable and a nice design that packs up into less space than the full bags of old.

[martinf]

WorldTourer's advice to always use a liner and avoid washing is good.

However, I would hate to throw out a still useable bag, so I have washed my 1978 vintage 3 season down bag once. The washing part is easy with the appropriate soap product, it was a long time ago so I have forgotten the brand. Drying is more difficult.

An example of up to date instructions for washing and drying a down bag here:
https://www.mountain-equipment.com/pages/caring-for-down-sleeping-bags

I didn't notice any appreciable difference after washing the down bag, which for a long time was my only sleeping bag. I used it with a lightweight cotton liner until I got a thermal liner.

About 15 years ago I got a lightweight synthetic bag, which is better for me for summer use as it is cooler. I now have two sleeping bags, a quilt and a thermal liner:

- LightLine 3-season down bag. 880g and the bulkiest. For cool weather camping.
- Lightweight synthetic bag. 520g and less bulky. For warmer weather camping and indoors if not too hot.
- Gramexpert synthetic quilt. 352g, packs very small. When it is too hot for the synthetic bag. Also good if sleeping on a camping mattress inside a building.
- Sea To Summit Thermolite Reactor inner liner. 250g, packs very small. This is warmer than a cotton liner and easier to wash/dry, in really hot weather, this is often enough on its own, but I always have at least the quilt in case I need it.

Nowadays I always take the Thermolite liner. Depending on expected conditions I add one of the sleeping bags and/or the quilt. The quilt can be used without a sleeping bag, or as an extra layer over one of the sleeping bags. I haven't yet needed it over the down bag.

Liner, quilt and synthetic bag is about the same weight and overall bulk as liner and down bag, but is more versatile so long as it doesn't get really cold.

[mickeg]

Agree on the liner.

I only rarely wash down sleeping bags.  A USA specific camping store chain used to sell their own brand of soap for washing down stuff, when they discontinued the soap and put it on a clearance price, I bought a lifetime supply.  There are other brands of soap that is recommended for washing down.

I use a top loading washing machine, that is all I have.  But I think that front loading machines are suggested for washing down.  I will put the item (sleeping bag or winter parka) in the machine and try to compress it by hand as much as I can when I run the water (cold) into the machine so that bag does not all float to the top.  I then (after filling) try to squeeze as much air out of the bag as I can so the bag is not just floating on top.

Wash on delicate. 

Sometimes I have done a double rinse, you do not want to have soap residue in the down, that can prevent the down from fully fluffing up.

After rinse and spin, I will do a high speed spin to try to get as much water out of the bag as I can.

Only then when there is very little water left in it, I will lift the bag out.  If there is too much water in the bag, lifting it can tear out internal baffles.

I put it on a rack and use a fan to blow air at it.  Once it is dried out, then I put it in a clothes dryer on air only (no heat), plus a few tennis balls or maybe a tennis shoe to try to agitate the down and break up any clumps in it.  That is noisy, but a rubber sole tennis shoe won't break anything.

Optional, there are some down enhancements for sale these days that are supposed to make your down more water resistant, that is applied after washing but before drying.

I was pretty sure I kept a record of which sleeping bags I had washed and when, but I do not find it on my hard drive so perhaps I don't have records?