cracked Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 (edited) I slept in a snowcave last night with my down bag and no bivy (stupid, but I didn't have time to buy a bivy). Now my bag is a bit wet, lost maybe half its loft. Can I just air-dry it? Do I have to use a (clothes) dryer? Should I bring it back to REI( )? Edited January 20, 2004 by cracked Quote
browntoe98 Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 It'll just dry out... don't use a hair dryer, just let it hang dry. The problem with getting down wet is that when it's wet (as you probably discovered) it offers all the insulation of wet tissue paper. But dry it sould recover it's loft and work just fine next time. Quote
kurthicks Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 i hang mine from the foot of the bag with it zipped up and put a fan under it to blow upwards. if you turn the fan up enough, you can feel some air coming out through the fabric. if that's not enough, then i toss it in the dryer with a tennis ball. Quote
mattp Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 I have never used a bivvy bag inside a snow cave and I'm not used to having my sleeping bag get all wet that way. I'm guessing you were camped at low elevation where the snopack was unfrozen and water may even have been percolating through the snow so the whole place was 110% moisture? (That wouldn't have had to have been all that low this weekend, I suppose). It'll dry OK if you dry it by any method and then give it a good shake, though. Just don't leave it clumped up or in a pile in the corner or something. Quote
cracked Posted January 20, 2004 Author Posted January 20, 2004 Hah! I thought it was you who never uses a bivy sack! We were on Ptarmigan Ridge, below Coleman Pinnacle, trying to get to the Park Glacier on Baker. But we didn't. You're probably just a smarter winter camper than me. All I know is that my two partners used bivy sacks and stayed dry, while I didn't and got wet. Thanks for the info, I'll just air dry it and see what happens. Quote
mattp Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 Just be careful with a totally wet sleeping bag, though. I've ripped the baffles by washing a sleeping bag and then tossing it into the drier with a tennis shoe. (The tennis ball might be a better call, you might not want to use maximum high heat, either.) Quote
catbirdseat Posted January 20, 2004 Posted January 20, 2004 Just be careful with a totally wet sleeping bag, though. I've ripped the baffles by washing a sleeping bag and then tossing it into the drier with a tennis shoe. (The tennis ball might be a better call, you might not want to use maximum high heat, either.) I've done that same and it is a bummer. Don't use your home dryer. Use one of those humongous commercial ones at the laundromat. Two or three tennis balls work better than one. Quote
marylou Posted January 21, 2004 Posted January 21, 2004 Commercial dryer, get it all the way dry, past dry almost, tennis balls your choice, though they are hard on baffles. Quote
catbirdseat Posted January 21, 2004 Posted January 21, 2004 Yeah, I'm baffled all the time. Remember, if you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, you can always baffle 'em with your bullshit. Quote
rbw1966 Posted January 21, 2004 Posted January 21, 2004 Another vote for the commercial dryer and numerous (at least three) tennis balls. Buy new ones then give them to your dog afterwords. Don't use antything with edges as it may tear the fabric on the shell. I washed all my down stuff after both alaaska trips this way. The tennis balls are the most effective way I have yet tried at restoring the loft after it gets wetted down. Quote
cracked Posted January 21, 2004 Author Posted January 21, 2004 I spread the bag over my bed for two days, it's dry now. Quote
David_Parker Posted January 22, 2004 Posted January 22, 2004 I use golf balls. More impact on the sleeping bag and they make more noise, dent up the inside of my dryer and piss my wife off! Quote
browntoe98 Posted January 22, 2004 Posted January 22, 2004 I spread the bag over my bed for two days, it's dry now. this man hasn't got a wife... he used his bed. Quote
cracked Posted January 22, 2004 Author Posted January 22, 2004 I spread the bag over my bed for two days, it's dry now. this man hasn't got a wife... he used his bed. Dorm room. Quote
browntoe98 Posted January 22, 2004 Posted January 22, 2004 I spread the bag over my bed for two days, it's dry now. this man hasn't got a wife... he used his bed. Dorm room. oh man... your killing me... Quote
rbw1966 Posted January 22, 2004 Posted January 22, 2004 I spread the bag over my bed for two days, it's dry now. this man hasn't got a wife... he used his bed. Dorm room. I hope it was your roommates bed you dried it off on then. Quote
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