Spouse's sleeping bag and jacket ruined by hostel laundry, what can she do?

[novnovice]

My wife is currently on the Camino, just a bit east of Leon. The last place she stayed in, had to stay in, was terribly buggy and she was bitten badly. After hiking the next day, she asked the albergue/hostel to launder all of her stuff including sleeping bag and jacket, both expensive lightweight down items. Both of them are ruined. The jacket has big blue stains on it, and the sleeping bag has either lost all of it's down somehow, or the bag was not rinsed - some parts seem to have no down at all and some have big hard clumps of down.

From what I gather the albergue/hostel people are telling her "too bad" and wont' take any responsibility. But if they didn't know what they were doing they should not have washed the items. They would not let my wife wash her own items. My wife had the same items laundered very early on in the camino, to no ill effect. The people who washed it just screwed up.

What can she do about it? These are expensive items. She was not allowed to use the facility laundry herself, some staff member(s) did it. Her walk is probably ruined as well, particularly because without a working sleeping bag, she will not be able to sleep at night. It's a complete catastrophe.

 

[jstorybook]

As for the down bag and its clumps of down--in order to dry down it needs to be placed in a dryer with something to fluff up the down--I always used a clean sneaker--tennis shoe--trainer (depending on where you are from will determine what you call it)--so I don't think the sleeping bag is ruined it just needs to be properly dried--as for the jacket--you probably can't do anything about the stain but the drying will require the same as the sleeping bag--just need to properly dry out the down and put something in the dryer with it to fluff it up and it will require personal supervision to dry both items--let me know how it goes--I think this should work as I have washed down items many times and this is how I dried them. I am not certain of the heat settings--if any on Spanish driers--best to use the lowest as it will take considerable time and regular checking to make sure the down is drying out. By the way what albergue is it--I will be going through there in late October or early November and I will make a note not to stay there.

 

[MendiWalker]

I´m sorry to hear that your stuff has been ruined.

As you are possibly moving on your Camino . I don´t think you can do anything except buy new gear.
It´s an unfortunate incident.

Buen Camino!

 

[novnovice]

Thanks for the reply. It turns out it's a hostel - Hostel La Codorniz, in Sahagun.

They had the sleeping bag for hours to dry it already. That's why she thinks that it's somehow ruined. The jacket is dry, was dry hours before the sleeping bag, but it's stained badly.

Only relaying what I've understood, to kill bedbugs, which were definitely badly infesting the very first albergue she stayed in at SJPP, everything has to be washed hot and dried really hot, for hours. Of course that's close to the worst possible practice for down, but you have to kill those bugs once you've had major exposure, else you carry them with you and spread them. Both jacket and bag survived that surprisingly well the first time (I think it was in pamplona). Who knows what they did at Sahagun.

I don't expect anyone to be able to troubleshoot fixing her physical items. It is very disturbing that hostel staff can ruin equipment casually and then simply brush it off as your problem. Is there anything she can do about that...I can't imagine what it might be, but in Spain what does one do when items are ruined like this?

 

[lynnejohn]

I agree, and I think it would be good to no let this incident color/ruin her camino experience, but rather just buy a new sleeping bag and move on. I don't think the intention of the hostel was malignant. They probably thought they were doing her a favor, despite their apparent inexperience with washing sleeping bags. In my experience, stuff like this happens on the camino and you just have to let it go. I'm very sorry that it happened to her though, and I know how upsetting it can be.

 

[novnovice]

No, we don't think there was malice involved. And note, they want 16 Euros for this excellent service. They are not doing anyone a favor.

 

[MendiWalker]

In Spain as in all places when something like this happens you can do 2 things - go to court or move on.
If you go to court have a seat because it can take some time before your case is heard. In any case you will get angry, spend more money getting new gear.
Just take it as part of the Camino. Not all is sweet. Some times it´s a bit sour.

Buen Camino!

 

[jstorybook]

Thanks for the reply. It turns out it's a hostel - Hostel La Codorniz, in Sahagun.

They had the sleeping bag for hours to dry it already. That's why she thinks that it's somehow ruined. The jacket is dry, was dry hours before the sleeping bag, but it's stained badly.

Only relaying what I've understood, to kill bedbugs, which were definitely badly infesting the very first albergue she stayed in at SJPDP (I think that's the abbrev), everything has to be washed hot and dried really hot, for hours. Of course that's close to the worst possible practice for down, but you have to kill those bugs once you've had major exposure, else you carry them with you and spread them. Both jacket and bag survived that surprisingly well the first time (I think it was in pamplona). Who knows what they did at Sahagun.

I don't expect anyone to be able to troubleshoot fixing her physical items. It is very disturbing that hostel staff can ruin equipment casually and then simply brush it off as your problem. Is there anything she can do about that...I can't imagine what it might be, but in Spain what does one do when items are ruined like this?

They nylon of the bag may be dry but the down will not be dry--and it will continue to clump unless the method I described is not utilized. The other thing she can do to help the process is to take the clumps of down and break them up with her hands--unless there is a hole somewhere all the down is still in there--it just needs fluffed. By the way where dit she stay in SJPDP where she thought she picked up the bed bugs? I wont stay there either.

 

[Pieces]

well, if someone asks to have something laundered to kill of bedbugs and they are not easily laundered items or if there is special instructions to go with them that doesn't, I really do think the fault is on the owner not the people doing as asked...

If I asked someone to launder my wollen sweater due to fear of bedbugs it wouldn't not really be their job to check if it would shrink due to the heat or not...

can't say bout the jacket as I wouldn't know the damage but tell her to get a tennis ball in Leon and stick it in the dryer with the sleeping bag and it should all be sorted...

no telling where one gets bitten btw unless one actually spots the critters, the bites can take anything up to a week to manifest (which is why one should never bring camino gear inside when one gets back home untill a while has passed, better leave it in a sealed bag in the car and put the car in direct sun or straight in the freezer)

 

[jstorybook]

I dont think a tennis ball is heavy enough to do the job

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I think that I would just buy a new one, add to my list of lessons learned and move on.... Thats just me of course.....

 

[jstorybook]

well I would give it a try unless one is extraordinary rich--which this pilgrim is not and so I will try everything possible before giving up

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Hi James, yes it is an expensive lesson to learn but I am mainly thinking about the wasted time to deal with trying to fix the bag....It is at least a day lost on the important Camino I think.....

 

[jstorybook]

meaning me--I am not rich

 

[novnovice]

Pieces...my wife is very reasonable. The person that laundered was really doing strange things. Like, the sleeping bag was almost dry at 3 pm. When she checked a couple hours later it was soaking wet. Then it got 'dried' again...partially. She can't sleep and has texted me that it's still wet after they had it for something like ten hours. Hopefully that means it's not acutally ruined, but the down is just clumped up. I'm not there so all this reporting is 2nd hand.

 

[novnovice]

James I will report the name of the SJPDP albergue here once I know which it was.

 

[jstorybook]

James I will report the name of the SJPDP albergue here once I know which it was.

Thanks

 

[novnovice]

James the Albergue that has major bedbugs is called Ultreia. It was a terrible start for her. When she got to Roncesvalles, the bites started showing up (ie next day) and there were a ton of them.

In addition, at least one staff member was very mean to her at Ultreia. She has never stayed in a hostel situation before. After she left a plate in the sink, not knowing that the practice was to wash your own dishes, a staff guy really yelled at her, he is not her servant, she is not a princess, etc. She apologized over and over and he kept going on and on about how he is not there to babysit everyone, he is there to make money. What a dismal start it was for her...that was her intro to the camino, and by the next day she had dozens of huge welts from the Ultreia bedbugs.

She is the most considerate person. Like I said being in a hostel setting is completely unknown turf to her. She'd wash her dishes and everyone else's too if that was the expectation. She is a very good citizen. For her, the hostel setting is about as natural as being on a space station would be, things like don't open the airlock without checking first...she didn't know everyone takes care of their own dishes, no one explained it. Staff cooked the food, and in her experience, most eating places that cook for you also handle the aftermath. Normal cafeterias don't make you was the dishes, right?

Things happen in life, and it's not a big deal. But in my opinion, someone at Ultreia needs an attitude adjustment.

Anyways, best of luck to you on your own pilgrimage, and thanks to everyone here for attempting to contribute.

 

[jstorybook]

I just figured out why the bag was wet again after it was dried. It is because the outside nylon was dry but the down is still wet and after a while the wetness of the down seeped out to the outside nylon. If that is the case no matter how dry the outside is the down will not dry as long as it is not fluffed up by using a shoe or something heavy in the dryer to fluff it. Thanks for the information on the alburgue

 

[clairescamino]

For the op this is a very frustrating occurance but my own opinion and experience on el camino would suggest to try your best to recover the items, not apportion blame
You have for sure tried to follow a protocol to protect the spread of bugs and salvage your equipment
It has failed
Without wanting to put a serious negative spin on this forum i often feel the hardships are not documented enough

The hospitaleros are putting in a machine the very cheapest & most expensive gear they are offered
I experienced all but bedbugs of the camino horrors list
I walked 10 days in torrential rain & stayed in well meaning pensions who stuffed my boots with newspaper and slid them under a cold radiator

In 10 mins the newspaper was sodden and only served to keep my boots wet
Did they think i was stupid? Maybe, i didnt speak spanish

I left a money wallet in the shower
1500 euro approx

I never got it back

The camino will provide ? You bet
To the finder ... Miracles do happen on the camino

Especially when saps like me carry cash like this and leave it behind

You will always be offered shelter?
No
I slept outside in villermayer mojardin after the dutch ecumenicals turned me away, then had grace before dinner leaving a huge indoor floor space for early ( bus) arrivals to pray

How very christian, my sin? I arrived late, had walked slowly with blisters

I spent 12 euro in a dryer in pamplona
It was 3 euro a go but my stuff didnt dry
3 euro was for a go in the dryer not 3 euro to dry your stuff
I gave up at 12 euro and walked in wet stuff

The camino removes you from your comfort zone a world of blame snd liability

Stick with it, its more costly for some than others, like life

There are rewards
There was never a moment i didnt feel
I felt very alive every step every moment
But i learned not to apportion blame & get angry both are fruitless

I had an amazing time
An amazing expensive time

Not enough people post this

Buen camino

 

[MichaelB10398]

These are times when really unfortunate things occur, but we can learn from them and move on. The Camino really is not a place for down products. We stay in communal facilities that are not equipped to properly handle such items. If we do choose to take such items and highly value them, then we need to seek out professional services that are qualified to properly clean and dry them.

It is wonderful that your wife was thoughtful enough to not only care for her own items, but of others. It is one of the lessons of the Camino that some of us can miss. Others can learn from her experience: bring items that can easily be cleaned in standard washing machine or by hand. Avoid really expensive items; some of them can walk away in the hands of strangers.

It is not easy, but we can be thankful she was not personally harmed and this is an issue that can be overcome with patience, forgiveness, and just a touch of creativity.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Well said. Ed

 

[camino-david]

jstoreybook and pieces have the correct answer to drying and fluffing up the sleeping bag and jacket. My sleeping bag has been washed many times, in a big commercial dryer with a tennis ball and it is still as good as new, although a bit tired looking. Most pharmacies in the Camino know all about bedbugs and can supply your wife with a preventative spray and a soothing ointment. David

 

[StuartM]

Down is hard to kill properly, as others have said it probably can be resurrected if dried right. Trouble is it means a lot of lost time while you do it. On the other hand if it's artificial "down", the synthetic candy-floss type stuffing, then it is much easier to kill and harder to ressurect.

It may be something that is worth claiming on insurance for, down tends to be expensive to replace. Doesn't help in the short term but if she does need to replace it now at least she'll get something back long term. I'd be a bit conservative in how the claim was worded though, handing over special care items for laundering may raise a few eyebrows. Insurers aren't renowned for their charitable attitudes.

 

[naplesdon]

She is not far from Leon, there should be a good place there to buy a replacement sleeping bag. Laundromat visits in Europe are very expensive, a load of washing can be 5 to 8 Euros and dryers run about 1 to 2 Euros for 30 minutes plus you must deal with the wait time or ask the owner to do the washing and drying for you. Most of the places she will be stopping during the next few days should have blankets so dump the sleeping bag asap. David's suggestion is spot on; visit a pharmacy and ask for a treatment for the bits. I met someone in Porto this year who had her backpack stolen on the train from Madrid, after a day at the police station and filing an insurance report, she simply went to a sporting goods store and replaced everything she had lost and began walking the next day. Solider on, there are many more miles to walk and just put this down as a learning experience and hope she doesn't have to walk for days in epic Galician rain when it becomes impossible to dry your clothes and the contents of your backpack. Now that's real misery!!!

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Amen Don!!!

 

[7wood]

I'm booked into Ultreia at the end of Sept. should I cut my losses and find somewhere else or buy some bug killer?

 

[Olivares]

I'm booked into Ultreia at the end of Sept. should I cut my losses and find somewhere else or buy some bug killer?

Yeah, I would cancel. I would also tell Ultreia why am I cancelling, including that it was topic of discussion at a public forum.

This is why I am taking Lavender mist spray and lavender laundry dry sheets with me and placing around my bag. Bedbugs HATE lavender, it is a natural repellent.

 

[jstorybook]

Hmmm where do you get lavender mist spray??

 

[jstorybook]

I actually was thinking about staying there too when I get to St Jean but since I don't like bed bugs and I don't like being yelled at for not knowing the rules I won't thanks.

 

[Olivares]

Hmmm where do you get lavender mist spray??

Lavender mist spray is very common and any drugstore can direct you to a small can/ bottle. I pay about $4 for small spray bottle. The laundry dry sheets I fold around the bag. Even a bar of lavender soap loose in the bag. I also use lavender gel to bathe while on the Camino. You have to bring some manner of toiletries so might as well make them lavender and have these double-duty as personal hygiene/bug repellent.

 

[Pieces]

http://bedbugger.com/2007/07/11/lavenderoil/

 

[jstorybook]

So...it does or does not work? Seems the only way to avoid them is to wrap yourself in plastic lol

 

[Oct2012Pilgrim]

I agree, and I think it would be good to no let this incident color/ruin her camino experience, but rather just buy a new sleeping bag and move on. I don't think the intention of the hostel was malignant. They probably thought they were doing her a favor, despite their apparent inexperience with washing sleeping bags. In my experience, stuff like this happens on the camino and you just have to let it go. I'm very sorry that it happened to her though, and I know how upsetting it can be.

Exactly. Move on and enjoy the rest of the Camino. These things happen all of the time, don't let one small thing detract from the adventure.

"We are defined in life by how we respond to defeat"

Buen Camino!

 

[anniethenurse]

These are times when really unfortunate things occur, but we can learn from them and move on. The Camino really is not a place for down products. We stay in communal facilities that are not equipped to properly handle such items. If we do choose to take such items and highly value them, then we need to seek out professional services that are qualified to properly clean and dry them.

I agree with you Michael.


And remember that if albergues in Sjpp have bed bugs there is a huge risk that bed bugs exist along the whole camino Frances all the way to SDC including the hostals, casa rurales and the 5* hotels.
So my advice is treat your sleeping bag, boots and rucksack with permethrin before you leave for the camino and sleep inside your sleeping bag (incl. albergues, casa rurales, hotels), do not put your ruck sack on the bunk and you will not see them.

Move on and enjoy the rest of your camino!

Buen camino.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I am staying at the Adirondack hotel in Long Lake, NY. Checked in last night . After all this bed bug discussion, guess what's the first thing I did when I got to my room? Yep. Checked for bugs. None found. Thank goodness. This whole discussion creeps me out. Reality I guess though.

 

[newfydog]

Down needs special care. The hotel can't be expected to know the difference between down and synthetics, thatis the responsibility which comes with buying and owning high performance equipment.

Stains won't affect the warmth of the parka. No one on the Camino cares about them either.

The bag needs to be unclumped by hand and tumbled on low heat with a tennis ball. It might need another rinse cycle too but first try drying. If the baffles are intact it can be brought back to near new condition. If the baffles are ripped internally, she will have to shake and distribute the down frequently to get even warmth, but it will still work.

 

[hecate105]

Unfortunate - but if you have expensive/unusual gear you should ensure yourself it will be ok in whatever
machine you use. As a cyclist many of the fabrics my gear is made of would just shrink away to nothing in a dryer - and it's handwash only! I've been very lucky by the sounds of it to never have got bedbugs in any of the many albergues I've stayed in.
Lavender (and t-tree or eucalyptus or other oils bugs hate) water can be made by using distilled (or boiled will last a few weeks) water, add say 20 drops of each oil to a 250ml bottle, shake well before each use. (lavender also good for headaches and insomnia, rose oil for hangovers and nausea, t-tree neat on bug bites.)
T-tree oil, rose oil and lavender oil is the backbone of my first aid kit...

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

When I first saw this thread I was thinking how unfortunate it would be to have a down jacket and sleeping bag destroyed by some unlucky treatment.
As unfortunately it must be to have the items returned by staff/employe doing the laundry, I do think it is
up to each person to preserve the maintenance of ones own gear.
No one should be made accountable for handling gear they do not know.
In fact, many people would probably have done the same thing.

Down products should, in general, never be washed.
The natural grease on the feathers is what makes the product a superior insolation product.
Down products should mainly be hand treated with a water-only wash cloth, to remove sweat or dirt.
Soap will remove the grease and the insulating quality. As well as clump it up.
There are some special products that professional out-door shops carry, that can be use to maintain the down product, but these products have to be used in specific ways, and should be done by the user only.

The reason why I bring this up is that it has made me think that it would/could/should be a good idea, when packing for a Camino, to choose the inferior insulating product, synthetic down.
Only because it will be easier to wash and deal with bedbugs.

Normally I would always always go with down, but now I am thinking differently.
Maybe a good advice for a pre-camino check-list, is to chose products which can handle soap, washing machines and hard drying.

Buen Camino

Lettinggo

 

[Rebekah Scott]

When a business in Spain has done you harm, ask at the desk for a "Hoja de Reclamacion," an official complaint form that goes to the provincial Consumer Protection bureau. Some places will immediately change their mind about jerking you around. And some just don´t give a monkey´s.

 

[newfydog]

Down products should, in general, never be washed.
The natural grease on the feathers is what makes the product a superior insolation product.

The loft (trapped dead air air) is what makes it a good insulator, not goose grease.

Without cleaning, the down will accumulate body oils and salts and go flat. There is some natural oil in the down which maintains the springiness, and dry cleaning will strip that out, but proper cleaning is needed regularly.

I found an ancient bag left at my house by one of my many vagabond friends. I never found the owner, but the bag was interesting. Pretty mangy, without much loft( maybe 3-4 inches), but it was made by Holubar, a reputable climbing store in the 1960's and 70's. I sent it off to a specialty down cleaning company, and it came back with 7-8 inches of loft, ready for full winter conditions.

Here's a quote from Trailspace, explaning the natural oil you don't want to strip out, vs. the crud you need to wash out:

most of the loss of loft is due to accumulation of dirt and body oils. Proper washing with a product made for washing down sleeping bags, parkas, comforters, other garments will restore most of the loft. The two best products I have found and used for many years (and I put typically 40-50 nights a year in my winter-weight down bags) are made by McNett and NikWax. REI's Loft is ok, but the McNett is the one I have found best.
Do NOT wash the bag in regular detergent, and do NOT get it drycleaned. Regular detergent doesn't completely rinse out and drycleaning removes the natural oils of the down.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Thank you for this information.
It is confirming me in thinking twice when choosing between down/synthetic product for packing for a Camino, where bedbugs may force one to hard wash all inventory.

Not to split a hair or start an argument about what came first. The egg or the hen...
But without goose grease, no loft, no insulation.


Buen Camino

Lettinggo

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Hola

Thank you for this information.
It is confirming me in thinking twice when choosing between down/synthetic product for packing for a Camino, where bedbugs may force one to hard wash all inventory.

Not to split a hair or start an argument about what came first. The egg or the hen...
But without goose grease, no loft, no insulation.


Buen Camino

Lettinggo

Yeah, but which one crossed the road first?

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Many of us, including myself, are allergic to down (the feathers, other animals, etc). It isn't necessary to have down sleeping bags, coats etc etc as some of the synthetics are very warm and easy to wash. I live in a down free home (couches, comforters, etc). I can recommend the hypoallergenic Deuter DreamLite . Down free and good for lower temperatures and has a hood. It weighs only 1.5 and rolls to the size of a 1 liter water bottle. It may be a thought for another time. Another hypoallergenic bag I have is an LLBean rated for 20F but twice as heavy but worked for summer camping. Anyway, my point is the cleaning is much easier. For jackets, Gortex as warm as down .

Hi Sara, Wow!!!! I did a search on that DreamLite bag and it is getting some really good reviews! I'm gonna order one tonight and give it a try this November when I do a 9 day hike around Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. Seems that the night time temps will be about right for this bag. If it works well, I will add it to my pack for the Camino in May 2014. Thank you for the link. Ed

 

[Alexster66]

Yeah, but which one crossed the road first?

I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned...

 

[RDLtrekker]

I to was considering at first getting a down bag as they are lighter than their synthetic counter part. Then this post made me reconsider. I'm now looking at bringing a synthetic blanket (since we will be sleeping on mattresses, I don't think we need to have the bag on the bottom) and rectangle silk liner. I found this blanket to be the lightest/warmest so far: http://www.rei.com/product/848566/therm-a-rest-tech-blanket at 1 lb. 15 oz. and at only $70, an affordable, light option. I'm also not a fan of the mummy sleeping bags as I'm a side sleeper and find the mummy bags restrictive. When I go to hotels, I always completely un-tuck the beds (the poor room attendants, they have to keep re-tucking). I also sleep very hot, so again, having to deal with a sleeping bag for a month sounds uncomfortable for me. I might have to add snaps or something to attach blanket to silk liner so the blanket does not end-up on the floor in the middle of the night (my husband tells me I have "thrown" blankets off of me in the middle of the night )

Have any others used a blanket rather than a sleeping bag? I have yet to have seen this option mentioned on this forum...

 

[christer1]

You don't need a sleeping bag at this time of year in any case unless you are planning to sleep outside.

On the subject of bedbugs I encountered them for the first time about 10 days ago and have had no new bites since then. Unless you react really badly to them just think of them as mosquitoes without wings. People overreact to all kinds of stuff down here. A friend of mine walked ahead for a couple of stages and met a new group of people who ostracised him when they learnt that he had encountered bedbugs a few days earlier. Unfortunately there are people like this in the world and the Camino is no exception. If I see them before the end I look forward to talking to them about their behaviour.

 

[Pieces]

well, theres overreacting and overreacting, people who think other people overreact may not know how costly and difficult it is to get rid of bedbugs. So while I can live with the 2-3 weeks of itching after an encounter I hate to think of what my 8 closest neighbours would say if I came and told them that they had to have their apartments fumigated.

Always enter your home naked after having walked the Camino is my motto

 

[christer1]

well, theres overreacting and overreacting, people who think other people overreact may not know how costly and difficult it is to get rid of bedbugs. So while I can live with the 2-3 weeks of itching after an encounter I hate to think of what my 8 closest neighbours would say if I came and told them that they had to have their apartments fumigated.

Always enter your home naked after having walked the Camino is my motto

All of my camino family have had no new bites in 10 days. Feel free to fumigate/overreact

 

[Canucks]

You don't need a sleeping bag at this time of year in any case unless you are planning to sleep outside.

On the subject of bedbugs I encountered them for the first time about 10 days ago and have had no new bites since then. Unless you react really badly to them just think of them as mosquitoes without wings. People overreact to all kinds of stuff down here. A friend of mine walked ahead for a couple of stages and met a new group of people who ostracised him when they learnt that he had encountered bedbugs a few days earlier. Unfortunately there are people like this in the world and the Camino is no exception. If I see them before the end I look forward to talking to them about their behaviour.

.....which will be just another overreaction that you are describing.....just not to you. Why not let it go and avoid further conflict on the camino...it's your choice.

 

[christer1]

.....which will be just another overreaction that you are describing.....just not to you. Why not let it go and avoid further conflict on the camino...it's your choice.

Feedback is important in life. They are hopefully not aware how they made this young chap feel. These were mature adults (at least in years), not kids. I am not looking for conflict, but sometimes you have to care enough to do something. If I saw your wallet being stolen should I let it happen to avoid "conflict"????

Ludicrous comment imho.

 

[Canucks]

Feedback is important in life. They are hopefully not aware how they made this young chap feel. These were mature adults (at least in years), not kids. I am not looking for conflict, but sometimes you have to care enough to do something. If I saw your wallet being stolen should I let it happen to avoid "conflict"????

Ludicrous comment imho.

Well, considering we were *not* talking about witnessing theft of critical property but, rather, going back to "correct the behaviour" of some folks that are paranoid about bedbugs.....I guess we differ on our thoughts of what is ludicrous.

Those people may have had a bad experience with bedbugs...you never know. But, go ahead and ream them out if it makes you feel better. My guess is that it won't be as satisfying to you as you think. Or, maybe it will be. We all have different needs.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I to was considering at first getting a down bag as they are lighter than their synthetic counter part. Then this post made me reconsider. I'm now looking at bringing a synthetic blanket (since we will be sleeping on mattresses, I don't think we need to have the bag on the bottom) and rectangle silk liner. I found this blanket to be the lightest/warmest so far: http://www.rei.com/product/848566/therm-a-rest-tech-blanket at 1 lb. 15 oz. and at only $70, an affordable, light option. I'm also not a fan of the mummy sleeping bags as I'm a side sleeper and find the mummy bags restrictive. When I go to hotels, I always completely un-tuck the beds (the poor room attendants, they have to keep re-tucking). I also sleep very hot, so again, having to deal with a sleeping bag for a month sounds uncomfortable for me. I might have to add snaps or something to attach blanket to silk liner so the blanket does not end-up on the floor in the middle of the night (my husband tells me I have "thrown" blankets off of me in the middle of the night )

Have any others used a blanket rather than a sleeping bag? I have yet to have seen this option mentioned on this forum...

I'm a Bed-UnTucker also!!! How many of us are out there I wonder?

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

well, theres overreacting and overreacting, people who think other people overreact may not know how costly and difficult it is to get rid of bedbugs. So while I can live with the 2-3 weeks of itching after an encounter I hate to think of what my 8 closest neighbours would say if I came and told them that they had to have their apartments fumigated.

Always enter your home naked after having walked the Camino is my motto

Just make double sure that it truly IS your own home and not the neighbors

 

[christer1]

Well, considering we were *not* talking about witnessing theft of critical property but, rather, going back to "correct the behaviour" of some folks that are paranoid about bedbugs.....I guess we differ on our thoughts of what is ludicrous.

Those people may have had a bad experience with bedbugs...you never know. But, go ahead and ream them out if it makes you feel better. My guess is that it won't be as satisfying to you as you think. Or, maybe it will be. We all have different needs.

I am not "reaming" anyone. This would be feedback as already stated.

People hear/read what they want to I guess. Let me know if you know anything else about my needs from behind the keyboard.

 

[Kanga]

I've closed this thread so people do not post again - the last message was in 2013 and there is more up-to-date information on newer threads.

Recommended treatment now is to put dry clothes and sleeping bags in a commercial (laundromat) dryer on high heat for at least ten minutes. At 135-145 degrees F (which is the range for commercial machines on high heat) the bugs and their eggs will be killed. Ten minutes is usually sufficient to get everything to that temperature, if the dryer is very full you may need to leave it for a little longer.