Use it, or not use it?

[Diogo92]

Hello everybody once again.

This is a question that I've seen a lot o people talking about it on Youtube videos, and wanted to ask to everybody in here about their opinion.

A guy, for whom I bought my Ultralight tent, and that is an experienced backpacker, told me that sleeping bags should never be putted into their stuff sacks, and that you should put them on the down part of you pack (I always have done this), or you could use it has a stuff sack for your stuff, bending the extra space on the bottom part of your pack.

I've seen people saying that this helps to distribute better the weight, and makes you not have a round bulky thing on the bottom of your pack.

I wanted to hear more about people who have use this technique on their Camiño, because I think that I can probably still adapt it for my next week.


Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Rambler]

Diogo:
I have not heard of this practice before, unless it is that you should never STORE your sleeping back in its stuff sack for long periods. This is true as it compresses the fibers and makes a bag lose its loft over time and thus its warmth.
The concept that a loose sleeping bag in a pack will fill voids makes sense, especially if you are very limited in the volume of the pack.

But your primary concern usually is keeping a sleeping bag dry. A wet bag, especially a down one, will limit its ability to keep you warm. Having a sleeping bag in its own waterproof bag to me is the best way to ensure it stays dry. The volume of that bag may determine how much of a "round bulky thing" it is. The sleeping bag I carry on the camino is so small as it is, I don't see it being much bulk. But we go in June.

IMHO having a bag loose would be a bigger risk. But if your space is limited and you can wrap everything in a waterproof bag to limit any exposure to moisture, it should allow you to pack more and conform it to the shape of the pack.

Rambler

 

[Anniesantiago]

I like stuffing my sleeping bag into the bottom of my pack.
It cushions the top of my butt (but then, I have a bubble butt!).

 

[Diogo92]

Diogo:
I have not heard of this practice before, unless it is that you should never STORE your sleeping back in its stuff sack for long periods. This is true as it compresses the fibers and makes a bag lose its loft over time and thus its warmth.
The concept that a loose sleeping bag in a pack will fill voids makes sense, especially if you are very limited in the volume of the pack.

But your primary concern usually is keeping a sleeping bag dry. A wet bag, especially a down one, will limit its ability to keep you warm. Having a sleeping bag in its own waterproof bag to me is the best way to ensure it stays dry. The volume of that bag may determine how much of a "round bulky thing" it is. The sleeping bag I carry on the camino is so small as it is, I don't see it being much bulk. But we go in June.

IMHO having a bag loose would be a bigger risk. But if your space is limited and you can wrap everything in a waterproof bag to limit any exposure to moisture, it should allow you to pack more and conform it to the shape of the pack.

Rambler

Rambler, thank you very much for your opinion and the info about the fibers break, when they stay under so much pressure, for such time. First of all, my sleeping bag sack it's not waterproof, and I always wear a pack cover. I never had any kind of problems with this, never had a wet pack, or anything inside got wet, and I always manage to prevent water to slip to the back part of it.

I use a sleeping bag very similar to this one: http://www.sportzone.pt/berg-rider-600 The difference is that it's 50g heavier, and that it goes until 5º, instead of the 10º of that one. Last video that I seen of a guy keeping the sleeping bag out of the stuff sack was this: [URL='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NleECzdzxEOn']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NleECzdzxE[/URL] On both examples, he has never used it has a stuff sack (well, maybe on the second one he did).

Both of my Camiños where made in Spring, and I caught cold nights, so that’s why I take this thing with me. If it was summer, I would probably take simple one silk liner, and a cotton liner.

I like stuffing my sleeping bag into the bottom of my pack.
It cushions the top of my butt (but then, I have a bubble butt!).

Ahahahhaha

 

[Rambler]

...my sleeping bag sack it's not waterproof, and I always wear a pack cover. I never had any kind of problems with this, never had a wet pack, or anything inside got wet, and I always manage to prevent water to slip to the back part of it.

Diogo:
My experience with pack covers is that they are not very good. Driving rain will always get into my cover and usually the water will drain down and pool at the bottom of the pack where I carry my sleeping bag. The Altus ponchos eliminate much of that issue on the Camino. But if you use a bladder for your water and store it in the pack, it is another risk of soaking everything. I have had that happen on several occasions.
Also in the video, he puts everything into a large plastic bag to protect it from the rain. If you do that you have no water issue. That makes sense.
I would weigh the weight of the large plastic bag against a smaller waterproof bag and take the one that is lighter, unless space is an issue.

Rambler

 

[Diogo92]

Diogo:
My experience with pack covers is that they are not very good. Driving rain will always get into my cover and usually the water will drain down and pool at the bottom of the pack where I carry my sleeping bag. The Altus ponchos eliminate much of that issue on the Camino. But if you use a bladder for your water and store it in the pack, it is another risk of soaking everything. I have had that happen on several occasions.
Also in the video, he puts everything into a large plastic bag to protect it from the rain. If you do that you have no water issue. That makes sense.
I would weigh the weight of the large plastic bag against a smaller waterproof bag and take the one that is lighter, unless space is an issue.

Rambler

Last year, left O Porriño, at 5:30am, and it was raining a lot. My pack never got wet, since my pack cover (which wasnn't included with my bag, I had to buy it separated) has a double protective layer, and covers it very well.

I will probably do the large trash bag + sleeping bag has stuff sack on a future, just to try it. Right now, the sleeping bag is compressed, and the pack is packed, but in the future, I will change the tactitc about this issue.

Thank you very much once again.

 

[TioRay]

I have a "GoLite" sleeping bag and was provided by them with a large sack to "Store the sleeping bag in for long period storage" For hiking it is in a compression stuff sack and a "Dry Sack".

 

[patgreen]

I've just tried packing my rucksack without the sleeping bag in it's compression bag. I don't think it takes up much if any more room as it fills the space better uncompressed. It's also a bit more comfortable as there isn't a hard bag sticking in my back. So that's the compression bag weight saved, 63 grams

On my next trip I'm not going to use a rucksack cover. I'm going to line my rucksack with a builders rubble bag and close it with a freezer bag clip. Only 40 grams saved but I think it will be more waterproof.

 

[Harington]

I have always used two pack covers: one that came with the pack and that is attached, the outside one several sizes bigger (which is why it looks as though I'm carrying a house on my back in the profile pic, see left). That way the outside wet cover doesn't come in contact with the backpack. Inside my backpack everything is in plastic bags. Even in the Galician floods of last autumn (I've never seen rain like it) all my gear kept dry. However, loads of kind people told me I was carrying too much...truly it's about half the size it looks like. It works!

 

[obinjatoo]

I usually stuff my sleeping into the bottom of my pack as it does pack the pack better. Dry-bags for sleeping bags can create problems with any moisture not evaporating from the sleeping bag while it's packed. One solution for keeping things dry is to use a heavy weight trash bag liner. Everything I want to keep dry goes in the trash bag liner and then I squish all the air out and twist it closed. It' usually at the bottom of my pack with Sllep bag, extra clothes and anything I don't want to get wet if I have to open my pack in the rain. Stuff sacks, while they don't weigh much still weigh something. Here's a fun rule of physics: Ounces make pounds, pounds make pain.
Have fun

 

[gerardcarey]

I'm a bottom of the pack stuffer.
I carry a Osprey Talon 44 and with a larger pack you have the room and it keeps the loft up on the down filling.
Wearing a Altus poncho in the rain I don't have the problems associated with leaking packs.
Regds
Gerard

 

[TioRay]

• Wet weather? Line a nylon stuff sack with a plastic garbage bag and then stuff the sleeping bag in it. Or use a waterproof stuff sack
  
• • Compression stuff sacks save space in your pack; just avoid compressing your bag for an extended period as it will reduce the bag's loft.
• Just some info from our good friend's at REI. Of course the main thing is keep the sleeping bag dry. What ever works for you is good. Nothing more depressing than having to try to stay warm with wet clothes and gear. It can be a long night.
  

 

[unadara]

I think this is very interesting and will try it, the Thread however needs to be re-named as it questions the value of stuffing your sleeping bag into a compression sack (supplied with it). If you are leaving the alberque early in the morning (and who hasn't?) then it provides a logistics problem, you have to have all your stuff out, put your bag in first (this actually applies to both methods) and put rest of gear in after. This won't work for me I fear. My sleep bag now weighs only 200g (ultralight) and can happily sit on top of the bag. You could have 2 bin bags/liners, put sleep bag at bottom of one/loose, have all rest of gear in other liner/ bag, throw it in on top, tie the top and off you go. Bit of rustling involved I hear? I like to be able to tip toe out no one hear me and off I go.Though I've often carried bag out to bathroom with me and got ready out there.
Let's see who try its and reports back?

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Just be sure to smash your sleeping bag and must-keep-dries inside that extra-tough trash bag verrry slowwly and tie the top closed, re-arranging it every three seconds. Then you will discover you left out a sock. Reopen it all, put in sock, and squish it all down all over again. Be sure to do this between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m., as many times as needed, using your headlight on high-beam.

 

[TioRay]

This would probably be a good time to make a cell call also.......

 

[TioRay]

Unpacking and packing up in the morning can be a noisy operation. It is hoped, no mater how you do these operations, that you take into consideration the effect it will have on other folks trying to sleep.

Thanks to Unadara and Rebekah for their input on this subject.

 

[Diogo92]

The thing is I never repack in the room. I usually have everything arranged from the previous night, so that, in the morning I dress in the bathroom, and if there is a common area, I repack in there. If there isn't, I'll do it the bathroom. I never use my white led light in Albergues, rather preferring to use my vision (never got stumbling into things), or a low brightness red light that my head lamp has.

If you leave your things organized from the previous day, I think that you'll not have any problem, in organizing things inside your sleeping bag in the morning. I always repacked fast and silently, and never had problems.

Besides, this technique isn't specific for the Camiño, you can use it on every backpack trip.

Thank very much for your opinios.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[Tigerandahalf]

Keeping your things dry is always the goal and lots of ideas here how to best do it.
From the training walks we have done the pack cover that comes with backpacks is not much good as the rain just seeps in down along your back. We still bought them but I am not sure what use they will be.
We have bought drysacks and I think they will be our best bet at keeping our clothes dry. We are thinking of just stuffing the loose sleeping bag into the bottom of the rucksack as there is an opening at the bottom. Not sure if we should have a separate drybag for the sleeping bag as well. The drybags are quite bulky and it can be hard to get the air out of them.
If we get some very wet days we might just buy a cheap poncho to put over everything to keep the rain off. If the weather is really bad we might just have to bus it. Be nice to be able to walk in dry weather. Leaving mid April who knows? Given how poor the weather was last year I am hopeful that we might get lucky this year. Hopefully it will be nice and sunny.

 

[Metropolly]

Here's how I do a speedy re-pack in the morning putting my sleeping bag at the bottom of my backpack: I use a stuff sack, and put the compressed sleeping bag inside a large freezer ziplock bag. Everything else goes in separate ziplocks inside a big rustly garbage bag. So in the morning the garbage bag comes out, sleeping bag goes in then the garbage bag back in on top of it. All that plastic rustling doesn't bother anyone because I am always, always the last to get out of bed! And anyway it's 10 minutes of rustling, compared with the three-hour rustle-athons of our chums in the headlamp-and-race-to-the-next-albergue brigade

 

[obinjatoo]

Just be sure to smash your sleeping bag and must-keep-dries inside that extra-tough trash bag verrry slowwly and tie the top closed, re-arranging it every three seconds. Then you will discover you left out a sock. Reopen it all, put in sock, and squish it all down all over again. Be sure to do this between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m., as many times as needed, using your headlight on high-beam.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! Smart alec...