Drying Your Sleeping Bag Set the dryer on low heat. Machine heat varies, so check often. If it's too hot, the fabric or even the synthetic fill can melt. When a down bag is nearly dry, add two or three clean tennis balls (or a lightweight pair of clean sneakers) to the dryer.
Don't take your jacket or sleeping bag out too soon. It can take 3-5 hours to properly dry out heavier down items on the low setting. Leave your down items to air inside uncompressed for a day or so to ensure they are completely dry before packing them away.
First, air-dry your sleeping bag, by laying it out flat on towels over two portable clothes racks. Once all the excess water has been released, you can tumble-dry your sleeping bag on a low temperature setting. Please note that excess heat can melt the fabric.
10-20F will be the most likely to keep you warm on cold night but might be warm on some summer nights. Better to be too warm than too cold in my opinion. You can always unzip the bag and use it like a quilt if you are too warm.
Use a non-biological liquid detergent, pure soap or a technical cleaner such as our down and synthetic wash. Don't use fabric conditioner as this can coat the synthetic fill and reduce its thermal efficiency. Machine wash on a cool, gentle setting, ideally 30ºC.
A 40-degree sleeping bag is specifically designed to maintain the sleeper's comfort at temperatures as low as 40°F (around 4°C). This rating signifies the bag's lower limit, suggesting it is most suitable for use in environments where the nighttime temperature doesn't fall below this threshold.
Is It Safe To Put A Backpack In The Dryer? Avoid putting a backpack in the dryer because the heat can damage the fabric. Always air dry a backpack after you wash it.
Drying: Synthetic fabrics are treated especially gently in a Miele tumble dryer thanks to the "Delicates" programme. However, it often suffices to roll the textiles into a towel and press out the moisture. The remaining moisture evaporates just as quickly if the fabric is laid down somewhere or hung on a hanger.
Down sleeping bags don't need frequent washings. But you do need to wash your down sleeping bag, like, more than once a decade. Here's how to wash a down sleeping bag. Important note: Always refer to your manufacturer's care instructions before washing the sleeping bag.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are best used for heavy items, like towels, jeans and jackets. Low to medium heat settings are ideal for sheets, blouses and undergarments, while no-heat settings are designed for heat-sensitive fabrics or garments containing rubber or plastic.
For washing and drying
You can, however, use a front-loading washer—just don't use a top-loader because its agitator could rip the bag's stitching. If you're dealing with a two-person sleeping bag that doesn't unzip into two pieces, you might need to head to a laundromat to use an extra-big machine.
Set the dryer on low heat. Machine heat varies, so check often. If it's too hot, the fabric or even the synthetic fill can melt. When a down bag is nearly dry, add two or three clean tennis balls (or a lightweight pair of clean sneakers) to the dryer.
Choosing the right drying cycle
For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat. Delicate items benefit from the low heat of the delicates cycle. If you're in a hurry, many dryers offer a quick dry cycle for small loads or items you need fast.
Set the dryer on low heat.
It's better to dry on low heat for a longer time than blast it with high heat to speed up the drying process. For down sleeping bags, add two to three tennis balls to help agitate the fill back to the original loft. The balls help break up clumps of down to speed the drying process.
How much can I put in them? To ensure all the items are washed thoroughly, we recommend you only fill the bag a maximum of 2/3 full. Can you tumble dry them? Yes, however we do not recommend these are used in extremely high-temperature washes using harsh chemicals.
Polyester is an easy material to work with, so you can tumble dry it. If you opt to just hang it out in the sun, make sure it is fully dry before putting it away to avoid any odd smells. If you want to tumble dry it first to make the hanging process faster, use a low heat level to prevent the fabric from shrinking.
Is a 0 Degree Sleeping Bag Too Warm for Summer? Utilizing a 0 degree sleeping bag during summer conditions is generally not advisable due to its heavy insulation designed for freezing temperatures.
Sleeping Bag Categories by Temperature
We think of the heart of the 3-season range as 20 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (and up), which is typically warm enough for most summer and shoulder-season backpacking, especially in the high mountains where temps can dip below freezing in summer months.