Originally Posted by
Doug64
Adam, I can't remember where I read it, but they were discussing the resiliency of down. They used the example of some army surplus down bags that were stored in vacuum containers for a long period. Supposedly, the bags reagined most of their loft when removed from the containers. It might be worth researching a little before writing them off for your bag. Compressing bulky items like sleeping bags seems like the best use for compression sacks. I don't use my down bag very much (gone mostly to synthtics), but I have compressed it (only when using it) for countless days over the last 30 years. The stitching has failed in spots, the down has shifted some; but it still has a lot of loft. However, I am a little hesitant to compress any bag when they are wet, but wet down does not need much compression.
I guess, I won't worry then. Because that down bag is probably the #1 item that benefits most from a compression sack. Yeah, of course, compressing a wet bag is certainly a bad idea. But I managed to keep mine dry so far, it never leaves my tent unless it's in waterproof sack or pannier. My tent (REI Camp Dome 2) is pretty reliable, survived several heavy downpours without letting any water in. I always air the bag out for a few days before storing for longer periods of time at home.