Compressible Stuff Sacks
 

Ok...just discovered these. Used them for our sleeping bags, but didn't think to use them for clothes while packing. Great stuff!


Best,
Russ

I have a Sea to Summit compression stuff sack, but I prefer not to use it if possible. They can damage the insulating properties of synthetic and down insulation. Also, when you make a brick and put it inside a larger bag, you create a lot of dead space, so the space saved isn't all that great.

We use them for sleeping bags and the tent. the green is sleeping bag and blue is tent and rainfly

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...erbottle-2.jpg

I also have Sea to Summit stuff sacks but have the roll top silnyon version. They are super light, water tight, and act like a compression sack. They are much lighter than most compression sacks because they don't have all the webbing and adjusters. I use them for sleeping bags and clothes. Basically stuff the stuff in, press out the air, roll the top down, and everything stays compressed.

As IceNine points out aggressive compression of insulated items (down and synthetic insulation) can damage the items by preventing them from retaining their loft. That said unless one is keeping items compressed for long periods of time a compression bag should not be permanently damage the contents.

I hate to tell you this but they have been around for many many years. (Maybe 20 plus years?) I have used one for sleeping bag and another for clothes for most of my trips and I think I have at least eight of them of varying weights and sizes.

I like the Granite Gear ones best. I have not tried any of the new waterproof ones with air valve but I have not had a problem with mine when I use waterproof panniers and bags.

After a trip and after sleeping bags are well aired out, I store sleeping bags in large cardboard boxes stacked up in the closet so that they are nearly fully lofted for long term storage.

I have definitely been eyeing these. Thanks, Russ, for the review. The other weekend I took a little trip and found that while my clothing and tent panniers were the lightest, they were also full to bursting. I welcome a way to squish that load down so that my packing decisions are based more on what I'll need/want then on what fits.

I checked it out on REI.com and it has terrible reviews. It's supposed to tear easily.

If you want to save a bit of weight, Outdoor Research makes the smallest and lightest compression sacks that I've seen. Lifetime no hassle warranty too (so if it ever rips they will replace it without any trouble, I can vouch for that part).

what size compression sack is ideal? I'm probably be using it for my tent and clothes, which is 2 Icebreaker long-sleeves, a wool sweater, a bamboo t-shirt, swimming trunks, a polyester hoodie, and 3 sets of unmentionables. I was looking at the different sizes available from Outdoor Research and I was a little confused. What size is Russ using?

okay, for those of you who use compression sacks, what size do you use and what do you put in it? If you want to make a recommendation, okay, but I'm looking more for needs sizing.

I stopped using compression bags and, instead, use trash bags (actually trash compactor bags). For my down quilts, place in trash bag, then in bottom of pannier, then place other items on top and what compression is needed occurs naturally (and same thing for clothes).

Albert, I would recommend just bringing your stuff in to REI in Arcadia and figuring out what size bag(s) you need. I did this with my sleeping bag and clothes. I ended up with 3 bags I think, can't tell you what size they but you will need the size you need not what I needed. There is no real appreciable difference between the OR and Sea to Summit silnylon sacks as far as I could tell. I think the price was even the same.

Ours are size small for our bike touring gear. For mountainering with a larger bag and tent we go up to medium and large. I think MTB's Idea is a good one for getting the right fit. IMO, it is better to have the sack a little on the small size than have a larger one that is only 3/4 full. With the larger sacks they end shaped like a volley ball instead of tubular. FWIW we have Mountain Hardware, Granite Gear, and REI compression sacks; and they are all comparable. REI also has an outstanding return policy.

I don't leave a wet sleeping bag or tent in a compression sack any longer than necessaary. However, I've never had a problem using them.

There was a whole tread about using compression sacks tents on a ski mountaineering forum. Like most threads on any forum the opinions were about equally split on it does no harm vs. sure destruction.

in the video I had an 11L. Your stuff sounds sort of bulky, so I would bring it all to REI and try it out. that's what I did. sat around for about half an hour stuffing my clothes into different sacks and no one batted an eye :)

Also, for FWIW...i'm carrying a down vest with me that doubles as the protection for my DSLR. So it doesn't go in the stuff sack. Only wool and poly stuff.

Sorry, can't help. I have three different brands and four different sizes. I don't keep track of which ones I actually use. But, they are intended to compress in size so most of them can compress the volume to about half to two thirds of original volume quite easily so if you get one a bit too big it is not big problem. You might also find that you can put both your sleeping bag and some clothes in one if you get too large a sack.

Not everything benefits that much from compression, cotton for example. Fleece and merino wool, however, are really compressible. I have two Medium REI sacks, the green ones, not waterproof, and they seem tough enough. I used them a few times and I don't see how they can tear easily unless they come in contact with something sharp. Their quality seems to be similar to Sea To Summit sacks that I own.

I have second thoughts about compressing my down sleeping bag though. I think it really crushes the feathers and I imagine that can can't be good.

As someone mentioned above if you put several compression sacks in one pannier there will be empty unused space between them. So what I do I only use one sack per rear pannier and put it on the very bottom of the pannier. I use them mainly for emergency warm clothing, such as the mentioned fleece and wool, and sleeping gear that I'm unlikely to need regularly during the day (I don't tour in cold weather).

Then I have a couple of waterproof, large Sea To Summit compression sacks that I used a couple times basically as an additional storage attached with a net to my rack, a rack pack so to speak. They are watertight actually, they will keep their contents dry even if submerged in water.

For example, I used the watertight sack for my sleeping gear plus my sleeping clothes and any items I might need at the end of the day, all in one sack. So after pitching the tent, even on a wet day, I would wipe the sack throw it inside the tent and have all my sleeping needs dry and in one place.

Things I have that benefit from compression sacks:

- pillow
- thermal liner for the sleeping bag
- small thermal blanket
- fleece and wool top(s)
- merino wool items that I use as backup and some as my sleeping clothes, they're very cozy and comfy
- most bike clothing and socks can also be compressed together in one sack

Lots of small, soft items like socks, bike shorts, swimming shorts, jerseys, t-shirts also benefit from being all in one compression sack. I also prefer to pull one sack out of the pannier and find items in it, rather than digging through a pannier that is hanging on the bike. But I bet this could be a personal preference and vary among people.

I'm still experimenting with compression sacks though. They do help, but you can't use too many and they don't work with everything. Keep in mind that some things, foam in particular, may not tolerate crushing very well. And stiff, hard items will lower the effectiveness of a compression sack and might contribute to damaging it.

Adam

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.

There is always a certain amount of compression involved in packing a down sleeping bag. Even just sleeping on it compresses it. My old randonnee riding partner is an extremely experienced outdoorsman/bushwalker/bushworker/tour guide, and of course in that case, compression of everything is essential to get it into a pack. He just advised, as all good outdoors people do, that when storing it,l to take the bag out, loft it, and leave it in something like a clothes basket. Probably makes sense with all bags, synthetic or down/feathers.

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I don't use compression sacks, but rather adhere to the old rule that a piece of equipment should serve double duty. So I use Sea to Summit dry sacks. They enable me to compress the items by pushing down on them while they are on the ground or floor, then folding over the top the required number of times to seal. Then I have a compression situation going, and because I don't use waterproof panniers, I also get good weather protection. Plus I can colour code (although I know I could do that with simple compressions sacks.

The Sea to Summit bags I use are made of the more pliable and softer waterproof and seamsealed fabric than the ones used for canoeing/kayaking.

The wife and I use four XS Sea to Summit compression sacks: one her clean clothes, one mine, one our dirty/wet clothes, one for on/off during the ride clothes. Following that plan, you'd have three XS sacks. We have a medium one that holds both our sleeping bag and our tent. If the tent's wet, we put a plastic bag between it and the sleeping bag. We also use waterproof panniers. There's no problem with using a compression sack with down. That's what you're supposed to do. Just don't leave it there when you're not touring. Ours gets aired out/laundered after a tour, depending on smell, and then stored in the huge cotton sack it came in, very fluffy.

I bought the Sea to Summit eVent Compressible Dry Sack. It wasn't exactly what I expected. Tough material, water proof, "breathable" but not very good at actually compressing. So I'm going to return it to REI and get the Granite Gear compression sack, with the straps.

??
Didn't you pull on the straps? I thought the S to S compressed stuff very well. They look identical to the GG in construction.

No, the Sea to SUmmit eVent Compressible Dry Sack is a roll top dry sack. It looks like it was meant more for kayaking or backpacking. The REI one and the Granite Gear one has four straps that pull down, as demonstrated in Russ's video. With a dry sack, a uh compressible one, some air still gets trapped very obviously. Just think dry sack vs compression sack, kind of the same but not really. It's all right. I'm just gonna take it and exchange it tomorrow for something more like the REI one.

Ah, the one you linked to: http://www.rei.com/product/730882/se...099-_-10456937
is exactly like what we have, with 4 straps. Works like a charm. Only the bottom is the eVent fabric. The air goes out the bottom when you pull the straps, so no air is trapped. Totally compressible and easy to do. Maybe what you have is not what you linked to.