How Long Can You Keep a Sleeping Bag Compressed? (Solved!)

how long can you keep a sleeping bag compressed

Folks are concerned about how long they should leave their sleeping bags compressed in a compression sack. In this article, I will help you find out how long you should keep a sleeping bag compressed. So that you can take care of your sleeping bag.

How Long Can a Sleeping Bag Be Compressed?

You should not compress your sleeping bag any longer than you need to. Sleeping bags are compressed for packing purposes. When not in use, sleeping bags should either be hung up in the closet or stored in a large storage sack.


If you’re traveling long distances and your journey is going to take a week until you reach the final destination then you should not be too concerned about your sleeping bag being compressed during the trip. 

But, once you reach the final destination, unpack your sleeping bag, give it a good shake, air it out and hang it.

Keeping the sleeping bag compressed for an extra two or three days and maybe a week is not a big problem. It will not completely ruin your sleeping bag. 

Don’t keep it compressed in a compression sack unnecessarily. There is no point in leaving your sleeping bag compressed in a stuff sack when you’re not using it at home.

The purpose of compressing a sleeping bag in a compression sack or stuff sack is to make it smaller in size so that it can easily fit in your backpack. So sleeping bags are compressed to transport them easily during the trip. 

Is It Bad To Compress a Down Sleeping Bag?

When you purchase a brand new sleeping bag it comes in a stuff sack fully compressed. That makes you think that you should always store your sleeping bag the same way. 

You should remember that the new sleeping bag you purchased is clean and dry so it can be kept compressed for an indefinite period of time. However, in your case, the sleeping bag is not clean because you are using it regularly.

Sleeping bag manufacturers say that a completely clean and dry sleeping bag can be kept compressed for an indefinite period of time. 

On a practical level, your sleeping bag is not always clean. Since you’re using it regularly it gets dust, oils, and soaps. Therefore, you should air it out after unpacking and hang it in the closet.

Once you reach home after the adventure, store the sleeping bag in the wardrobe or store it in a breathable large storage sack. 

You should not leave your sleeping bag compressed in the compression sack when you’re not using it. Store it properly so that you can use it next time.

It is not bad to compress a down sleeping bag. As you know, in order to transport a sleeping bag to a long distance you need to compress it. However, leaving it compressed in the same compression sack for a long time is bad.

One very important thing you need to consider when packing your sleeping bag for backpacking is to always stuff the sleeping bag in the stuff sack. By stuffing, your sleeping bag will recover easily when you unpack it. Don’t roll it. Rolling will overly compress the sleeping bag and can damage the fibers of the sleeping bag

Can You Store Synthetic Sleeping Bag In Stuff Sack?

A sleeping bag whether it be down or synthetic should not be stored in a stuff sack. There is a proper way to store your sleeping bag at home. You should clean the sleeping bag and hang it in your closet. You can also store your sleeping bag in a large breathable storage sack.

Depending upon the nature of your hiking, backpacking, and traveling you can keep your sleeping bag compressed for a couple of days to a couple of weeks. But, you should be concerned about the sleeping bag once you reach your home or final destination.

How Long Can Down Be Compressed For?

There is not a specific time period I can provide you to leave your sleeping bag compressed. For example, I can not say that leave your sleeping bag compressed for 2 days or 2 weeks.

What I can say is that a good practice is to keep your sleeping bag compressed as long as you need to. Down bags are more prone to damage by compression than synthetic bags.

Pack your sleeping bag just before heading on the adventure. Don’t pack it months before your backpacking. Also, don’t over-compress your sleeping bag. Compress it as much as you have space. Pack it loose.

Can I Store a Sleeping Bag Compressed?

You should not store your sleeping bag compressed. Compression sacks are not made to store sleeping bags. They are used to transport sleeping bags to long distances easily. 

So once you reach home after the adventure, use a large sleeping bag storage sack to store them. You can also use a sleeping bag hanger to hang the sleeping bag in the closet. 

That way your sleeping bag will get some room to breathe and the filling will evenly distribute throughout the length.

What happens when you store a sleeping bag compressed for a long period of time? As mentioned, if you have stored a clean sleeping bag compressed in a compression bag it will not damage the sleeping bag. A clean sleeping bag is more resilient to compression.

However, if you have stored an oil-contaminated sleeping bag in a compression sack it will eventually lead to its loft degradation. As a result, it will not provide the same insulation it did before.

You should not be concerned about how long you can compress a sleeping bag. What you should be concerned about is keeping your sleeping bag clean and dry and its proper storage. 

A sleeping bag is not a thing that you purchase every month. Care must be taken. Storing your sleeping bag properly will last a lifetime for you.

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