It is important to note, however, that putting a sleeping bag into a compression sack does turn it into a rather oddly shaped hard-sided object. You can store clothes or miscellaneous items without wasting space! Lets not mince words. To estimate the size compression sack youll need, you can do the following: If you do enough research on sleeping bag storage and packing, youll hear a lot about storage sacks, compression sacks, and stuff sacks. The short answer is no, compression sacks arent always waterproof. Chances are good that they can either give you a new compression sack for free or sell you one at a reasonable price. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In reality, the only true way to ruin a sleeping bag with a compression sack is to stuff your sleeping bag into one and leave it there for about a year. Compression Sacks, on the other hand, are effectively stuff sacks with an additional set of straps that help you push the air out of a sleeping bag. - We created our stuff bags with extra care. Peter grew up going on long backpacking excursions with his family every Summer and now enjoys staying at the beautiful Texas State Parks and swimming in the amazing Texas Rivers. You will easily get a free replacement if it has any quality defects. This unique design of a compression sleeping bag means it wont take up much room in your backpack and can make your trip more convenient and comfortable. Waterproof compression sacks are great if you live or travel in particularly wet locales as they can add an extra layer of protection between your new down sleeping bag and the rain. DecideOutside.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Compression sacks do exactly that, which means theyre great for packing a warm, puffy sleeping bag into a relatively small backpack. They come in a variety of sizes, from 2L, all the way up to 30+L, so theyre not necessarily sleeping bag-specific pieces of gear. Depending on the sleeping bag you own, a quality compression sack can reduce the stuffed size of your bag by almost 60-75%. This tool article is a stub. Please see the details in our product description. Its also water-resistant, which means the compression stuff sack provides a protective shield to keep your items dry. Unfortunately, many people confuse these term and treat them as if they were the same thing when really theyre completely separate entities. Stuff sacks are commonly used for the storage of sleeping bags, which are then stuffed into the bag, rather than rolled or folded. Some storage sacks are mesh, while others are made of cloth, but usually, sleeping bag manufacturers provide these when you buy a new bag. The sizes of our bags are respectively 10L, 14 L, 20L and 30L. For the most part, the compression sacks youll get when you buy a sleeping bag wont be waterproof but you can buy special waterproof compression sacks from a variety of manufacturers, like Sea to Summit. This storge bag offers you a better experience, with a longer service life! You can find out more in our post, here. The compression sack is a type of stuff sack designed particularly for the storage of sleeping bags in internal-frame backpacks. Depending on your backpack shape and size (e.g. These waterproof compression sacks combine the benefits of a dry sack with those of a compression sack for the ultimate protection for your sleeping bag. People with particularly large and bulk synthetic sleeping bags also often enjoy using compression sacks because they can make the sleeping bag a bit easier to pack. Divide this volume by 61 to get the volume in liters. This is a fair enough concern, of course, since the last thing youd want to do to your expensive sleeping bag is destroy it forever. That being said, compression sacks offer more benefits than just reducing the size of your sleeping bag. You can always simply roll up your sleeping bag and use bungees or ropes around the sleeping bag and attach it to the back of your backpack. If not, or if youre looking to buy a waterproof compression sack from a different company, the sleeping bag manufacturer can probably tell you what size youll need. Doing so wont render your sleeping bag useless, but it will likely compress the down or synthetic fill and reduce the overall loft of the bag, making it slightly less insulating than before. The truth is, you dont need a compression sack at all for your sleeping bag. Ultimately, sleeping bag compression sacks can be incredibly useful pieces of gear when used correctly. These sacks are usually about the size of a large pillowcase and are meant to make it easy to store a sleeping bag without compressing it too much. Ultralight backpackers, however, often dont like to use compression sacks as they do add a small amount of weight to ones pack. But, if you buy your sleeping bag second hand or youve lost the compression sack, youll need to determine what size you actually need. In my opinion, they are very nice to have while youre backpacking because they protect your sleeping bag from dirt and you can get them much more compact that way, but you can get away without one. Plus, using compression sacks and stuff sacks can make it easier to keep your gear organized while youre in the backcountry. I recommend putting some sort of covering for your sleeping bag (can be a trash bag) just to keep it protected from dirt (not to mention water). Youve just bought that brand new sleeping bag for your next camping trip but the salesperson at your local gear store mentioned that youll need a compression sack for backpacking. Thankfully, theres an easy way to avoid ruining your sleeping bag: only use a compression sack when youre packing your sleeping bag into your pack for transporting it to the next camp. When you shorten the length of the straps, they can minimize the volume of the sleeping bag. the lower the temperature rating), the larger the compression sack. They can help protect your expensive sleeping bag from dust, dirt, and debris. Compression sacks often have straps that go along the sides and ends that can be tightened to compress even more. Luckily, the vast majority of modern backpacking sleeping bags actually come with their own specially-designed compression sack, so you might not need to worry about this. [1][2] Stuff sacks may also be used as general containers to collect many small items together. Determining the right size compression sack for your sleeping bag can actually be quite tricky. This site is owned and operated by MindBuilders. When you put items in it, pull the drawstring and close the lid, the inside items will not easily drop out. It sounds kind of awkward if you ask me. Lets get to it! Compression sacks are often used for otherwise bulky sleeping bags. It's an ultralight fabric, but also very sturdy and withstands daily wear and tear. Waterproof compression sacks are also great for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts who like to adventure in wet environments but dont want to curl up into a soggy sleeping bag at the end of the day. The absolute easiest way to figure out what size compression sack you need is to contact the manufacturer of your sleeping bag. The reason is that running long distances burns an incredible amount of calories, and marathon runners, even when not training for Can Skis Be Too Slippery? Stuff sacks do compress a sleeping bag, but not as much as a compression sack. Peter is a software developer who loves to take every opportunity to go outside that he can get. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Luckily, were here to tell you that, while yes, improper use of a compression sack could decrease your sleeping bags insulative properties, this isnt really the whole truth. link to Can Skis Be Too Slippery? This article related to camping is a stub. This Backpacking related article is a stub. YOUR SATISFACTION IS MOST IMPORTANT! Although theres no single correct answer here, we can offer you some advice as to when a compression sack might be useful. There are plenty of rumors floating around on outdoor forums on the internet that compression sacks can ruin a sleeping bag. But what is a compression sack for a sleeping bag and how do you use it? Backpackers are perhaps the main group of people who benefit from using a compression sack. Some argue that compression sacks can actually hurt your sleeping bags loft. What You Need To Know, Googles My Maps Road Trip Routes and Tips, Find a cardboard box that is slightly larger than your sleeping bag, Measure the cardboard boxs length and width, Stuff your sleeping bag into the cardboard box and press down on it firmly until the upper surface of the sleeping bag is approximately level, Measure the depth of the box that the bag occupies, Multiply length x width x depth to get the volume of the stuffed bag in cubic inches. Since they have limited space for storing and transporting gear, anything that can be done to reduce the bulk of an object is often much appreciated by a backpacker. Like all good questions, the answer to this one is, well, it depends. The main downsides of waterproof compression sack are that they tend to cost a bit more and weigh slightly more than non-waterproof varieties. This can be useful for people on long backpacking trips (7+ days) who need to maximize every square inch of space in their pack for all of their food and fuel. - Weve equipped our stuff sack with two side release buckles and two adjustable straps. A stuff sack is a type of drawstring bag, usually used for storing camping items. Now that you understand the fundamentals of what a sleeping bag compression sack actually is, we can start to dive into the nitty-gritty details of the world of compression sacks. Sleeping bag manufacturers usually include these when you buy a new bag and theyre helpful for packing or transporting sleeping bags. long and narrow), it can actually be more difficult to pack a filled compression sack than it would be to just stuff the sleeping bag into the bottom of your pack. Storage sacks are specifically designed to protect a sleeping bag when it is in storage. Promotions, new products and sales. The good news, however, is that you can buy compression sacks that are waterproof! DON'T WORRY ABOUT TEARING WHEN TRAVELING - Our compression sack is made of 40D nylon. Stuff sacks, on the other hand, are small nylon bags used to store anything from spare clothes to toiletries. Let's face it, most marathon runners are relatively skinny. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stuff_sack&oldid=995532907, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 15:39. When the straps are forcibly shortened, the sack and its non-rigid contents are reduced in size.