Washing Down Gear Is More Important Than You Think!

[@hairbrushpic]

I used to be a die hard down user, quilts, jackets and socks but recently, I have realized how dangerous a material is that can’t retain a useful r-value in adverse conditions. Synthetic jackets and bags are slightly heavier but won’t leave you to die in a wet-cold environment. It’s not worth my life to have a marginally lighter pack and this video has further strengthened my stance.

[@OscarHikes]

Down is indeed very hard to care for and also comes with some drawbacks. It's definitely not for everyone!

[@bmmaclearn]

Hope to have a collection as well! Have been searching for second-hand. The vintage down I have lofted well after trying the dryer balls shown in this video (mine are wool).

[@JoeZUGOOLA]

I save down for camp

[@014D]

Do what works for you, but this is absurd. Synthetic warm clothing is not waterproof. Down jackets and sleeping bags, like synthetics, can withstand light splashes of water. Any sleeping bag/jacket will lose its insulation after nearly the same amount of exposure to water or prolonged exposure to a damp environment. And both variants would be no fun to dry. Synthetic insulation is hypoallergenic and cheap. Down is more lightweight. Both require a certain amount of care if you want them to last, but the down will last much longer. No one have to be die hard fan of either, they are insulation.

[@petrichor649]

I like a heavy oiled wool jumper and a light shell. Always warm.

[@grantmcmillan9209]

If you weigh the items when they are dry then you will will be able to tell when they are fully dried out again. Its hard to tell if the down is fully dry and fully lofted again as the outer material will be dry but the down may still retain a lot of moisture.

[@hoser7706]

Very thorough steps. Thx. You can also use powdered laundry detergent too because the surfactants in liquid soaps are less in quantity. Been doing that for decades and have 35 yr old TNF bags still going strong.

[@snoop2477]

Hey Thanks Oscar. Just washed and reproofed my Stellar Puffer. Took a little time with the dryer to get the right cycle going, but all good. Lofted really well. Super stoked thanks.

[@PraktischTaktisch-Gut]

Down is only for sunny days camper and hiking. I have often seen people at a hiking place after the night telling me they struggle every day to dry their down sleeping back. I dont understand why people using this with all the downsides just to save 1kg. I am a synthetic sleeping bag user and nothing will convince me ever to use down. These people never have been outside for several days facing bad weather or wet camping places. With synthetic sleeping bags you can also take your wet socks and shirt inside over night and it will be dry the next morning from your body heat and you have no struggle about the moisture getting into your down. I know down sleeping bags got a nice climate to sleep in, but in my opinion this is just for sunny days and no longer trips where you rely to your sleeping bag

[@marianfrances4959]

Awesome! Ive never washed any of my down. I store my sleeping bag hung up.

[@michaelweir645]

Life span is important, I’m still using a Mountain Equipment Snowline that I brought in 1971, washed a few times and still keeps me warm, though below -20 I do need to keep thermals on. It’s too hot for summer but gets used Autum to late spring for an average of 20-30 nights every year. I can’t see any synthetic lasting that long.

[@paulkhanna1]

Great video Oscar! I've found that long/base layer underwear will act as a sleeping bag liner. It accomplishes the same goal, and can be multi functional for layering, saving you the weight of the liner. Any piece of gear I can use for more than one task is great in my book.

[@tubulzr]

Great vid. Informative, to the point. Thanks for the tip on treating a jacket with Nikwax Down Proof. 🤙

[@runeborgbjerg]

Great guide! I have successfully dried a down sleeping bag outside, in relatively heavy winds. It was really annoying and I made sure to flip it over, changing how it was hanging from a clothes-drying-line a lot of times, but the result was a lot better than when I dried it in my normal front-loaded drying machine, but the capacity was too low. And I want to avoid a public landromat-thingie because I need control over what products (parfume for instance) is used before I use it. So, that is just my experience. For the next wash (probably in 2-5 years time), I will add the water repellant. :)

[@nicegurl408]

Watching this from a laundromat parking lot. I tried hand washing and air drying which left the sleeping bags smelling like wet animals. So hopefully this works. 🤞🤞

[@balzzers92]

Ciao Oscar, ci tenevo a farti sapere che il tuo Inglese è veramente impeccabile! Ovviamente, oltre alla qualità delle informazioni riportate nel contenuto!

[@OscarHikes]

Grazie mille, Andrea!

[@TheFatbutterpancake]

Excellent instructions. Well done. Grazie !!

[@jake-w6z9b]

Down is great but I definitely prefer synthetic insulation. Although heavier, a decent synthetic jacket is easier to care for and you dont have to worry about it getting wet for not that much extra weight and much less money.

[@northernswedenstories1028]

They lose their insulation effectiveness very quickly though. Synthetic materials lose loft rapidly from constant compressing and decompressing. Down doesn't. I've got down bags from the 80s still going strong. Not like new, but almost

[@OscarHikes]

I definitely understand why you're choosing synthetic over down. It's cheaper and WAY easier to maintain. It also has some advantages over down.

[@tomd1914]

Regardless of what you insulation material you choose, take all necessary steps to keep it dry. It’s not difficult to keep it dry, and you do NOT want to climb into a wet sleeping on a cold night.

[@nienkeborrel8782]

​@@OscarHikesIt's maybe cheaper when you first buy it. But synthetic sleeping bags are good 4 years and down 10 to 15 years.. so I don't know it is way cheaper in the long run.

[@frohnatuerlich]

👍👍👍 Very good information ! Thank YOU !

[@SianaGearz]

Wait toploader is that universal advice at all, or have you copied it from another region? Because you're from around here in Europe, our toploaders have a horizontal balanced drum that washes exactly like a front loader. If you have a fragile garment that is disturbed by the seams of the drum where its door opens up (though today these parts are normally really well made), you can use a laundry net or bag just like the one you're using to protect it. American toploaders aren't like that at all, they just have a fixed chamber with an agitator in the middle that looks vaguely like an auger maybe with some paddles. It's a wonder they wash anything at all without ripping it up.

[@Krishabh_Agrawal]

Do they kill birds to harvest feathers? Do they harm animals?

[@pleok08]

Monday, March 18th: Thanks for the information. Happy Trails! Ross08

[@OscarHikes]

Thanks, Ross. Happy Trails! :)

[@whunderwhoiam2489]

Can you wash multiple garments at a time?

[@Tosadar_Outdoors]

Great info, thank you 👌🔥🤘❤️🍻💯

[@protechteus]

thanks! Very helpful info ✌️

[@photic9855]

They aren't called "dawn feathers" They are called "down feathers" 😂 this was funny to listen to you say though

[@CloudspotterUZ]

Paldies, Oskars! I wish i could have watched this vid earlier

[@OscarHikes]

If you washed down gear normally, you can still restore it. Not to 100%, but close! The normal laundry detergent is just stuck to the feathers now, keeping them clumped up. Washing it with down product + drying it in a dryer with tennis balls will improve its performance by a lot

[@lukeflynn7025]

❤ from 🇮🇪

[@TimelordUK]

Dawn

[@OutdoorFreedomDk]

✅

[@oldschooldamnawesome]

I buy a new one every year, I ain't poor

[@snazzfab]

Go America!

[@hassanh4512]

But you don't throw the old one in the trash because that would be irresponsible 😅

[@markhaywood7307]

So in short Down is"Rubbish". where modern synthetic fibres work.✔✔

[@OscarHikes]

Down is finnicky, by down gear usually weigs 50% less than synthetic. Hard to beat that if you care about weight!

[@markhaywood7307]

@@OscarHikes In a wet and cold environment i can assure you its not light for long.

[@hermes8258]

Too much work and expense.

[@meatballs9453]

Why is he saying dawn lol it’s down 😂

[@nadMoZzzg]

just dont wash it easy

[@AaronVets]

Good video but synthetic is much easier to care for and doesn’t require exploiting/murdering innocent animals to obtain. 💚✌🏽

[@c90adventures]

But nowhere near as effective.

[@OscarHikes]

@@c90adventures I'm starstruck now. I love your channel mate! If anyone's reading this, go check him out - you won't regret it! :D

[@c90adventures]

@@OscarHikes haha. Awww cheers dude. I'm currently editing the next videos. And in the I use my $1000 down Arctic expedition sleeping bag 🥶

[@Davmm96]

But do not forget that synthetic/polyester bags will not biodegrade. Especially now that everyone seems to wear synthetic puffy coats, those will end up in the landfill for the next few hundreds of years. So yeah you saved some ducks, but they will swim in plastic-filled waters. Synthetic fabrics are in the top 5 causes of pollutions, since they are extremely hard to recycle.

[@melaniedebagheera7082]

Down was always sourced AFTER a bird was used for the MEAT FIRST. One of the most sustainable practices that demonstrates the principle of use every part of your catch. There have been a few bad actors but overall, the carcass would be thrown away after a bird was used for meat if we didn't harvest the down! Eider down is harvested from nests but that is a TINY portion of the worlds production.

[@heyyayyo]

Down? Doooown, really?! in 2024?! There are much better materials out there that don't involve animal cruelty! Wearing down now means just being too lazy to research synthetic options and not caring about animals at all! Shameeeeee on you!

[@laramiegrinde9246]

Then go buy synthetic materials that are made from fossil fuel byproducts. And those same chemicals that create synthetics also take millenia to decompose meaning they fill landfills and the microplastics get into our waterways. So yeah, go for it.

[@funnyweeman]

Always look for the rdf rating which uses down feathers from the meat trade which is better than specifically bred animals for down

[@Davmm96]

yeah... all fun and games until you gotta balance the ecological impact of a 100% plastic (polyester) vs a down bag. (synthetic clothing is close to impossible to recycle is in the top leading cause of pollution in the world).

[@verenama6519]

thx