The secret to making your bag last is to care for it properly. Careful use, washing, and storage will add years to it's life.

Professional Washing
Check the yellow pages under Camping, Backpacking, or Mountaineering Equipment for specialists in cleaning ourdoor products. Your local retailer may also be able to refer you. Some dry cleaners can wash (NOT dry clean) your bag, but be sure to ask specifically is they wash sleeping bags.

Home Washing
MACHINE WASH—Use a front-loading machine set to warm wash, cold rinse. For down bags, use a mild soap or special down soap (available at out door stores). For synthetic bags, use a mild detergent or special synthetic cleaner. Use the minimum amount of cleaning agent. We recomend scrubbing the head and foot section befor washing the entire bag. Use AT LEAST two rinse cycles.

HAND WASH—Hand wash in a bathtub using warm water and the same cleaning agents as above. Knead the wash water through the bag THROUGHLY. Again, we recomend scrubbing the head and foot before doing the whole bag. Rinse THOROUGHLY, AT LEAST two times.

Drying
Tumble dry in a large commercial dryer on LOW or NO heat. The dryer must be large enough for the bag to flop freely around. Be patient and dry slowly and THOROUGHLY.

No-Nos
DO NOT use a top-loading washing machine. DO NOT use strong soap or detergent. DO NOT use your home dryer. DO NOT lift your bag from one end when wet (lift the entire bag all at once, supporting it from below). DO NOT store in small stuff sack (use a larger storage sack). DO NOT dry in the sun (the UV rasy will damage the nylon).

Storage
You can extend the life of your sleeping bag by storing it loose, cool, and dry when not in use. All of our sleeping bag have hang loops near the foot end. They also come with a large mesh or cotton sack (see page 11) for storage. You depend on your bag when you're out in the back-country. A little extra care will keep it dependable for a long time.