Spent 3 hours trying to dry out a wet sleeping bag on the JMT

Got caught in a downpour near Muir Trail Ranch and my down bag turned into a sponge. Took 4 days of hanging it from tree branches and using my body heat at night to get it even half dry. Anyone else carry a pack towel specifically for this?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenny_coleman1mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I've been there on the PCT with a soaked down bag and it's the worst. My trick is to use a lightweight synthetic sleeping bag liner as a buffer and then wring out the down bag in sections with a pack towel, then hang it in a tree with the footbox down and stuff the top with dry socks to help it breathe. Took me two days once but the towel really helped speed things up.

tessa_clark741mo ago

Heard this tip from a guy who used to work at an outdoor gear shop. He said you should never wring out a down bag, it damages the baffles and clumps the down worse. Instead, he recommended doing what you did with the pack towel but rolling the bag up in it and pressing down firmly to absorb moisture. Synthetic bag liners are a lifesaver too, I always carry one now after my own JMT disaster. The body heat trick is REAL though, that's how I survived a wet night near Silver Pass.