• Why use down (or not)
• How to care for down
  • Using down
  • Storing down
  • Cleaning down

I'll start with a summary, and then discuss the points raised in the lists. Synthetic insulation is pretty much the reverse of down: everything down does well, it does (often considerably) better than synthetics, but where down is poor synthetic insulation is generally superior.

Note that where I talk about "synthetics" here I'm referring to synthetic insulation like Hollofil, Qualofil, PolarGuard etc. These are generally tradename hollow fibres (sorry to the manufacturers, usually DuPont, if I've mis-spelt the names), rather than insulative fabrics such as fleece and fibre pile. Though these have their places in sleeping bags and especially jackets, they're usually appropriate in (relatively) warmer places than down and hollow fibre, but where they do work they're generally more flexible (which is why so many people wear fleece clothing these days, of course). Do note, however, that more recent Super-Duper fleece products like windproof sandwich fleeces are generally used to create jackets that are more expensive, heavier, not as warm and that won't pack as small as a light down jacket... Isn't technology wonderful? (Though they do manage to emulate down's ability to be cold and useless when wet to some degree! ;-))

Down, in the right conditions, is the best insulator you can buy for clothing and sleeping. As well as being very warm, it's also very light and extremely compressible which means that you can get great bulk and weight savings over synthetic equivalents. It also lasts a lot longer, generally three times as long as synthetic insulation if it's properly looked after, which also helps the buyer square up to the fact that it generally costs three times as much for the initial capital outlay. As well as greater life to start with, many pieces of down equipment can be restored with a new filling, either by the original manufacturer or other down specialist. This is usually much cheaper than a new garment, but is generally not economic for synthetic insulations as they're usually sewn into the equipment rather than left loose.

It's not all good though. Synthetic insulation performs much better when it's wet, so if there's a very good chance that your equipment is in for a soaking, down is not so good. Do note, however, that it often isn't as difficult as some people envisage keeping down sleeping bags dry (especially using the modern waterproof fabric shells), and it's also very important to keep synthetics dry as well. Just because they don't degrade as much as down when wet doesn't mean they don't degrade at all. Performance drops, and weight increases. Whatever insulation you use, you're better off keeping it totally dry. I use down bags in Scotland, camping, bivvying and bothying, which is not known for its aridity, and don't have a problem keeping it dry. Just take care!
In really cold climates, vapour coming off your body can condense in the bag itself, dampening the insulation, and this will affect down more than synthetic fillings. In such instances (we're talking the -30 to -40 range, by the way), I'm told you should use a vapour barrier liner to keep the body-damp out of the down. Not really an issue in Scotland, though I often wish it was.

Next problem with down is it's less effective than synthetic insulation when compressed, like under your body for example. This means it's usually more fun with a sleep mat than without, and a sleep mat will have more of an impact on overall comfort than in a synthetic bag. Like wetness, this isn't a non-existent issue with synthetics, but less of an issue.

And the other big problem with down is it's a real pig to clean it!. Despite the drawbacks, however, the plus points can make down a Big Win if used with appropriate care. I've come across more people who've changed from synthetic to down than the other way around, with particularly wet episodes being the cause in defectors to synthetic. Work on keeping it dry, and you have probably the best there is.

Down is fragile stuff, and must be carefully maintained to keep its performance. If you do keep it clean and aired though, you'll get unparallelled performance for many years.

Before you use down equipment, shake it to loft up the down, break up any clumps and spread it around the baffles. It'll be a bit warmer with cold spots eliminated if you make a point of doing this.

Never forget that your down equipment does have a delicate filling, and keep it as clean as possible when using it. Treat water with special care... even proofed fabric outers often have untaped seams that can let water in and cut the insulative properties. You don't have to be hydrophobic or steer clear of all mud: if you did, it wouldn't be any use at all, but just treat it with a bit more respect than fleece and pile.

It's worth emphasising once more that keeping it dry really is something you definitely want to do, especially a sleeping bag if you want a good night's sleep. Really go to town, and don't forget that most packs are not waterproof, no matter what miracle fabrics are used or what the guy who sold it to you said (there are a few exceptions to this, with more coming to market, but don't forget that packs get holed, aren't waterproof when you have the top open, and often need to carry wet things inside like tents that have been rained on all night, waterproofs after rain has stopped and the sun is out, and so on). My pit now travels inside a canoe dry bag rather than its original stuffsac, which will keep it dry even if completely submerged! It's important to get the bags out of such confines as soon as possible to get them aired though. If you use an external frame pack where the sleeping bag usually lives outside I'd certainly advise some serious waterproofing like a canoe bag, unless you really can be sure it won't rain (not a bet to make in the UK most of the time, and certainly not a week in advance).

Don't assume your tent/shelter is waterproof before leaving the bag behind while you go off cavorting elsewhere. If it's a seriously wet and windy day, disregard what I said about airing and store the bag loosely in a large packliner (if you're leaving camp behind, you can use the separate small liner you put the bag in for your pack during the day), so it's dry when you get back. I've seen a down bag that was dry when left inside the tent in the morning, but very wet inside the tent when we got back...

In recent years "Hydrodown" has become available which is down treated before use with waterproofing agents. These are less affected by a wetting, lofting for longer and drying quicker than untreated down. This is a Good Thing but I suspect not quite the game-changer it's being hailed (mostly by marketing departments) as being. While it does protect you from mishap the simple truth of the matter is you're better off with dry Hydrodown than wet Hydrodown, so you still want to keep it dry. If things are almost bound to get a wetting then synthetic fills still probably have the edge.

It's possible to buy DIY waterproofing for down, usually as a wash in coating (Nikwax DownProof, for example). These coatings are a two edged sword: yes, they mean the down will work when wet (though like all other insulations, not as well as when dry), but on the other hand it probably won't work quite as well as untreated down when both are dry. I proofed a bag this way, and lived to thank the decision on the one occasion I got a down bag soaked, but overall performance did drop, which wasn't so pleasing on very cold nights.

Still on moisture control, cotton shells and inners are probably best avoided, as they absorb water readily.

One of the great things about down is it compresses incredibly small for packing, but this should probably be avoided for routine storage outside of your pack. Down should be stored well aired and it must be loose to get well aired, so don't compress it before it gets a full airing, and you might as well it store uncompressed to be sure, always in a breathable bag. Some manufacturers supply down equipment with mesh or cotton hanging bags, which are ideal. You can hang them up in cupboards from hangers too, though the down tends to settle at the bottom of the baffles doing this. Don't fold or roll the equipment, as it tends to ridge the down and require more shaking before using it. Just stuff it in. That goes for the compression stuffsac as well as loose storage, and as well as being better it's even easier.

There's good evidence that storing down stuffed doesn't actually do it any harm, as long as it's clean and dry. However, storing it loose means that you won't be faced with removing it from store to find out it wasn't quite as dry as you thought when you put it away... A loose store means constant airing so you can be sure (bar a leaky storage loft or the like!) that next time you stuff it, it will be dry.

It seems to be the case that repeated stuffing and unpacking is what's likely to damage down over time, so don't do it any more than you need to.

There are two stages to cleaning down, washing and drying. One's a pain, and the other's a pain. Do it once and you'll see why I suggest you keep it as clean as possible in routine use...

No fun at all, washing down, so before you get to the palava below on how to do it yourself, you may wish to consider having it cleaned professionally. It costs money, of course, but in return a good down cleaner will very probably do a better job, and you won't have to waste several hours on the job yourself. You may well find that your supplier recommends a down cleaning service, or you can, of course, ask Google. (I'll come clean and admit I "cheat" by having a cleaner do mine, though I reached the decision to "outsource" after finding out the hard way how to do a good job myself...)

If you are doing it yourself, here's a summary of washing and drying down in bullet points, followed by discussion of the finer details. It probably seems long winded, but then that gives it something in common with washing down gear...

For the washing, you'll need a bath or similar large, clean container, plenty of warm (but not hot) water and soap. Note that soap and detergents are not the same. Detergents will ruin down, so it is vital that you do not use detergent. As well as not using detergent, be choosy about the soap. It needs to be soap, the whole soap, and nothing but the soap! Moisturisers, perfumes are potentially disastrous. The best soaps are already in liquid form (avoids any lumps) and designed for washing down or other performance fabrics. A good example is Nikwax Loft (though I think it's changed its name to TechWash now, but it still works well).

Now we've established what to use, on with the process... Add soap to the bath according to the directions on the can, and add warm water until you've got plenty of soapy water at hand. Now in with the bag/jacket/quilt/whatever, and immerse it thoroughly in the water. It can be a bit of a bother getting all the air out so as to get the bag properly immersed, so if you introduce the bag from its stuffsac, before any air has got in and lofted the down, then that can make life easier (thanks to Bill Kennedy for that suggestion). Swoosh it around for a while, to get the soap and water well into the gear, and then start systematically cleaning the shell by rubbing it against itself, taking care not to trap any down between the layers as you do so. This is really dull, but it's the best way, and is slightly more bearable if you intermix some general swooshing about with it. To help the soapy water pull the dirt away from the down, fold the gear onto itself and squeeze it. Never wring it out, always squeeze, as wringing may catch the down, which is even more fragile than usual when soaking wet.

At all times during the washing process note that the bag will be much heavier than usual, so if you don't support it carefully out of the water a lot more strain will be placed on the baffle stitching than it was designed to take. Thus, take care to support the weight of the bag from underneath as much as you can.

When you can't take any more, drain away the water and rinse thoroughly using clean warm water, folding the gear over and squeezing to get the soap out again. Change the water several times, until the water you squeeze out is as clean as you can reasonably make it without spending your whole life there.

That's it, you've washed it, but just when you thought you could enjoy the rest of your day, you now need to dry it... Forward planning helps here, as you'll need access to a large tumble drier with adjustable heat settings. Most home driers aren't big enough, at least for a sleeping bag, as their size leads to too great a heat build up which can damage your down, so scout out a suitable launderette for the job that doesn't mind you using the driers without the washers. If they have a large spin drier, so much the better.

To start the job, squeeze (not wring) as much water from the bag as you can. It'll still weigh a tonne and be completely horrible, but that's still an improvement! Bag it in a bin liner or similar (and again, don't forget to support the weight as much as possible to preserve the baffle stitching), and off to the drier, armed with walkman/iPod, reading matter, old clean tennis shoes and balls, and plenty of coins to power the machine. If there's a big enough spin drier there, use it to squeeze more water out of the bag: this will save a lot of time if it's available. Next, put the down gear, shoes and balls into the drier on the lowest heat setting, and fire it up, and settle down with your diversions. Don't get too engrossed, as you should stop the drier every 5 minutes or so, remove the gear and break up any large clumps of down carefully by pulling them gently apart. As the bag gets progressively drier a good shake will help break up the clusters. The shoes and balls help to break up down clumps as they go around, just in case you were wondering. This will go on, and on, and on, and on, for quite some time, but don't give in to temptation and leave early or just leave the gear tumbling for an hour without a break.

Once it's pretty much dry, back home and hang it up, outside if dry, secure and unpolluted. Leave the bag up to air and get completely dry. When I've done mine it's been in and out to the drying line for a couple of days before I finally sent it back to the cupboard.

Like I said, washing down is a real pain, but it will usually improve performance dramatically (the dirtier it was, the bigger the improvement unless it was so filthy you ruined the down), and also prolong the life of the equipment. Even with all of that malarkey to get it clean, the performance benefits of well maintained down equipment make it a real boon in the field.

if you have any comments on this page, please get in touch with them: mail Pete