Your equipment is your lifeline when you’re out on an adventure and so it’s really important to take care of it. Here are 4 tips on how to take the best care of your sleeping bag to ensure it is a good companion on your next trip.

1. Be nice to it on the trail/ when you’re outside. This includes things like ensuring you don’t drop stuff on it and don’t place it on sharp rocks! Remember the better you treat your equipment the happier you’ll be. 
   
2. Cleaning your bag: If you’ve only used it for a couple of days just leave your bag unzipped in the sun for a couple of hours before you put it in storage. BUT, if you’ve just come back from a looong trek and didn’t shower for days, chances are your sleeping bag can get a little (more like very) smelly. In this instance, do not dry clean your bag BUT you should clean it. Here’s how: Use damp cloth to wipe down your bag and then leave it out in the sun for a couple of hours (make sure you check the weather forecast before you leave your bag out).
   
3. Storing your bag: Never store your sleeping bag in the stuff sack that comes along with it because the next time you use it, the insulation won’t be as great. Instead try finding a larger mesh bag to store your bag. This is how I store mine!
   
4. Washing your bag?? More often than not you don’t actually need to wash your bag. You can actually use your sleeping bags for years before needing to give it a full blown wash. If certain places are getting dirty- take a drop of non-detergent soap (I recommend castile soap, you can get it on amazon for like 200 rupees/ a couple of dollars) and specifically clean that area using an old toothbrush to remove stains. Do not use bleach or detergent on your bag. If you’re washing your entire bag, do it by hand (no machine please), use that same castile soap and most importantly be gentle with your bag.