What to do with old sleeping bag?

[David M]

I have an old down sleeping bag which I was going to wash before giving it to charity. Before going through the wash process (time consuming!) I decided to check the zip and it seems not to work. The bag is a Fairydown one, made in NZ and I think used to be rated to about zero or five and is probably 30 years old. As the zip does not wok it is not likely to be worth fixing so I was wondering how people dispose of old down bags? Just bin them? Or perhaps there is someone that collects old down and recycles it? (OTOH hand maybe old down is too degraded to recycle.) Thanks.

[Moondog55]

Well I compost old feathers; so down ( unless it has been treated) will biodegrade over time. If it has a treated japara cover tho the cotton will take an very long time to rot away. As I do a lot of travelling to the snow during winter i try and keep a warm sleeping bag in the car just in case ( so I don't have to unpack my big rucksack.
Why not wash it; Nikwax it and keep it as a backup??
Otherwise just put it out in the rubbish bin or wait until Spring cut it open and let all the birds use the filling for making nests with

[corvus]

If they are not too skanky give them to charity I am sure someone in need could use them
corvus

[frenchy_84]

Give it to a homeless shelter, a down sleeping bag with a broken zip is still alot better than what some people have

[Strider]

Give it to a homeless shelter, a down sleeping bag with a broken zip is still alot better than what some people have

Great idea!

[quicky]

Give it to a homeless shelter, a down sleeping bag with a broken zip is still alot better than what some people have

Great idea!

Agreed. I think I have one too for donation. I wonder if this has greater potential, or is there a larger donation program already in existence for sleeping & shelter gear for homeless in Aust or, internally displaced people (IDP) overseas? Just a thought.

[Onestepmore]

Donation to a homeless shelter sounds good
I'm also sure a MYOGist could easily make a hammock underquilt from it

Word of warning - do not use it as a dog's bed! We had a down quilt donated at a vet clinic I was working at, the dog ripped it to shreds - the kennel room looked like a snowstorm in the morning
Synthetic ones are fine, as they are easily washable and it doesn't matter if they go a bit lumpy
(Also NEVER use old beanbags as dog's beds - the beads are perfect nostril clogging size)

[norts]

Also dont donate something that is dirty. The charity you donate to also has to abide by certain standards and cant give out dirty bedding, clothing etc. and usually dont have the resources to clean donated items. It then costs the charity more because they have to dispose of the dirty items.

Roger