My sleeping bag (or other item of outdoor gear) was exposed to bed bugs. What should I do?

Most items of outdoor gear should not be put in a dryer on high heat.

In the case of a sleeping bag this will almost certainly damage the shell and lining fabric of the bag

In the case of any item which has taped seams, any temperature above 60°C / 140°F will damage the seam tape, and even temperatures slightly below this may cause 'wrinkles' in the tape where water can enter.
 
We have two protocols for dealing with most items of outdoor gear that may have been exposed to bed bugs:

1. Using a drying agent (suitable for larger items)

• start by vacuuming the gear item thoroughly (using a vacuum cleaner with a disposable bag  which you should throw away afterwards)

• Next, you should sprinkle an agent onto the item which will dry out and kill the bed bugs. Baking soda might work; you may also try something called diatomaceous earth. 

  In both cases, you would

  • sprinkle this liberally on the fabric, 
  • place the item in a sealed bag and leave it for 7 – 10 days

  • then vacuum it off. 

    You may need to repeat this step. Again, dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag afterwards.

     

• Finally, hand wash the item in warm water (around 70°F / 20°C) 

  You can find details on how to correctly wash a sleeping bag (using a down-specific soap) here: https://seatosummit.com/blogs/product-care/how-do-you-wash-a-down-sleeping-bag

  Finally air out the item (UV/sunshine will help)

2. Using a domestic deep-freeze

depending on the available space in a freezer, this can also be an option.

Vacuum the item (as above) then place it in a freezer (you may care to put it in a ziploc bag first). 

The cold of a domestic freezer (make sure it is set to -18°C / 0°F) will kill bed bugs if they are kept at that temperature for over 12 hours - we would suggest 24 hours to be safe.

Providing the items return to room temperature before they are used, freezer temperature will not damage any Sea to Summit products.

If you have concerns, please contact us before attempting either of the above techniques.