Customer Reviews

Kelty Compression Stuff Sack

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased two sleeping bags and these stuff sacks for a recent outing. I had always thought of Kelty as a decent brand but was very disappointed by these stuff sacks. Both of them failed on the first outing.

The first stuff had what I would consider a catastrophic failure. While tightening down the straps to compress my sleeping bag, one of the straps ripped completely out of the top of the bag. The other three held but made for a very awkward packing experience.

The second had a minor failure. The plastic clip that holds the line used to close the top of the bag would not hold the cord. This isn't a big problem as these clips seem to fail pretty regularly but I am returning this one too since I don't anticipate it will hold up for the purpose I bought it.

I am giving this two stars instead of one because I think it could be useful for the right purpose and is a good price here. If you need a stuff sack to use with just a little compression, this would probably work out OK for you. If you have a large sleeping back that you really need to squeeze down, I would suggest you look elsewhere.

This stuff sack from Kelty is well made and durable. It packs pretty small. I haven't had a problem with the straps breaking or anything yet. The material doesn't feel too thin. It does feels real strong. I have a Sierra Designs Verde 20 in long length and I was able to stuff it in with no problem. It stuffs well and I could probably have cinched it down pretty tight but didn't wanna run the risk of breaking the straps. I like to stuff the bag small but not really that tight. When I pack it tight I tend to have air pockets in my bag. Those air pockets mean unused space in the bottom of your bag. When it is stuffed somewhat loosely it is easier to work in your bag as it can mold to any shape rather than having this tight stuffed sack that is hard as a rock. Overall I like the sack so far. It is more affordable than others. Might not be the lightest by a few ounces but it does the job well.

I got this for 16 weeks of field work with living ranging from tents to camper trailers. I love the storage and compression my only complaint would be that one of the clips for the compression straps stopped working (actually locking against the strap to hold the compression on that side) about half way through. It simply have been that the sack was used and in constant use for almost 4 months. Note it is not water proof but darn close as long as you are not talking about submerging it in a river lake or large puddle, I would not take this one on the water with anything that would be destroyed etc.

This review is for the EXTRA LARGE (11" x 22") compression sack.

I admit it, I'm fairly cheap. Buying this stuff sack was an effort to salvage a sleeping bag purchase I had made years ago before I had done any research or had a desire to do anything more than car camping. Now, I've done the research, and now I backpack.

Prior to purchasing this compression sack, I've strapped my Kelty Mistral 20 to the top of a backpack too small for any serious outings (~43L), making it very visible and prompting a fellow backpacker to comment, "that's the largest sleeping bag I've ever seen!" However, I've recently purchased a larger (65L) pack that fits the Mistral inside, but without any room for much else. So instead of buying a bag that is ACTUALLY compressible, I though I would save money and just get a compression sack.

The Mistral does compress...sort of. Enough to fit it in the pack, anyway. But it still sucks up an enormous amount of room. I know this sounds like a review of the Mistral, but I provide all this as context for what I think of the Kelty Compression sack.

Being cheap, I purchased the Kelty Compression sack because it was the cheapest (that I could find). It did compress the bag as much as that thing would compress. No straps broke, no seams ripped, no buckles popped. And I pulled hard. The straps themselves are a bit inflexible. It packs into itself, which was a pleasant surprise. I still expect to line the stuff sack with a plastic bag, so I can't really comment on the potential water resistance (manufacturer website claims it is made with water resistant nylon with a DWR finish). All in all, it did what I hoped. However, on the whole, I think I would have preferred to purchase a more compressible bag.

The upshot is: if you have something that needs compression that will only fit into the extra large compression sack, seriously consider your alternatives. If you're looking at the smaller stuff sacks, then the quality of the construction seems sufficient.

And they're cheap.

I originally bought a compression sack from a large outdoors store before finding this product line on amazon for much less. I decided to buy one of these as well and after comparing both, returned the first one and bought one of each size of the Kelty sacks. I really liked how two of the straps have the quick release buckles, allowing you to get the lid out of the way while packing the sack, then reconnecting to cinch it down.

The green sack is large enough to fit my 30-degree mummy bag. I can leave it loose for storage and not have to worry about compressing the insulation when not in use, and can still cinch it down tight enough so that it takes up much less space in backpack.

The blue sack is perfect for stuffing with clothes for longer camps and likewise cinching it down to fit in the pack. Once we setup camp, I can un-cinch it and pull clothes out as needed.

The smallest orange sack works great for a pillow or sweatshirts, etc. that take up lots of space, but can be compressed to a very small size.

All in all, I've very happy that I found this line of compression sacks from Kelty. I have a full set and imagine I'll be buying another set in a couple of years, not for myself, but for my son to use in his own pack.

This sack is well-constructed and compresses nicely. I use it for my down sleeping bag, it compresses it down to the size of a large yam. The color on the ends is rather yam-color as well, not bad. I've also used it for compressing t-shirts and socks etc. and it works well for that too.

If you're going to be in the stuff sack business, you're got to be sure your straps don't rip off when you pull on them.

That's exactly what happened to this stuff sack the second time I used it.

Would NOT recommend to a friend.

Size S: SIZE IDEAL FOR SOCKS, shirts, underwear, GOOSE JACKET, raincover.

NOT IDEAL FOR PANTS, SLEEPING, ETC,
THIS IS IDEAL FOR SIZE M

I filled it up, and *started* to tighten it. Barely even got it an inch before the fabric just ripped. Not worth paying money for.

This bag was priced below the rest but it falls short of others I have used. The material is then and the cap on the top of the bag doesn't cover the enough. As the bag compresses everything bulges out around the top cap. Pay the extra $ and go for Granite Gear.