You have a lot more patience than I do. You should see how quickly I pack up less than perfect bags. Lol. I have a process — I open them in the garage, and if they aren’t in new or great condition, I basically put them right back in the box and get the return ready. But if you like the bag, it is nice you take the time to make it work. Good luck!So I stuffed the bag as full as possible and have conditioned it twice, it has regained its shape pretty well. The major lumpiness and some scratches are gone but the deep ones will never come out. Debating if I should call and see if they will send me another one.