Abstract: A compacter for maintaining compressible items in a tightly wrapped condition to make them easily transportable is particularly useful by campers and backpackers to wrap items of bedding, such as sleeping bags, mattresses, foam rubber pads, blankets, and the like. The compacter includes a flexible and durable strap for encircling the item to be compacted with the end margins of the strap adjacent to each other. The strap is rolled up from the end margins on an elongate, rod-like section of a rigid winder to tighten the strap about the material to be compacted. The winder includes a lever section that extends transversely of the rod-like section to provide a mechanical advantage for rolling up the strap. After the strap has been rolled up a latching device is connected to the lever section to prevent it from rotating to unwind the strap.