My $10 Kmart blanket outlasted my $150 sleeping bag at Rocky Mountain National Park last September

I was camping up near Estes Park last fall and the temperature dropped to 28F overnight. My expensive down sleeping bag felt like it was doing nothing, so I grabbed this cheap fleece throw I had in the car for emergencies. Wrapped it around me inside the bag and slept fine the whole night. The sleeping bag was rated to 20F but I was still shivering. Now I always bring that blanket on trips, it cost ten bucks at Kmart three years ago. Has anyone else found that a random cheap item works better than your high end gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_torres7127d ago

Your expensive down sleeping bag felt like it was doing nothing" - that's basically my entire camping wardrobe in a nutshell. I once spent two hundred bucks on a "thermal base layer" that made me sweat and freeze at the same time, but my grandpa's old wool sweater from a thrift store kept me warm during a snowstorm in Utah. I'm starting to think the camping industry just charges extra for the tag and a pretty color.

jana_scott26d ago

Yeah, I get what you're saying about that "thermal base layer" stuff. I've had a few of those too and they're hit or miss, definitely not worth the hype sometimes. But I dunno if it's really that deep - the camping industry's always gonna try to sell you the newest thing, same as cars or phones. Your grandpa's wool sweater worked great, but that doesn't mean every new piece of gear is a total scam. Sometimes it's about finding what works for you, not just what costs the most.