Just got back from a 4 day trip in the Cascades and my old sleeping bag almost cost me a night.

I've had this 20 year old synthetic bag forever. It's bulky and heavy, but I figured it still worked fine. This trip I finally brought a new down bag I got on sale last fall. The first night was cold, maybe 35 degrees. I used the old bag and was shivering by 3 AM, even with a liner. Switched to the down bag the next night. It packed smaller, weighed half as much, and I was actually warm. The difference wasn't just comfort, it was safety. That old bag's loft was completely shot and I never even realized. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail slowly like that, where you don't notice until you compare it side by side with something new?

3 comments

3 Comments

adams.uma1mo ago

That's wild, but honestly gear failure isn't always slow. Sometimes it's a total surprise. My buddy's backpack strap just snapped clean last month on a trail, no warning. Had to rig it with paracord. Stuff just gives out, especially when it's that old. You got lucky you had the new bag with you. Makes you want to check all your old kit before the next trip.

bennett.harper1mo ago

Twenty years? That bag is older than some of my hiking boots (which is saying something). The slow failure is the scary part, you just get used to it being a little worse each time.

shane_park921mo ago

Seriously, that slow creep of failure is the worst. Do you ever worry you'll miss the final warning sign before something really goes wrong?