I thought my cheap sleeping bag was fine until a cold night in the Adirondacks

I used a basic 40-degree bag from a big box store for years and never had a problem. Last October, the temp dropped to 28 degrees at our site near Lake Placid and I was miserably cold all night. I finally bought a Marmot Trestles 15, and the difference in warmth and comfort was huge. Has anyone else had a gear item they didn't think mattered until a specific trip proved them wrong?

4 comments

4 Comments

davis.noah2mo ago

That plastic rain jacket story hits home. Was there a specific moment you realized it was totally useless, or was it just a slow, soggy defeat?

danielnelson2mo agoMost Upvoted

My jacket turned into a personal sauna in five minutes.

milam482mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my old rain jacket. It was a cheap plastic thing from a discount store. I wore it for walks in the city drizzle and thought it was fine. Then I got caught in a real downpour on a hike, and I was soaked through in minutes. My own sweat trapped inside was almost as bad as the rain. I looked like a drowned rat. That was the day I learned what "waterproof breathable" actually means.

wood.faith5d ago

Oh man, that rain jacket story brought back a memory. I had a cheap backpack once that seemed fine for carrying books around town. Then I took it on a weekend trip and the strap stitching gave out halfway up a mountain trail. I had to carry it like a baby the rest of the way, arms aching the whole time. That was the day I finally understood why people spend real money on gear.