Can we talk about that friend who swore cheap sleeping bags were fine for winter camping?

My buddy Dave told me a $30 Walmart bag would work for a January trip in Utah, and after shivering through 18 degree nights and nearly getting hypothermia, I'm wondering if anyone else has been burned by bad gear advice from someone who's never actually tested their own recommendations?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo_fisher5d ago

Wait you actually trusted Dave's advice for a Utah winter? That's like trusting a guy who only eats gas station sushi to run a restaurant or something. A $30 bag at 18 degrees is basically a death wish, especially with no backup plan like a sleeping pad or extra layers. Dave probably bought that bag in July for a backyard campout and thought he was an expert or whatever. Glad you made it out okay, but next time trust the gear ratings and not the hype from someone who's never been cold a day in his life.

nora_park5d ago

Those $30 bags from big box stores are rated for "18 degrees" in a lab with a heated floor and zero wind. I had a friend who took one to the Uintas in October and woke up shivering at 2am with frost on his tent ceiling. The insulation just collapses when it gets compressed under your body weight, so you're basically lying on a sheet of cold plastic. Dave probably tested his in a 70 degree living room with wool socks on and called it good. Next time I'm just going to borrow a proper bag from the U of Utah gear rental or shell out for a real 0 degree bag with down fill.

grantw325d ago

This is just how people operate though, isn't it? Everyone's an expert on stuff they've only done once in perfect conditions. I see it at work all the time where a guy will tell you the best way to fix something after he watched a YouTube video once. The problem is that advice sounds confident and that's what people latch onto. Dave probably genuinely believes that bag works because he never actually tested it in the cold.