My cousin's $15 sleeping bag made me rethink my whole packing strategy

I was at a campground in Shenandoah last month and my cousin showed up with this tiny, cheap inflatable pad and a pack that looked half the size of mine. I always thought you had to spend big on lightweight gear to travel cheap. But she said she spends her money on experiences, not stuff, and just buys whatever sleeping bag is on sale at Walmart. I laughed it off until night two when she was sleeping great and there I was with my expensive bag that took up half my backpack. Maybe I've been overthinking gear this whole time. Has anyone else found that going low-budget on camping stuff actually worked out fine?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_wilson8721d ago

Didn't I read somewhere that the main difference between expensive and cheap sleeping bags is just the weight? Like, a synthetic Walmart bag will keep you just as warm if you're not carrying it for miles.

young.emma21d ago

Hold on though, that cheap inflatable pad isn't the same as a cheap sleeping bag. Pads are where you actually lose heat from the ground, so even a cheap foam pad works fine. But a cheap sleeping bag from Walmart is usually rated way warmer than it actually is, so she was probably just lucky with the weather. I had a $20 bag once that claimed to be good to 30 degrees, and I froze my butt off at 45. The real trick is that lightweight gear is nice for your back, but it doesn't automatically mean you'll sleep better. If her bag was tiny and cheap, it was probably a summer bag, and Shenandoah in the fall can get chilly fast. So yeah, you can save money, but don't ignore the temperature rating just because the price tag is low.