Two sleeping bags side by side in 40 degree weather settled it for me

Last month I camped at Big Bend with my brother. He brought his new 800-fill down bag from a big name brand, I brought my old 20 year synthetic bag that cost $60. Overnight it hit 39 degrees. I woke up warm, he woke up shivering and had to layer on a fleece. We swapped bags the next night just to test. Same result, he was cold in his, I was warm in mine. Difference was he rented his from a friend who kept it compressed in a stuff sack for two years. Down loses loft when stored that way, and his had maybe half the insulation left. I always hang my synthetic loose in the closet. So before you spend $300 on down, check how the previous owner stored it. Has anyone else found a beat-up cheaper bag that out-performed a fancy one?

1 comments

1 Comment

irisross14d ago

I see it differently, cause the real takeaway is how you store any bag, not down vs synthetic. My buddy’s $400 down bag sleeps like a champ because he keeps it hung up, and my cheap synthetic lost its puff after a season of shoving it in a trunk.