Finally upgraded my old sleeping bag after a freezing night in the Adirondacks

I used a 15-year-old synthetic bag from a big box store for years, thinking it was fine. Then I spent a night at Lake Colden last October and woke up shivering at 3 AM, even though the forecast said 40 degrees. I bought a Marmot Trestles 30 with 650 fill power down, and the difference in warmth and pack size is insane. Anyone else have a piece of gear they held onto way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.jesse2mo ago

Honestly, that old bag probably lost a lot of its loft over 15 years. Synthetic fill just breaks down like that. A new bag of any type would have been a huge upgrade. Down is great, but it can be a real problem if it gets wet.

williamprice2mo ago

Wait, have you actually tried to revive an old synthetic bag? Tbh, I've got a 20 year old one that still works fine after a proper wash. The loft came back way more than I expected. Sure, it's not like new, but saying any new bag is a huge upgrade feels off. A cheap new bag might actually be worse than a cared for old one. The fill breakdown really depends on how it was used and stored, not just age.

adam_clark652mo ago

Actually, that old bag might still have some life left if it was stored right. Some of those older synthetics were built like tanks and don't compress as easily. A good wash with the right soap can bring back a surprising amount of loft. Plus, a wet synthetic bag is just as useless as a wet down one, it just takes longer to dry out.