That convo with a guy at REI made me rethink my whole sleeping bag setup

I was at the REI in Denver last Saturday just killing time before a parts run, and I got talking to this older dude in the camping aisle. He asked what bag I used, and I said my old synthetic 20 degree bag Ive had for maybe 5 years. He just laughed and said I was probably sleeping cold because the insulation breaks down way faster than people think. He mentioned that after about 50 nights of use, the loft drops by like 30 percent. I never really considered that. So I got home and checked my bag, and sure enough it felt thin as a blanket compared to what I remembered. Now Im trying to decide if I want to drop cash on a new bag or just add a liner or something. Has anyone actually measured their bag's loft over time and noticed the difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantw411d ago

Read a study a while back that tested synthetic bags and found the same thing, around 20-30 percent loft loss after 40-50 nights. The researchers said it's because the fibers get crushed and lose their springiness over time. I checked my old 15 degree bag once and it measured about 2 inches of loft, compared to the 3.5 inches it had new. A liner helps a bit but if you're really cold, a new bag might be worth it.

daniel_cooper341d ago

That 2 inches vs 3.5 inches drop is pretty extreme though, I gotta say. I've had a synthetic bag for like 6 years that still feels decently puffy, maybe I just got lucky with the brand or something lol. Fiber technology has come a long way, some of the newer ones hold up way better than that study suggests.

stellat461d ago

Man that's rough to hear about your bag... I had a similar thing happen with my old 20 degree bag a couple years back. I was out in the Smokies and woke up shivering at like 3am, checked my loft when I got home and it was probably half what it used to be. @grantw41 your numbers sound about right, that 2 inches vs 3.5 inches drop is exactly what I saw on mine. It's kind of a bummer cause you think you're buying something that'll last a decade and then it quietly stops working.