Used to think expensive sleeping pads were a waste...

I spent like 8 years using a $20 Walmart foam pad for camping. Every trip I'd wake up with my hips aching against the ground, just figured that was part of the deal. Last summer a buddy let me try his Therm-a-Rest pad for one night at a site near Lake Tahoe. I woke up actually rested and realized I'd been suffering for no good reason. Anyone else have a piece of gear they stubbornly refused to upgrade for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinnm771d ago

Took me years to replace a pair of hiking boots that gave me blisters every trip, kept telling myself they just needed to break in more. It's funny how we'll tolerate bad gear way longer than we'd put up with a broken chair or a lumpy mattress at home... probably because we don't sleep on it every night so we forget how much it sucks. Once I finally bought boots that actually fit right, I couldn't believe I'd spent so many trips limping around just to save a hundred bucks.

the_alice1d ago

OH MAN this hits SO hard. What nobody talks about is how bad gear can actually make you WORSE at camping over time because you stop being able to read the land and your own body. I spent years with this lumpy inflatable pad that leaked air every night and I got so used to waking up cold and sore that I stopped paying attention to where I was setting up. I'd just throw my tent anywhere because discomfort was already guaranteed anyway. Then when I finally got a decent pad I realized I'd been missing all these subtle cues about terrain and weather patterns cause my sleep was so garbage. Bad equipment doesnt just hurt your body, it dulls your instincts too.

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paige_robinson241d ago

Oh come on, is it really that deep? I have had some janky gear over the years, like a sleeping bag that barely kept me warm, but I never felt like I forgot how to read the land. I think you and @quinnm77 are giving your gear way too much credit for your skills. My old pad was lumpy too and I still managed to find a decent spot to sleep most nights. Maybe you just got lazy about picking campsites and the new pad made you pay attention again? I don't know, it just seems like a stretch to say bad equipment makes you a worse camper overall. What if you had great gear but just didn't care where you set up?