Walmart sleeping bags are better than REI for budget trips

Three years ago on a trip to the Smoky Mountains, I grabbed a $25 sleeping bag from Walmart instead of my usual $150 REI one. Everyone on this sub raves about high-end gear for comfort, but that cheap bag kept me warm at 40 degrees at a campsite near Gatlinburg. I get that durability matters for long hauls, but for a weekend trip why blow cash on something you use twice a year? Has anyone else had good luck with box store gear for short trips?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek65617d ago

Hey @amy_foster79, same here. I used to be a gear snob but you two changed my mind.

amy_foster7917d ago

Honestly it's just a sleeping bag for a weekend trip, not like you're summiting Everest or something. Tbh people act like you need a mortgage payment worth of gear to enjoy the outdoors.

derek99417d ago

Amy's got it right. People get real carried away thinking you need a four hundred dollar sleeping bag just to sleep in a tent for two nights. A basic synthetic bag from Walmart or Target will keep you plenty warm for a weekend at a state park. The real money pits are the folks who buy all that specialist gear for one trip a year and then it sits in the garage getting musty. I've seen guys show up with more gadgets than a small army and never leave the campsite. Most of the time, a cheap bag and a decent pad is all you need to sleep just fine.