Update: That $50 sleeping pad I swore was a scam actually saved my camping trip

I got the Kelty Cosmic 20 pad after my buddy swore by it, but I was sure it'd be too thin to keep me warm in 35 degree weather last weekend at Lost Creek. After 3 nights of actually solid sleep on frozen ground with just that pad under my bag, I'm eating my words. What gear did you guys write off at first but ended up changing your mind about?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugoh551mo ago

Man, your story right there? I had the exact same thing happen to a buddy of mine last winter. He bought this cheap, no-name foam pad off Amazon, like fifteen bucks total. We all laughed at him, said he'd freeze his tail off. First night out in the mountains, temps dropped to like 28 degrees, and he woke up warm and rested while the rest of us were shivering on our fancy inflatables that went flat by morning. He still uses that thing, calls it his magic mat. I never say a word about cheap gear anymore.

margaret_williams51mo ago

That cheap foam pad story is wild, man proves sometimes the simple stuff just works better than all that fancy gear.