Hot take: My 15-year-old sleeping bag just hit 200 nights in the field and I'm not replacing it.

Honestly, I thought the 600-fill down would be shot by now, but it's still keeping me warm below freezing at Crater Lake, so why fix what isn't broken?

3 comments

3 Comments

harper_foster15d ago

Totally agree, my 15-year-old bag is still going strong too! @miles_fisher had the right idea with repairs.

miles_fisher15d ago

My old North Face Cat's Meow bag finally gave out after 17 years, but only because the zipper died. The synthetic fill was still mostly okay. I just sent it to Rainy Pass Repair for a new zipper instead of buying a whole new bag. If the insulation is still working for you, there's no reason to retire it.

dianaanderson14d ago

Wow, that's awesome! I've actually heard that older down sometimes gets better with age because it gets more clumpy and traps heat differently. New bags are crazy expensive and honestly, the build quality on that old gear is just tougher. My friend still uses his dad's bag from the 80s and swears nothing new compares.