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c/camping-gear-reviewsfaith_kingfaith_king27d agoProlific Poster

Rant: People who review sleeping bags based on summer trips only

I saw 3 different reviews this week for a 20 degree bag and none of them tested it below 40. That's like reviewing a rain jacket in a drizzle. If you're gonna claim a bag is good for shoulder season, take it out in 25 degrees for one night. I did that last March at Big Creek Campground and froze my butt off until I added a liner. Has anyone else noticed this trend of half-tested gear reviews?
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xenaf51
xenaf5126d ago
Hearing about you testing at 12 degrees makes me think you're one of the ones actually doing it right. But here's where I see it different - I don't think every bag review has to be a survival test. I used a 20 degree bag last July in the Sierra Nevada and it was perfect for those 35 degree nights, and I wrote a review saying exactly that. My review was honest about the conditions I used it in, not trying to be some expert on cold weather testing. If someone wants to know how a bag handles 25 degrees, they can look for winter reviews specifically. Most people buying a 20 degree bag are using it for summer and early fall anyway, not freezing their tails off in March like you did.
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wendysanchez
Grabbed a 15 degree bag and tested it at 12 degrees last fall.
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the_spencer
Laid in my 20 degree bag at 15 degrees last winter and woke up shivering like a wet chihuahua, so props to you @wendysanchez for actually testing that thing properly. I probably should have done a test run too instead of just trusting the rating, but hey, I like learning the hard way. Maybe next time I'll bring a backup blanket just in case my bag lies to me again.
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