My brother-in-law's comment about his sleeping bag made me rethink my whole setup
We were packing for a trip to the Adirondacks and he just casually mentioned he'd been using the same 20-degree down bag for over a decade, but he always pairs it with a fleece liner. He said the liner adds about 10 degrees of warmth and keeps the bag clean, so the bag itself stays lofted and effective. I'd always chased a warmer bag rating and spent way more money, but his simple, layered approach is cheaper and more flexible. Anyone else have a piece of gear they've used forever by just adding something simple to it?
See... I've had that setup fall apart on me in a real downpour. That cheap fleece soaks through like a sponge once the outer layer wets out, and then you're just cold and damp. I'd rather have one decent shell that actually breathes and blocks the wind.
You know what, you might be right. I used to swear by layering cheap stuff but after getting caught in a real storm last spring I totally changed my mind on that.