That REI clerk who judged my 20 year old sleeping bag

Stopped in for a new camp pillow last month and the kid at the counter asked what I was carrying. I told him my old Coleman bag from high school, still works fine down to maybe 40 degrees. He got this look and said 'you know that thing is basically a coffin liner, right?' Then he showed me a $380 down bag that weighed nothing. I laughed and said my truck weighs 2 tons, I can handle an extra 3 pounds. But honestly he got me thinking about how much gear we upgrade just because someone says so. Has anyone else run into a sales person who made you question gear that was still doing its job?

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1 Comment

mason_davis17d ago

That clerk probably gets commission on those $380 bags. Classic move. Your Coleman works for what you do, that's all that matters. People get way too caught up in what's latest and lightest. If the gear does the job and you're comfortable, no sales kid needs to shame you. Honestly, that's how they get you to spend money you didn't plan on.