Gearing Up for Backpacking, Part 4: Sleeping Bag

This one was kind of a flyer, but at $19 it might work: military surplus patrol bag.  Claimed to be good to 30-35 degrees, um, no.  Maybe 50.  Still, toss in a blanket and it's not a bad option.  Weights 2.3 lbs, kind of on the heavy side.  Blame the foolproof zippers.  Made of modern synthetics, it stuffs down like a backpacking bag should.  From the same source, a lightly used Therm-A-Rest 20x72 sleeping mat, $20.  Now there's a bargain!  Sure, I already have a couple of Therm-A-Rest's "base camp" w-i-d-e and t-h-i-c-k mats, which I love, but there is no way I'm hauling all that around on my back.  This thinner mat though is just the right balance of comfort and lightness.   At 1.8 lbs, it cuts the weight by half.

So there we are, 4.1 lbs heavier and $39 lighter.  A good starting place.