Never loan out your sleeping bag.

I will loan out my cheaper or older gear, but not my top-shelf stuff. Even then, only to trusted friends who know how to take care of it.
 
Sleeping bags belong in the same group of stuff like chainsaws, guns etc that should never be lended out.

I remember way back in high school I learned my lesson early about sleeping bags. I needed to borrow one on short notice, and a friend wanted to lend my his bag. It smelled like crap. I remember a bit of the conversation, "naw I ain't sleeping in that thing, look I think there's logs down in there':eek:.

I ended up buying a new one.
 
Lesson learned through experience is only lend things you wouldn't mind losing, or to "friends" you wouldn't mind losing.
 
I agree you only lend out things that you don't really want back.

My sleeping bag is one of my most prized outdoors-gear pieces, partly because it was fairly expensive compared to the rest of my gear, and also it won't perform well if it isn't well cared for.
 
Mentor said:
Worst advertisement for Jack Daniels. Ever.

;)

- Mike
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LOL






I one time lent out a Cold Steel True Flight Thrower and some pots and pans, only to have the true flight thrower come back burned, and a loss of pots and pans. I told that guy never to ask anything of me again. No more loaning to bafoons! This story also reminded me of a similar situation with a sleeping bag, but luckily all of his waste came from his mouth and he ended up decorating his neighbor, not my borrowed bag.
 
I have a couple of cheap bags that we used to use for the kids in warm weather as loaners. I also have an old tent that I picked up at a closeout, if anyone has a need. The good stuff only goes with me!
 
I have never heard of anyone actually pooping the bed. LOL that is hilarious. My Dad is probably the only person I would loan my outdoor equipment to.
 
Man, go to REI and rent their stuff if you want to have some temporary equipment. No way on earth I would let someone else touch any of my down bags. They cost too much and require too much care. I have let friends borrow my crappy bags that I never use, and they usually end up buying them off me. I don't want to have to smell myself after a grueling hike, let alone other people. I'm just talking about sweat and body odor, not even sprayed poo.

Who would loan out an $800 expedition bag to someone that is going to be boozing it up with some girl? I'd be worried about ANY kind of bodily fluids. There is no way that the guy did not have another, cheaper bag. Heck, I would have flat out BOUGHT the guy a cheap bag before lending him a nice one, if he were in a bad financial state.
 
Lending stuff makes me uncomfortable.
Borrowing stuff make me uncomfortable.
Borrowing a sleeping bag worth $800 would make me VERY uncomfortable.
Lending a sleeping bag and getting it back with semen stains would make me :barf:

A sleeping bag is a really worthwhile piece of kit - if you need one but don't have one then you have a good reason to buy one. Even if you have to buy a cheapie now and replace it with a good quality one latter it is still worth buying one.

I don't like the idea of lending a knife either: "can I borrow a knife? Pry, pry, snap". Yeah, that doesn't sound like something I want to do. Even with a damn near indestructible knife I don't want some fool trying to test out the foolproofness of anything I own.
 
You just never know what even normally sensible people will do. One time a hiking buddy was visiting. He saw a new five-layer laminated cocobolo martial arts staff I had recently purchased and asked about it. It was gorgeous. I handed it to him to examine and he immediately put one end against his foot and started bending it (stress test). Before I could stop him, there was a loud crack. I've never found another staff half as nice as that one....

Now before I let people even touch or handle something nice, I give them a few cautionary instructions. Many are mildly offended but that's tough. I don't need another two-piece staff.

DancesWithKnives
 
Skimo said:
Since this isn't W&C I'll keep the inkling I have as to how exactly the liquid excrement got there.
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My thoughts exactly. I think the coworker left out a part of the story that might point the responsibility towards himself a bit.

Either way, I never lend out my good stuff... Old stuff, sure.
 
Oooops... sorry to hear about that expensive sleeping bag episode. Anyway, I think it could be cleaned no problem. But let your friend know the truth about it.

By the way... how come you end up pretty much car camping with a brand new expedition bag? Bags that expensive are usually rated for truly low temps... not the best for car camping no matter how cold it gets.

Mikel
 
Gadgetaholic said:
I don't like the idea of lending a knife either: "can I borrow a knife? Pry, pry, snap". Yeah, that doesn't sound like something I want to do. Even with a damn near indestructible knife I don't want some fool trying to test out the foolproofness of anything I own.
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The correct response to that question is: "What needs cutting?" That way, they either out themselves by admitting that something needs screwing or prying--in which case they can be educated that what they really need is a screwdriver or pry lever--or they clarify that they really do have something knife-appropriate to cut. They can have my SAK or Case Peanut to cut it themselves, but if I have a Case/Bose collaboration, Dozier, S&M or any Queen (it takes too long to rebevel Queen's blunt D2 to just hand it over to anyone), I get to do the cutting.

Back to the sleeping bag, it would pretty much have to be an emergency for me to lend out any of my down sub-zero bags. I would in an emergency or any life/death situation, but not for a planned, recreational trip. They can have a lighter-weight synthetic bag, or rent one or I'll rent them one, but not the ones I really care about--especially for a drinking and sex binge. Yuck! :rolleyes::thumbdn::D

Let us know what happens. I'm interested in the resolution.
 
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