Helloooo! Its Kristen for a change!

I wanted to post about the awesomeness that was yesterday’s mummy bag purchase. Both Casey and I need pretty solid sleeping bags for the trip and I have been on the look out for something practical and inexpensive! A couple weekends ago we went to REI in Ann Arbor; the sleeping bags they had there were up to 250 dollars (Holy CRAP!) so we decided to hold off on the purchase.  This past weekend we were camping with some friend’s up in Sterling, MI. Unfortunately we were unable to bring a blow up mattress for our tent so we had to sleep on the sleeping bags we brought. Anyone who has been in this situation knows how uncomfortable this can be. I found myself thinking that it would be a much better idea for Casey and I to sleep in the hammocks he brought. It was pretty hilarious when I stumbled out of the tent on Saturday night with my arms full of my mom’s mothball-scented sleeping bag and pillow. Casey and I made our way over to the hammock and snuggled up. The hammock proved to be a lot more comfortable than the hard ground in the tent, but I was pretty cold. It seemed as though the sleeping bag I had was just unnecessary dead weight and didn’t keep us warm.

So…even though I knew I wouldn’t be taking anything that heavy and impractical, I was on a mission to get a suitable sleeping bag for those cold nights in France. While I was driving back to White Lake with some of my friends, we decided to stop at Birch Run shopping center. Immediately we spotted the Coleman camping store and headed in.  As I was scanning the store for treasures and bargains I saw sleeping bag racks. Like a little girl in a candy store I bolted over there and stared wide eyed at the mummy bags that were hung. I asked for some help and tested out a few.  I immediately had some reservations because they seemed way too long but they were cheap, warm and light.  This one especially caught my eye:  The Coleman Taos 25-Degree Mummy Sleeping Bag!! I called Casey, unsure of what to think and since he is (in my eyes) the resident expert on these things I figured he’d be able to direct me. We both came to the conclusion that it would be smart to purchase it, so I did! WOOOOOOHOOO! Much better than the 250 dollar Northface one we were looking at the previous weekend. I just hope that it is high enough quality to last us on a 4month trip…on a bike! I have high hopes and a positive attitude about it, hopfully I will come back with a good report and prove to the world once more that high prices don’t always mean higher quality!

Anyway, I’m so excited for this trip I could burst!