djb

thanks for the tip, I really need to add gorilla tape to my list of stuff to not forget on a next trip, especially for a sleeping pad. I did buy the thermarest patch kit for my neoair, and always keep it in the bag where I put the mat, but some gorilla tape would be a great idea anyway.

robow

Gorilla tape and zip ties have saved many an outing for me or someone whom I was riding with.

Lovegasoline

These days I use a Thermarest Neoair sleeping pad (large). Yes, they are expensive. I'd had one on my radar for a while and with patience found a new one insanely cheap (1/3rd retail). Packs small, is lightweight and extremely comfortable if those things matter to you. As my body has aged and acquired various injuries I find that it likes very much sleeping on an air mattress instead of a thin piece of foam. The difference in comfort is dramatic and I was surprised at just how dramatic. The yoga matt linked in the OP looks to be one of the cushier yoga matts(?) but in general as a product line they aren't designed to offer the sort of padding that a camping pad delivers, the weight and packability, or the thermal insulation from cold ground.

That said, I've slept on closed cell foam pads for about 35 years and they work, with a downside being that they're bulky to pack.

I've done my share of forced bivys laying down directly in the dirt like an animal without sleeping bag or pad and shivering until dawn, or worse directly on rock (or even sloping rock - gah!) ... but an air mattress like the Neoair is at the other end of the comfort spectrum despite it being an ultra lightweight piece of gear. FYI if interested in this class of air mattresses test them out for size because they elevate you off the ground more than a thin foam pad and if you have broad shoulders you may need to get a pad with wider dimensions to sleep comfortably. Air mattresses are more fragile and can be threatened by sharp objects, cactus needles (FYI a friend once suggested keeping a lightweight air mattress like the Neoair wrapped in a garbage bag when used in the desert, he claimed that micro cactus needles are distributed everywhere and work their way into air mattresses contributing to deflation and making detection of leaks hard. Maybe so, but a trash bag seems like too much a PITA), etc. As an aside, Thermarest has introduced an even lighter weight air mattress this year called the UberLite but it's made of more fragile material, to appeal to the super ultralight demographic.

One other thing that needs to be said for closed cell foam pads is that besides being a sleeping matt they serve as a multi purpose piece of gear. When living outside one of the joys can be drawing heavy on self reliance, creativity becomes super activated with necessity being the mother of invention and all of that: there's great utility in having a large sheet of foam following you around. An inexpensive closed cell pad can be folded over itself in 1/2, 1/3s, or 1/4s to make a padded seat cushion for sitting on the ground, for picnic bench seats, for beat-out bus seats in less developed countries that are mere springs covered in fabric. Or for wherever padding is needed. They can transform an awkward tree, rock, or post into a cush seat, backrest, or both and any bit of unwelcoming ground into a cushy hang out. They can be used and abused. Put into service as a tarp for sorting or repairing gear, sitting on while cooking and eating; pieces can be cut off for various uses, repairs, and projects with some past examples coming to mind a sun visor (with piece of cord), sewed (using a Speedy Stitcher) as padded liner for an uncomfortable climbing harness, used to make padded inserts (w/duct tape) and cases for camera and electronics gear (a scavenged cardboard tube from the trash lined with sleeping pad makes a bomber hardshell camera lens case), and a laptop sleeve. With some cord or duct tape you could make a pair of flip flops. Could cut a piece to tape over a painful bike seat. Along with duct tape, zip ties, and spare cordage foam sheet can solve a variety of impromptu challenges and on-the-road design requirements. Even if one runs an air mattress it can be useful to keep a piece of closed cell foam in one's kit.

djb

I still keep a small section of blue foam to take when XC skiing, nice to sit on while having a food break out in the woods. No wet bottom anymore, and warm too.

Tourist in MSN

I can't remember the last time I sat in a canoe without a half inch thick piece of an old sleeping pad under my bum. Or a long distance in a kayak.

djb

you mamby pamby outdoorsy types will laugh ;-) but heck, Ive even used pieces on the seat for my back the times Ive done some kart racing (rental ones, nothing fancy) because the g forces and whatnot of a reasonably fast kart really kills your back, and ye ol blue camp mat bits worked like a treat!

karting is reeeeeeeallly fun and exciting, just inches off the ground so 50-60kph feels nice and fast, and they corner like buggers, fun as all get out. (alas, expensive......)

and now back to our regular programming, self propelled activities ;-)

Tourist in MSN

There is a local farm supply store (Mills Fleet Farm) that has very high quality thick and large plastic shopping bags. I have slit a few of them down the sides so that they are a long narrow sheet of thick plastic. A lot cheaper than a tent footprint, not as wide but is wider than my air mattress. I have used those both inside and outside the tent if I had any reason to be nervous. Sometimes when I have shopped there and did not buy anything big enough for one of those bags, I have asked for one of the bags, they usually oblige.

3speed

If on a really tight budget, I'd even spring for a cheapo self inflating mat from Amazon. I haven't used this particular one, but something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Self-...ateway&sr=8-12

I used one of them as my first mat and it lasted me at least 50 nights of camping before mysteriously forming about 1/2" long split one night. I might have been able to patch it and continue using it. No idea. I went for a Klymit Static V air mat for just over $50 and it's been amazing and shows no signs of wear after Many uses. It's a standard "rolls up the size of a coke can" sort of mat.

For weather warm enough that I don't need a sleeping bag, I'd still bring a sheet large enough to fold over me twice, just in case I get a cool night. One layer of sheet doesn't provide a whole lot. I don't like to sleep bound in my clothes, though. For those who don't mind that, I probably wouldn't bother with a sheet at all. Just throw on another shirt if you get chilly.

djb

Re sheets, I have carried a light, cozy fleece like blanket as an extra warmth thing for my wife on a trip, as she had a rather cheapy summer bag and weather was unusually cold at the beginning of the trip. Weighs less than a sheet, and nice and cozy. I'd take one of those over a sheet any day.
These are the types available in all kinds of stores, with varying thicknesses and weights and sizes. I weighed the one I took, can't recall how much, but surprisingly light for the cozy warmth it gives.

ericzamora

Just for clarification, Thermarest (the one company making sleeping pads that i've heard the least issues with, and believe me, i've pored over countless online forums about sleeping pads) offers several models in their NeoAir lineup. There's the NeoAir UberLite, 3 versions of the NeoAir Xlite, and 2 versions of the NeoAir XTherm. I'm almost starting to forget this is a biking forum and not a hiking forum lol

There are many inflatable options out there, offering choice for shoppers. That's a good thing.

eric/fresno, ca.

veganbikes

So ditch all of that and go with the Sea To Summit pads. I love Big Agnes and had used one for a while and I also love Thermarest and have test their pads but STS blows them out of the water. Way easier to inflate and super comfortable due to the individual air pockets. You can also get one that is basically two pads in one (which is what I have) and while it is heavier it is super comfortable and really only like 1 pound so not so bad but really allows you to dial in the comfort and protect your back against poor surfaces with rocks and roots and such.

I have camped a bunch with a yoga/exercise mat and my back was super unhappy with it and the Big Agnes pad was better but the Sea To Summit is even better than that and inflates in a lot less time and it also provides good insulation from the ground which is the important thing in a mat.

Lovegasoline

For the air mattress crew, a tip for inflating a pad rapidly without losing consciousness by use of a trash bag (for example as in this first video that popped up ... many variations on the theme):



PS: For clarification my Thermarest is a Neoair Xlite in large from 3+ years ago. Zero complaints except for the yellow color (prefer stealthy gear).
PSS: A head's up to those shopping for a pillow. I came upon this offer recently for a 'free' X-Ultralight inflatable by Klymit - you have to pay shipping, likely $10 . I never used their stuff so can't vouch for it. I've always got by fine using a folded up jacket or other clothing.

https://offer.klymit.com/pillow-x-2/...mk_RL-J3LoN-wY

jefnvk

I had a Big Agnes (IIRC) inflatable. in the few nights before the valve delivered a leak, I didn't find it to be any more comfortable than the $6 blue foam pads Wal-Mart sells. I've gone back to using them.

I roll it up around my tent to keep the tent dry on moist days:

djb

which in all seriousness despite all this internet blah blah, the guy or gal asking this question should just lay their yoga mat down on the floor or the lawn and see how it is sleeping on the darn thing overnight or for a few nights in a row.
Me and my skinny assed 5'10+ 135lb old body found self inflating thermarests way more comfortable than blue foam, and then again found thicker inflateable mats more comfortable again, but thats me.

whatever works, the neat thing is that there are all kinds of price and comfort and weight options out there now, and if you like to be able to use your mat outside on rocks or stones or thorns while reading a book, the non inflating ones certainly are a no brainer.

3speed

I just got one of the pillows to try out. Thanks! I have a pillow, but this one is smaller and worth a shot. You can't beat trying out a piece of gear that might work out well and save weight and space for $10. If I don't like it that much, I have a travel pillow or I can pass it on to a friend who might like it.

jefnvk

Agreed. No two people are comfortable on the same things. To be quite honest, if you gave me soft earth I'd probably be fine sleeping directly on top of it. Others won't be comfortable on anything short of a deluxe mattress.

kansascity 

After looking at a lot of pads, I think I am going to try the Klymit Static V. Overall it had good reviews and price was in the range that I was comfortable with.

Doug64

+1

My wife is making an insulated insert for my front pannier from a $6 K-Mart sleeping pad and duct tape in Cody Wyoming. We needed something to keep our drinks cool and keep her chocolate from melting We got into Cody early on a very hot day, and she is a problem solver.

robow

Did it work ?

Doug64

Yes. She made the one pictured in 2007, and I still use it when hauling groceries, a good use for old panniers. We made a new insert, almost exactly the same (even used blue duct tape), when I replaced my old front panniers with Ortlieb bags. It goes on all our tours.

This is the original that we used in an old Nashbar front pannier.

djb

dont have a photo of it right now Doug, but for years Ive done the same for laptops etc, and for a bunch of years now, I have a similarly shaped but more narrow version of this that I put my U-lock in, inside my pannier, to cushion the bottom of my pannier and also not to have the heavy bottom part of the lock banging into my other stuff in my pannier.
Montreal roads are pretty rough sometimes and Ive never liked having a heavy u lock dinging other stuff when I ride fast over potholes.

PedalingWalrus

I got about 7 years under my belt of not using any mattress. I think my first mattress was purchased when I was 21 years old. Before that I Cowboy camped under the stars or under a tarp. I did not own a tent either, until I was 21. I’m not sure I’d be willing to undertake it nowadays but from my experience if you do this you learn to sleep on your belly and you put all of your stuff underneath you. Soft stuff where your body appreciates it and hard stuff to elevate your feet and head. Good luck. If you do not HAVE to do it don’t 👍🙂

(or get a hammock with an underquilt)

djb

hi Doug, I had to take a quick photo today when I did some housecleaning--I laughed because I had forgotten that I too had used blue duct tape, for no other reason than we had some. Its very simple, just deep enough to keep the heavy part of the u lock enclosed in foam, and its kind of falling apart, but no matters, it does its job.

mev

It may also change with time. In college, I built a loft where I slept up top on a cut sheet of plywood, no matress. That wouldn't work now some years later where at least a thermarest matress is on my list.

Tourist in MSN

I have backpacked and also kayaked at Isle Royale National Park. They have shelters with wood floors in addition to tent sites. My first trip there, used a fairly thin Thermarest self inflating pad on the wood floors (same one in the photo above from my Grand Canyon backpacking trip), and that was the last Isle Royale trip I did without an air mattress. That hard wood floor was just too hard for a thin self inflating pad, since then only consider an air mattress.