Niles H.

Any sleeping-pad-related good or bad experiences or discoveries?, ideas or recommendations?, philosophies or approaches?, satisfaction, wish or change lists?

markf

Before all the self inflating pads hit the market (sometime in the late '70s/early '80s), everybody used closed cell foam pads (AKA cheap blue foam). Cheap, lightweight, kept you insulated from the ground but they were pretty bulky. You can still get them at Wal-Mart, REI, and possibly a few other places. If you're camping in mild weather (which most cycle tourists are), on a budget, and don't mind a little bulk, get one from Wal-Mart or REI. If you want more padding between you and the ground, get two. They're cheap enough that you can cut it to the length you want if you're a short person, or cut one up to use as padding and insulation for stuff that you want to protect. It's also great for car camping. https://www.rei.com/product/374059

Therma-Rest offers a folding foam pad called the Z-Rest. Still cheaper and lighter than a self inflating pad, but easier to pack and a little more compact than the cheap blue foam pads. It folds up like an accordion, so it doesn't try to unroll itself like the cheap blue foam. I use one when I'm backpacking instead of a Therma-Rest. I can use it as a knee pad when it's folded up, for stuff like getting my stove going or packing my pack, and I unfold it partially to sit on. It's a little bulky, but I just tie it to the outside of my pack. https://www.rei.com/product/781089

The Therma-Rest Pro Lite is my choice for a self-inflating pad. It's as lightweight and compact as a self-inflating pad is going to get, and if I inflate it a little by mouth after I unroll it it does an excellent job of insulating me from the ground. It's great for a tour where you have to fly to or from the start or finish of the tour, because it rolls up into such a compact package. I use the stuff sack that Therma-Rest sells, it's exactly the right size to roll up the pad into the smallest package possible. If you combine a pad like the Pro Lite with a really compact summer weight down sleeping bag, you have a really compact package that can fit inside a pannier instead of having to be tied to the rack of your bike. https://www.rei.com/product/780988

truman

I've used spare clothes, closed-cell foam military and commercial pads, the predecessor to the Thermarest Pro-Lite - called the Guide Lite, and the Thermarest NeoAir.

As a side sleeper, I highly recommend the NeoAir over all the others mentioned. The only limitation I'm aware of is that in very cold climates an additional insulating layer would be needed.

reptilezs

i use a z lite. light but bulky. it never pops and leaks

wahoonc

I use an older Thermarest closest new model is the Trail. In cold weather I will use a pad similar to the Zrest underneath it. I manage to damage the self inflating model, but Thermarest repaired it no charge. I has a funky curve on one side from where they repaired it, other than that no issues after 15 years of regular use.

Aaron

n3vqh

Markf Very good list... Thank you for your great response... I'm sure Niles is helped by the response

Mike

gorshkov

I have a Big Agnes insulated air core and have been happy with it so far. It is not self-inflating, and has a fairly large volume, so it can be a bit of effort to blow it up, but I think it beats out a Thermarest on every other count. It is thicker, slightly more insulating, more comfortable, lighter, packs down a lot smaller, and is about the same price.

My short answer: if you have the budget, get a good inflatable pad; if not, get one of the foam pads. On occasion, you will puncture an inflatable pad, so it is probably a good idea to get a patch kit if you go on a long tour.

AsanaCycles

I really liked the pads that were silver on one side
then black on the other

at least if you were sitting around camp, i.e. in the morning, and the sun was up, you could flip the pad so that the black side is up and try to get some heat going.

those same foam pads are pretty nice, in that they are cheap, and I never stressed over tearing or puncturing them. plus they are great for floating around in a creek, etc...

vs the fancy self inflating types

which ironically are usually heavier than the Rest Ridge types...

but there is the give and take... the foam ones take up a bunch of space, and they are totally obvious
whereas a dark green/brown lite thermarest folds down nice and small, and is easier to conceal, making any kind of stealth camping that much easier.

however, all of it can be a bunch of BS
my last tour Eureka to Morro Bay I didn't use a pad of any type, but the weather was in our favor.

the main concern is to get up off of cold/damp ground, so that you can actually stay insulated.
which brings me to the gorilla method of nesting.
Apes are Apes

where I've started piling up leaves/grass anything to make a mound, lay my ground tarp over it, lay on it a few times, etc...
then pitch my tarp shelter over the deal, and thats it.
I've done the same with some branches, twigs, then smaller vegetation, when the terrain was rocky and water still trickling from snow thaw above

thinking Dian Fossey, Gorillas in the mist.

The Impossipede

This will probably make the bikepacker guys like Dev stroke out, but I've committed myself to the LuxuryLite cot.

A buddy and I used them when we did the entire Atlantic Coast this summer, and they were a true delight. Great for side-sleepers, like me. But also, up off the ground, so who cares how rocky or rooty? And when we got torrents of rain, we were up above it all--because we set them up UNDER the tent, thereby replacing the groundcloth.

I run it with a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1, so total shelter weight is just under 5lbs. A lot more than a tarp, yeah, but infinitely more comfortable.

https://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

AsanaCycles

those are awesome cots.
at times I'd tour with a tipi and wood burning stove... its just another variable.

Newspaperguy

I use something akin to those blue foam pads. It's lightweight and while bulky, it's easy to roll up, wrap in a tarp and strap to the top of my rear rack. I haven't yet been disappointed with it and the price is great.

Carbonfiberboy 

The Only Thing is the Thermarest NeoAir. Absolutely fabulous comfort, rolls up really tiny, and only 14 oz. for the full-length pad. Of course it isn't cheap . . . We've used ours quite a bit and absolutely love them.

imi

Lot to be said for that... I bought my first ever pad, a ridge rest, this winter for the SoCal deserts. In my younger days I spent 6 years on the road (all year) mostly around the mediterranean but even hitching across the USA. Never had a pad, just cheap (ex military) sleeping bags. Slept on a lot of beaches, woods, and wherever - if it rained I pulled a piece of gardening plastic over me - no tent or tarp.
After "settling down" I bought a better sleeping bag, then a tent which I only sleep in if it's raining or very cold - getting old I guess

Sure some nights the small hours of the morning were a bit cold - but that was part of life...

Too much comfort and specialty products around - getting hot, sweaty, wet, a bit cold, ain't so bad - just makes ya feel alive. ymmv

staehpj1

+1 I love my NeoAir. Being a cheapskate I usually wouldn't spend that much on a pad, but this one is exceptional.

kayakdiver

Prolite 4 regular length has been serving me well for years. It's been to the tops of mountains and across country. Wish it was a little lighter like the NeoAir but.... Not a chance in the world I'm going to replace it until either the NeoAir gets cheaper or my Prolite 4 fails for good. I do worry about the durability of the NeoAir as well. Will it last years like the Prolite? Only time will tell.

With the above being said... I'm thinking my dividend check from REI this spring is either going to help me purchase a new Garmin 500 or the NeoAir. I just need to poke a whole bunch of holes in it to justify the stupid price.

At the end of the day though.... I would use the Garmin almost everyday. The sleeping pad not so much. Decisions.... decisions.

Tourist in MSN

I have several Thermarest pads that range from the ultra light ones to the Camp Rest thick one. Leaks (if you can find them) are easily patched with seam grip seam sealer.

I blow one extra puff of air into them before I close the valve, I prefer them a bit hard. I am sure others will disagree, but I find that I am quite happy with all of them, I have been surprised that thin ones feel almost as good as thick ones.

IMPORTANT - Store them fully expanded at home. If you store them rolled up, after a few years they take that deflated shape and do not expand well. A couple of mine are over 10 years old and work as well as new ones.

All of mine are the short ones. When I need more padding under my knees and feet, I use spare clothing for that.

MichaelW

I used a 3/4 length self-inflating foam pad for tours of France and Spain. I add to the foot end of the pad with a folded fleece.
On my recent 6 week trip in N. Europe I expected colder and rougher conditions so I took the 3/4 pad plus a cut down piece of closed cell mat. There are several advantages to having 2 pads:
The inflating mat is a better insulator.
You can place one pad (closed cell) in the vestibule or on the grass to sit on. It gets a bit wet, scuffed up and dirty but you still have a clean pad.
Inflating pads can get punctures or slow leaks that are hard to detect. A closed cell will keep on working.

BigBlueToe

When I was young I slept on the ground, then moved up to a blue foam pad. That thing was warm, and cheap, but not much more comfortable than the ground.

Then I bought a Thermarest. That was much better and I used it for years - I still have it 26 years later and it still holds air.

As I got older even the Thermarest wasn't good enough. I'd wake up every morning about 4:00 am with an aching back, which would hurt until I got up (at 7:00? 8:00?) Once I was up the hurt went away, but came back again the next night.

So I looked around and found the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core air mattress. It's XL and coffin-shaped. It's much more comfortable than the Thermarest. It only takes 2 minutes to blow up (and I do it in a relaxed way - just slow breaths. It's almost calming.) It's as light as my Thermarest, packs up much smaller, and I've used it for three long tours with no leaks. I don't think it's quite as warm as a Thermarest, but I mostly tour in summer. On a spring tour to Zion Canyon last year the temperature got down to freezing and I was cold! I don't know how much of it was attributable to my air mattress, and how much to my old, worn-out sleeping bag, however.

However, one of these days I'm sure I'm going to spring for one of those NeoAir's by Thermarest. I've heard so many great reviews. They're expensive, but comfort is worth it to me.

P. S. The inflation that works best for me is to blow it up, lay on it, and release air slowly until my first body part barely contacts the ground. (I have to wiggle a little to see if it's actually touching.) This works better for me than a firm, highly-inflated mattress. But everyone's different. We have a Sleep Number bed, and my wife's side is about twice as firm as mine.

CB HI

Not everybody, before all the self inflating pads hit the market, I used lots of pine needles spread under the tent floor.

JR97

I have the luxurylite cot and a big agnes inflated pad. Love them both. Pack size determines which one I'm going to use. On occasion, I've used them both at the same time.

I've been using the cot in lieu of a bed for the past month in my apartment because all of my stuff is in storage for the time being. It's super comfy, well made, and durable.

The advantage of the BA is that it's light and packs very small. Disadvantage is that it takes a few minutes to blow up. Not a huge deal, but after a long day of riding/hiking and at altitude it can be taxing.

The advantage of the cot is that can be set up on any ground. It packs relatively small, weighs under 2lbs. and is super comfy. Disadvantage is that it's a lot of parts. It's pretty simple to setup once you get the hang of it and I can set mine up in under 5 min. Another disadvantage is that it's not insulated. Cooler weather will be felt. When I've used it in cooler weather I've used my BA with it or one of those cheapy thin roll up mats.

fietsbob

Exped insulated Air Mattresses polyester or down, for a bit more bulk and weight,
chipped foam. that one self infkate .. to 3.5" thick.

Big agnes offers some too,
they function as the bottom of the sleeping bag, in some designs.

Tansy

I stick with foam pads now. It's nice to have a cheap, durable surface that you can throw over sand, thorny weeds, and rocks and take a nap on during the day, or sleeping on near a campfire on a cold night. I'd rather have bulky items than heavy items, also.

PomPilot

+1 on the Exped air mattress. They make models with a built-in pump. Or you can buy a separate pump, which doubles as a small air pillow. My Exped mattress folds up to just a bit larger than a 1 liter Nalgene water bottle.

cyccommute 

The Big Agnes pad is much better than the self-inflating Therma-Rests, in my opinion. They are lighter, pack smaller and are thicker than comparable Therma-Rests. When integrated into a a Big Agnes bag, they really shine. You can't roll off them.

nancy sv

We've tried it all and came back to the plain ol' blue closed cell pads... Although I really like the comfort of the inflatables, they are too unreliable for a long tour. When you are passing through very cold temps and absolutely HAVE to have the insulation from the ground, it's not worth risking a puncture in the inflatable - your life could literally depend on it.

While our closed cell pads are bulky (and we need to carry four of them!), they don't weigh anything. We just strap them on top of our BOBs and are good to go.