What are most popular sleeping pads?

To be honest, I use an insult mat that is a blow up thingy that is 2.5 of cushion. I think it weighs around 17-19 ounces. I forget. The thing is, whatever makes you comfortable. I'd much rather sleep well than toss and turn and have my troublesome back hurt more.

23 oz isn't too awful heavy for a pad — my winter pad (Downmat 7) is about 2 lbs! For everything else, however, I either go without a pad or use the GG Nightlight — which is probably one the more popular SUL pads, at about 3.5oz, to answer your question. The Therm-a-rest Ridgerest is also one of the most common UL pads; both pads, however, are foam pads.

The most popular inflatable pads are probably the Therm-a-rest Pro Lite series, the BPL Torsolite and the Big Agnes Air Core pad. Other than BPL pad, I don't recall many other inflatable pads being much lighter than 23oz anyway. The bulk will always be a problem with any pad, inflatable or otherwise.

Mont-Bell's UL 90 Sleeping pad is a nice option weighing 10 oz and is slightly wider the the torsolight…i.e. your hands can lie by your side and stay off the ground. I think a fair number of folks use it and it has an flatable pillow that attaches to the top.

But I'd agree that for true extreme UL you need to drop the self inflatables and get a GG thinlight or nightlight.

The sleeping pads I've heard mentioned the most on this forum are the Thermarest Prolite series, the BPL Torsolite, any of the Gossamer Gear evazote pads (particularly the torso-length one), the Exped Downmat, and any number of other inflatables with loose-fill synthetic insulation and 2.5-3" of cushion, such as the Big Agnes Air Core. I've owned most of those pads or otherwise comparable ones and I think every one of them has a certain niche.

The Gossamer Gear torso length evazote (closed cell foam) pad only weighs 3.5 ounces, can double duty as the frame to an ultralight pack, and is warm enough for sleeping down to about 35-40 degrees by itself (provided your sleeping bag is warm enough). However, as closed cell foam, it is less comfortable than an inflatable and may not be ideal for everyone. I can sleep on it just fine, but that's just me. Also, it's not ideal for a very long thru hike because after about 30 nights on them, they start to get deflated and lose some warmth and comfort. However, they're cheap at less than $20 each, and most people don't spend more than 30 nights camping in a season, so this might not be a huge issue if you don't plan on thru hiking with one (if you do, you could always resupply with an extra).

On the other extreme, the Downmats are 2.5-3" thick inflatables, very cushy and very warm, but weigh 1.5-2 pounds, depending on the model. Also, you need to use a special pump to inflate them and the pump is just one more thing to add weight. Downmat owners swear by them. An extra-warm pad can be a huge advantage in comfort on even a mild night. I have a Downmat 7 Short and don't think it's as warm as people say it's supposed to be, but then again I haven't really been cold with it yet, so there you go. Of course, the insulation doesn't have to be down… This is where the Big Agnes Air Core and other similiar pads come into play. There are thick inflatables that are plenty warm which use high lofting synthetic insulation such as Primaloft. This solves the extra weight of the pump dilemma, but they still tend to be a little heavy for their warmth than other types of pads. Another important note is that if you're a side sleeper, you may want to reconsider getting a 2/3 length pad that is 2.5-3" thick. It causes a certain sideways hinging at the knees which I don't think is comfortable. If you're a back sleeper, don't worry about it.

Personally, I think the BPL Torsolite (9-10 ounces) is the best inflatable pad for 3 season use (down to 30 degrees or so), and the Thermarest Prolite 4 Short (17 ounces) is the best inflatable pad for most 4 season use (down to 5-10 degrees). Colder than 0-5 degrees and I generally stack pads for additional warmth. The Gossamer Gear evazote closed cell foam pads are a great supplement to either, as they weigh almost nothing by themselves, but they can add a good 5-10 extra degrees of warmth by just stacking one of them with your inflatable pad.

To me, weight is only part of the equation when it comes to sleeping pads. For some items, I use the lightest possible solution (like my beer can stove)… but when it comes to sleeping pads, I go for the lightest pad that will still give me a decent nights sleep. If you can't get a good nights sleep on a 4 oz pad, the weight savings is hurting you more than it's helping you.

Most popular? I think they've all been mentioned… Torsolite, Prolite, etc. But there are really soooo many options and again, it all depends on what will give you a good nights sleep… so really… it's a hard question to answer.

The three dominant factors with mats are weight,packed size and warmth. Each one of us has to determine his own order of importance. I tend to favor warmth,packed size over weight. I don't mind in cold conditions, (to me around 5c to -10c) to spend a few minutes blowing up my Exped 7 because it gives me a very comfortable sleep. If I expect higher temperatures, then I use the PO Insulmat because I still can turn without having my bones touching the ground.
Recently testing a new shelter, I used the PO the first night, woke up with a cold (not uncomfortably so) back at about 5 c. The next night, using a ProLite 4 I was nice and warm. However on uneven soil I tend to roll off the ProLite 4 but stay on the other two thicker mats (PO and Exped)
Franco

Franco that's a good point. Since I use my sleeping pad inside a bivy, rolling off the pad is not really an issue, but when I used to tent, that always bothered me about Thermarests. The thicker inflatables definitely correct this issue.

I use a ProLite 3 since I find the weight-to-insulation-to-comfort ratio pretty nice. I don't find any problems with sliding off of it, but if you do, just run a thin strip of seamgrip along it. When that dries it should have a very high frictional coefficient and keep you from moving too much.

If I were to get a pad these days I would wait on the new crop from Thermarest, I hear the NeoAir whatchamacallits are pretty nice.

Definitely check out the reviews of sleeping pads for a good cross-section of opinions. Everyone above’s been discussing inflatables, of which I’ve used plenty, but I’ve come to prefer non-inflatable closed-cell foam. My current choice is a Gossamer Gear NightLight torso pad (for padding) on top of a Gossamer Gear 1/8″ ThinLight pad (for insulation and my legs). They weigh very little compared to inflatable pads, and are often used to provide rigidity to frameless backpacks (multi-use gear, saving yet more weight).

I’m a pretty bony dude, and I’m reasonably comfy with this combo. Tons of other folks, however, wouldn’t dream of ditching a Thermarest for what I sleep on. As many have said before, it’s a personal comfort thing. There’s totally no right or wrong. Beyond (useless) bragging rights for weight, it’s about what your threshold is for trading weight for comfort.

Before you buy, see if you can try some in a store or borrow from friends to dial in what’s most comfy for you!

Another advantage to closed cell foam pads is they will never ever pop and you can even use them outside your bivy/tent floor to protect the fabric from abrasion.

Does anyone have any details on Cascade Designs (Thermarest) NeoAir pads that are coming out?
I've heard only a little, but that sounded good.
Maybe the reporters at the Outdoor Retail show will fill us in.

This is all that I have seen so far ….
http://www.anatolyivanov.com/prose/en/AI.7.00132/

That's quite a bit of info for something that hasn't hit the market yet. What are you looking for specifically?
I'm not a fan of the air mattress feeling, but considering the weight, I'm eager to test one out myself.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the warmlite DAM have the highest R value. Also it's pump and subsequent blowing up of the DAM doesnt seem to have attract as much negative attention as the exped DAM's.
I'm also looking for sleeping pads.I have closed cell ones so DAM is my next quest for winter trips

>Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the warmlite DAM have the highest R value

Stephenson's may say so, but in my experience they are not much warmer than my ridgerest or any of the other inflatable mats being discussed. I feel they may be a bit skimpy or patchy on the down fill, and that plastic covering (think of the fabric that pool inflatables are made of) is cold to the touch if you're using something like a quilt. The pump bag and valve are clunky at best. It would be nice if they modernised and made their rather large pump bag out of a lighter material.

I'm not into inflatables. They can let you down when you need them the most, and I don't need that kind of cushioning. I also don't like that feeling of being higher off the ground that I get with the thicker inflatables, but it really comes down to personal preference and sleeping style.

Pacific Outdoor Equipment makes a sleeping pad called the Hyper High Mountain, of which they report the R value is 20.

>Pacific Outdoor Equipment makes a sleeping pad called the Hyper High Mountain, of which they report the R value is 20.

Well of course they can say what they want…EDWARD RIPLEY-DUGGAN at BGT ran some nice tests showing the Hyper High was no where near an R of 20.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Sleep%20Gear/Pads%20and%20Air%20Mattresses/POE%20Hyper%20High%20Mountain%20Sleeping%20Pad/Test%20Report%20by%20Edward%20Ripley-Duggan/

According to that review, the approximate R value of the Hyper High Mountain is 7. Keeping in mind the pros and cons of the various types, to me the PO sounds pretty good (as a winter mat) having the same "stored" size as the Ridgerest, almost twice the weight but three times the warmth…
Franco

I like the thermarest ultralight sleep pads, the self inflatable ones. Also slumberjack isn't too bad some of there stuff is a little on the heavy side, just depends I would recommend going to your local sporting goods store and trying them out, better to find one that works and feels good than to be out some cash and stuck in the back country with an uncomfortable sleeping pad that you have to haul around. If you guys get the chance check out my site http://www.outdoorbackpack.net/