Which sleeping pad is cheap and effective?

1)If I wanted to. Could I cut some of the ridgerest material off?

2)For the R-value, is there a noticeable difference from R-3.1 and R-2.6?

1) Absolutely. Break out the scissors!

2) Very little noticeable difference. Others will provide more scientific (Thus more accurate!) data, but I suspect what difference you notice will be on the very fringe of the low temp range.

There are two different ways to trim a foam pad. First of all, for length. For winter/snow use, I cut my foam pad length to be the same as my height. I have a different one for summer length, which is shoulders-to-knees length. Sometimes in the winter I will use two pads, overlapped in the middle, for extra warmth.

For width, it depends. If you sleep on your back, you may need most of the normal pad width, so you can get away with trimming only an inch off each edge. If you sleep on your side, then you might knock off a little more. However, of course, if you take off too much, it is hard to reattach.
–B.G.–

> a thru hiker on the AT who felt a good night's sleep was so important that he
> used a Z-Rest AND a Thermarest – in the SUMMER! Everything else he had was UL.

I bet he had a lot of experience and that he enjoyed the walk.

Btw – trying to shave 1 oz off your mat in winter can be even worse economy, for the same reason.

cheers