3 Choices! ! ! (Sleeping Pads)

Is none of the above an appropriate answer? How about the Exped Synmat UL 7 at 16 ozs., 3.1 r-rating, and 2.8" thick. Shaves a lot of space and weight out of your pack and is very comfy. If given the choice your 3, probably the Prolite?

Why those 3? A self iflating pad is a pad that has foam on the inside that expands and sucks in air through the inflate/deflate valve.
The foam is also what gives these types of pads their insulation.

I forgot to add in my post that my pad was the one thing in my pack I was not interested in trading weight for less comfort. I want to sleep good at night and I dont want to worry about it leaking. I could probably take a chain saw to the basecamp and it would be un-affected.

The pro lites to thin
The base camps to heavy/bulky
The UL Exped seams to get the best of both worlds, but id have to increase my price range quiet a bit.

Do you own one of these Robert? Is it pretty durable?

Thanks for the info Ken.

*EDIT* Just found out that the Exped UL Syn Mat is not made in a Large. Im 6'3" and ive got wide shoulders.

I also vote for none of those three. I would wait until a down air mattress hits the Gear Swap. There have been a few lately that have sold for about $60…insane pricing if you ask me. You'd get a pad that's warmer, lighter, more comfortable and less expensive than anything on your list.

note about use inflatable pads

some people here have reported good service from cascade designs on second hand pads … ie neo air, prolite, etc …

as inflatable pads seem to be one of the more common fail points in the outdoors … it may be something to consider

All your options weigh more than my 0º quilt.

Weight =/= comfort. Welcome to 2012 and the realm of space-age technology in our sleeping pads. I've never slept more comfortable on a mat than I do with my Neo Air.

FWIW, as a side sleeper, I find the 1.5" Thermarests feel like a brick under my hips. Never tried the BaseCamp, but 56oz is too much unless it packs up my camp for me in the morning. There have been a lot of good reviews about the 2.8" Expeds, and the thickness is definitely a plus.

I have the Basecamp and it's HEAVY. I'm also a side sleeper and it starts to get pretty uncomfortable on the hips after a few days. Don't get me wrong it's a nice pad that keeps you warm, but I will be investing in a Synmat UL 7 or XLite in the new year at some point.

Jd

The Exped UL Downmat 7 will be hitting the shelves soon.

I went with a Kookabay syn filled pad. I have two, one at 15 oz the other at 13 oz. Advertised at R5.

I have the exped synmat 7 and it's extremely comfy. It's the 72 inch by 20 I believe and I'm 6'2 210 lbs and with a pillow at one end I have no complaints. I also have the exped ul 7 and neo air all season. Yeah I need to get rid of one and the synmat 7 is the heaviest so it's probably got to go. If you decide to go that route pm me and I'll give you a better deal than you have listed.

or, if you want the high R value, consider the synmat ul 7 combined with a ccf pad like a ridgerest. you still get the comfort along with an added measure of safety against failure.

I've had 2 exped synmat 7s fail on me. Switched to neoair, can supplement with zrest as needed.

You should certainly pack whatever you want, but this is Backpackinglight and those weights are far beyond what most of us would consider carrying.

I am with you when it comes to wanting to get a good night's sleep, even if I have to carry a few more ounces. But I think you'll find you can sleep soundly on a pad half the weight if you try out some other options.

After owning about six sleeping mats, I can only recommend the Exped Syn Mat 7. 12 nights without solid sleep on the JMT and I'm now a convert to this pad.

Neoair is thick and comfy and also makes a wide pad. Probably cushier than any of the weight hogs you have listed. 19 oz. for the big wide Neoair. And they sell them everywhere; its easy to try one out.

The old NeoAirs are on clearance right now too, to make way for the new versions. I ordered a large just to check it out, and it came in at 17.4 oz instead of 19. The horizontal baffles make it much more comfortable than the pads with vertical baffles, in my opinion.

Just a thought.

They are not out yet, but I heard only two weeks till release. There is a 25"x77" that weighs one pound and, to make it even better, they have a new 9oz chair that the 25" pad fits in. I love those chairs. Nothing like a comfy place to sit, lean back and contemplate the cosmos, with a cup of steaming joe. ;)

So much of comfort is personal. You may want to try out a bunch of options to see which one is the most comfortable for you. As suggested, though, you can definitely find pads that are as comfortable (or more comfortable) than those listed but weigh a lot less.

Most of the pads are plenty durable as well, but if you are really concerned, you can just use a thin closed cell pad underneath. An 1/8 inch thick pad that covers the entire area will probably weigh around 4 ounces. It will add a bit of warmth and comfort; it also can double as your sit pad (folded over).

My thoughts after trying different options,

The corridor trails campgrounds are hard, somewhat flat and well used.. I wouldn't be too worried about your map popping.. Especially if your in a tent with a floor and or a ground sheet. Inflatables are pretty easy to fix or repair in field as long as you bring something to do that with. At least that's what I keep telling myself :) The Exped Synmat 7 is pretty robust material and it comes with it's own repair kit. I also found that I rolled off the 20" width NeoAir's.. Bought it, returned it. Their stated 20" is not the same as the Exped's due to the horizontal baffles. My Exped Synmat7 Pump measures almost 25" across uninflated(20" after inflation). I don't roll off of it at all. The NeoAir at a width wider than 20" might not be bad. I also tried Big Agnes which has vertical baffles and bumper baffles to keep you from rolling off like Exped. BA mummy cut had nice durable material but it made me more sweaty underneath than Exped. It just seemed more comfy to me.. I'd go Exped Symat UL or hold out for the new NeoAir if I was you and could afford it. The one drawback I found about Exped is that it won't completely deflate on it's own. You have to roll the air out and then roll it up. Not a big deal but just something to keep in mind. My NeoAir Trekker you just turn the knob one roll up and your done. The NeoAir All Season is supposed to have an R value of 4.9 at 77 x 25 x 2.5 and 25oz according to REI specs. These mats look like could take more abuse than original NeoAirs. Super duper $$$ though.

If it was me I'd have nothing less than the new NeoAir. The Xlite I think its called. It's out now! Back-ordered at lots of places. I'd trade up but I got a 9oz neoair short and I just dont care about the extra oz/r value, as I would prob lose some money in the transaction. Might try to take mine back to REI and get the new one. Just say I get cold with it and need a higher R-value (aka the XLITE!)…

8 OZ! r value of 3.2 price 130 (short).