Sleep pad for side sleepers.

This is starting to remind me of Whiteblaze, where the answer to any question is "get a hammock".

Get a Synmat UL7, or POE Ether Thermo 6.

Side sleeper here, and I really feel it in at the hips and knees without the right pad.
I cant use CCF pads anymore. I was using a Thermorest Prolite Plus (the 1 1/2" one) and it worked very well, no complaints. I switched to a POE Elite AC to save some bulk and weight and its been working great so far. Much lighter than the Thermorest at 11.5 oz (on my postal scale, regular length pad) including the sack and patch kit, The trade off is that I'm more paranoid about it puncturing, as it feels pretty thin. No problems so far though and I find the POE to be close to the same comfort level as the Thermorest.

Someone posted about their arm going numb when sleeping on their side. My arm goes numb too if I sleep with my head on my brachael artery, which my head naturally falls on when I fold my upper arm under my head. I have to make a conscious effort not to do that, and to sleep with only my hand under whatever I'm using as a pillow.

I use an Exped air pillow.

Strange, my quote of the above poster's question about how to keep your arm from going to sleep doesn't show up…at least looking from my phone. Anyway, that's what I was answering with this post.

I have a 3.5" thick well-insulated pad from Kooka Bay, which weighs only 12.9 oz. Unfortunately, this firm is now out of business. I just hope that someone will take up where they left off! If I were still looking, I'd check out the Exped Synmat UL or new Downmat UL. I tried the NeoAir and it didn't work at all for me. I kept rolling off the horizontal baffles and I never could find the "sweet spot" between having it too hard and having my hip bone on the ground. YMMV, of course!

Whatever pad you get, try it out on the floor at home for several nights. Don't get carried away with the light weight as I did with the NeoAir; make sure you can get a good night's sleep! In retrospect, a good night's sleep is far, far more important than a few ounces less weight in the pack!

I'm intrigued by the Klymit Inertia pads. Anyone ever use them with a quilt?

"I'm intrigued by the Klymit Inertia pads. Anyone ever use them with a quilt?"

I haven't but company rep was on one of the forums once and I asked him. His response was that people have done it but the pad is not designed to be used with a quilt. The pad is designed such that the bottom of your sleeping bag fills in the holes in the pad and creates consistent insulation underneath you. Actually he said they have found the gaps filled with your sleeping bag are warmer than the rest of the pad.

Synmat UL 7 and Pillow for me.

Very comfy for a side sleeper, far more so than the Neoair (and the Neo was very good)

Exped Synmat UL7 short and a pillow on my pack works really well for me. I've used a 3 season prolite and CCF previously and have always been uncomfortable.

I'll be the odd one here, I went with an Exped Downmat 7. The extra small version (47×20") and weighs 22oz, just 7oz heavier than the smallest Synmat UL. With that extra weight I get

no noise, more durable fabric, more warmth, an integrated pump (no hassle or added weight of a pump bag)

Didn't need the extra length over the shortest Synmat UL. The extra small version isn't listed anymore on the exped website. Maybe those interested can find some remaining ones.

Steve

I just got the XS DownMat 7 myself (still rolled up with the plastic on at this point, though) for the same reasons you list above. I'm anxious to try it out. Do you have any problem with the length and 2.5" height, in terms of your legs being uncomfortable b/c of the drop-off?

I picked mine up recently at Sierra Trading Post, but I just looked before posting this and they are gone. : (

Not so much because I don't inflate it to 2.5". Cushy so I sink into the pad, and my legs are not as high as you might think. I use my pack under my feet.

The bigger issue is my head. My pillow has to go on the pad; off the pad and the pillow just isn't tall enough.

I do use 1/4" eva type foam under the pad to further protect it, but it goes under my bivy as a ground protection. This leaves the pad directly in contact with, and sliding on, the sil nylon floor. Two small pieces of 1/4" eva foam are placed under the foam to keep it from sliding around, and these are actually my sit pad (0.5oz total).

Steve

Thanks, Steve.

I guess I hadn't really thought of the fact that the pad probably will not be inflated to an actual 2.5". I sometimes carry a Z-Seat and also have a 3/8" eva foam pad, so my set-up for the DownMat should look work like yours.

I'm currently on a NeoAir but would like to move to a CCF pad primarily to reduce setup and take down time (and worry less about punctures). I'm a side sleeper and am curious if anybody has tried creating additional hip support (besides a second CCF mat as this won't work for me). I'm imagining something like an elastic band worn around my hips running through a thick sponge (it sounds a bit crazy). It seems insane to have to go through all of the hassle of an inflatable mat for the sake of several square inches of support on my hip and yet this is basically what I am doing.

Regards,

Aaron

Can anyone with an inflatable comment on whether they side sleep AND toss and turn a lot?

I've tried my girlfriends Synmat UL7 a few times and always feel my hips and elbows hit the ground when I roll over. Maybe I have really pointy bones….

Prolite Plus Regular for me. I never feel the ground through that at all.

Just takes "practice." After a few nights I get used to pads. The first two nights are not wonderful. GG Nightlight pads are better than flat pads. As I get older I take a NeoAir about half the time these days.

"I'm intrigued by the Klymit Inertia pads. Anyone ever use them with a quilt?"
Yeah, they do not work too well for quilts unless it is very hot and you need the ventilation. As was said, they are really designed for sleeping bags.

I toss&turn a lot at night and found them to be less usefull than I thought. I took one on a 5 day outing, assuming I would get used to it…didn't happen. One night it was fine, I kicked up a bunch of leaves under it. I stuck my Sitlite pad under my hips and was comfortable. In lean-to's it didn't quite provide enough padding… I tried it inside and got my foot through one of the holes. On another night, it was outside and I half rolled off of it a couple times. I was hoping, because I like the idea that it would work well to keep me warmer than a pad for about the same weight.

NeoAir + Exped air pillow FTW. I can now go backpacking again. And if that's not a rave review, I don't know what is :-)

Exped UL7 and whatever is handy for a pillow.

I toss and turn and so I awake a few times a night to re-adjust my quilt and tuck myself back in. But I really enjoy using this pad. I have 2 other Exped pads for car camping.

Bob

)p.s. Thanks for letting us post!!)

"Exped UL7 and whatever is handy for a pillow."

I'm with Bob on this one. As an old geezer and side sleeper, my Exped UL7 is as close to ideal as I expect ever to get. Almost as good as my own mattress at home!