Best sleeping pad for use with a quilt?

[Remington Roth]

New quilt guy here; I realized this past weekend that a short length of foam won't do the job. Any suggestions? I'm 5'10, use a bivy/tarp shelter system, and rarely deal with temperatures below 25F.

[Dustin Short]

A bit of a luxury based on weight, and a bit noisy/crinkly…but it seems like half of the forums owns and loves some version of the NeoAir. They are thick, plush, and warm (and you pay for that). I haven't bit the bullet yet and still get by with my RR SOLite. You can cut one down to 3/4 or 1/2 length if you want to save weight.

[Remington Roth]

The foam I referred to is 3ft of that exact pad.

[Joe S]

I sleep fine directly on a UL7 but have not taken it to 25.

[Jennifer Mitol]

I've taken my synmat UL7 to just below 20 in my Big Agnes bottomless bag (just a 10D nylon sleeve the pad slips in) and have been ok. It was a stretch and my feet were a bit chilly, but I was able to sleep well. I wore an old pair of fleece long underwear as my pjs and a hat…didn't need to wear my down sweater.

It is a pound tho…but honestly, I've never slept better in the backcountry since I bought that pad, and it's the one piece of gear I never, ever think of swapping out.

[michael levi]

x3 on the ul7

Ul7 > neoair

Ainec

[James Marco]

Well, again, not a simple answer. It depends on the temperature you hike at and the surface you sleep on.

Some examples:
Above 50F, I like a NightLight torso. I have used thinner pads, but this is a compromise between being comfortable and light weight.

On a lean-to floor, I like a NeoAir. Sometimes I use the NightLite for "shimming" a badly off level floor.

For colder temps, I like my NeoAir, NightLite over. Pick some snow to sleep on.

For cold weather, less than 20F, I don't go camping. (I have diabetes.) But when I was younger, we used extra clothing, over a CCF mat, covered by a CCF mat, wrapped in a tarp. Often, this was sleeping over ice, solid snow, while ice-fishing.

Since, Exped and others have released DAM's (Down filled Air Mattress,) or I didn't know about them when I was young…no internet. I would get one of these. Perhaps enhancing it somehow with a second pad as others have said.

Surface coldness you are sleeping on. (Forest duff is warmer than granite.)
Surface hardness you are sleeping on. (Granite is harder than forest duff.)
Type of snow you are sleeping on. (Ice is colder than softer snow.)

Often, (at least I have found) that the problem sleeping on snow is not being cold, but melting the snow underneath you. This can cause your floor or ground cloth to stick. Snow is a good insulator if you can keep it from melting. Any melting will also remove heat a LOT quicker than dry snow.

You will likely need a couple or three different pads. Wrapping in a small tarp or ground cloth will add a little and keep them mostly together.

[John Donewar]

Rem,

My current favorite. ;-)

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___40756

And the price is right!

Party On,

Newton

[Wizard of Oz]

I recently upgraded from my 8oz green 3/4 foam RidgeRest pad to the XLite. I did the Men's Large (I'm 5'10", 170lbs), though for those 5'8" or less I would recommend the Women's version as it's lighter and has a higher R value.

I got it shipped to my door for $120, and sleep SOOO good on it. The mylar reflective effect is obvious on your living room floor nevermind the back country. I don't want the extra weight of a UL7 for 3 season, but I'll carry the extra 4 oz of the NeoAir for the full length and 2+" thickness! I think mine came in at 12.4oz and I added a trimmed down instaflator and improved large inflatable pillow for a 14 oz comfort kit.

I too use a quilt (JRB Sierra Sniveller) and do 40 degree nights on this airpad with the quilt just draped. It's not as wide as it could be, but I'm able to sleep on my back, side and stomach without any problem!

Hope that helps!

[Robert Kelly]

I use the NeoAir XLite down to mid 30's and use a slightly shortened NeoAir Large into the mid-20's with a thin CCF or Evazote layer added. The extra width of the large helps keep arms and shoulders warm when stomach sleeping. From low 20's on down, use a bag rather than a quilt.

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