1/8″ or 1/4″ GG Thinlight pad to go under my neo-air xtherm?

39"x59" vs 19.5"x59" for the 1/8", which explains the wt difference.

Might just get the 1/4" and cut it in half, which would provide one for my Wife as well.

Hey Mike,

To help answer the question ‘1/8″ or 1/4″ when using an xtherm’… I have a quick question.

Will you be using this combo inside of a shelter/bivy or right on the ground/snow?

The nice thing about the 1/8th is just how little pack volume it consumes. However, sharp twigs, rocks, and such *can* push up through it over the course of the night.

I have used the XTherm for a good part of the 2013 hiking season and placed it ontop of a 1/8th which was ontop of the amk emergency blanket and the triple combo seemed to work out without any punctures or having to repair the XTherm.

One of the nice things of the XTherm over the XLite is the higher denier fabric on the bottom, thus resolving a lot of the microholes those using the XLite tend to have.

But, if you plan to go right onto the ground a shoulder-to-hip side 1/4″ might be a good idea. And, if you are going right onto snow, you of course do not need to use a pad at all, unless you are just after another half-point of r-value.

The perfect reply!
Direct on ground or snow is not likely for my wife and I. I own an Akto and am thinking of a Zpacks Duplex, which has that .75 oz Cuben floor. I think your experience shows that the convenient fold-up and light weight of the 1/8" makes sense for us.

Does a GG polycro small size make sense under the compared to the emergency blanket you reference above?

The perfect reply!

Great to hear.

Does a GG polycro small size make sense under the compared to the emergency blanket you reference above?

Sure.

I just happen to prefer the latter because of the following reasons:

(a) it is much easier to acquire both initially and if you need a replacement while on the trail, as almost all outdoor shops have these AMK solo blankets these days

(b) the metalized polyethylene offers some (an unknown) additional bit of R-value to the overall sleep system, whereas the GG "polycro" very likely provides under even 0.1 r-value. While it is unknown, one just has to figure that metalized polyethylene is higher than just a sheet of plastic. I don't know what, but the extremely marginal weight difference makes it worth taking it.

A few other factors to ponder one:

(1) While the AMK Solo Blanket is not 'as tough' as the GG 'polycro' it holds up well enough. Some folks report getting 200 miles of use with it, some of us have gotten over 600 miles use with it, before needing to replace it. Compare that to the dozens and dozens (if not hundreds) of folks that have used the GG 'polycro' for an entire thru-hike and beyond.

(2) You can get the Sol blanket for under five bucks, just about anywhere… compared to the six bucks to have GG ship you one. (technically, you will have to buy two of the GG ones, therefore spending 12 bucks – for what could last you up to/if not over 6000+ miles of use) vs just spending 5 bucks whenever you happen to need one. Toss up on this one.

(3) Cut down to size to fit a shelter bathtub they will hit the scale about the same.

(4) However, if you leave the AMK at the full size, it can be used for emergency purposes, or you can put it inside of your sleeping bag if the temps drop below the rating of your sleeping bag (could be a good or bad thing… depending on your sleeping bag and experience with VBL sleeping), as well as using it for a signal if you get lost, or using it to wrap a fellow hiker who has fallen and needs medevaced (which happened last year on the PCT when a hiker experienced very serious medical issues… somebody pulled out their AMK and wrapped the hiker in it).

(5) The GG 'polycro' being clear allows you to see before you setup your shelter (or throw down your pad if cowboy camping) and look for rocks/twigs/etc. Cannot do that with the AMK sheet.

Not trying to sell you one-way-or-the-other… I have a lot more miles (and so do thousands of other hikes) using the GG 'polycro' sheet than I do have using the AMK sheet.

Just a thought–I wouldn't worry about the CCF for the XTherm. The R-value is high enough you really don't need any extra insulation unless it's really cold. I've taken it down into the single digits without any extra insulation, and it performed fantastic. Even then, I had the mattress underinflated for extra comfort.

The 70 denier fabric on the bottom is really durable. It's the same level of fabric on the old Prolites (the red ones), which have the reputation for being nearly indestructible.

Personally, if you clean your site well and generally take care of your gear, I see no reason why you'd need a thin CCF sheet for the XTherm.