In Search Of: Wide Sleeping Pad

If you have tried it yet, take a look at the large neo air.  It is 5” wider than the regular size and I find that makes a huge difference .

Will do, Steven.  The local shop had nothing when I was there last, so I’m hoping to crowd source some ideas before ordering online. I haven’t remained current in the sleeping pad market since going into the trees!

I’m wondering if there’s anything to be gained by getting two ridge-rest type pads or the pads sold by Gossamer gear and cutting them to my preferred width and layering them to get the right amount of cushioning.

Tough call Bob…On my last trip sleeping on the ground (I too have switched to hammocks) I had a Thermarest Z-Lite as my primary pad and a torso-length CCF laid perpendicular to the Z-Lite to form a “t” shape.  For me it wasn’t hips, but shoulders.  I slept better than with the Z-Lite alone and didn’t wake up cold because my shoulder was on the groundsheet, but it still wasn’t a good night’s sleep.

I think if I were to go to ground again and needed a new pad, I’d probably go with the Neoair XTherm Large to give me the flexibility for colder seasons.

Really should have at least R4.8 under you to sleep at the rated temperature(s) of your bag or quilt. You can layer closed-cell-foam (CCF) with inflatable pads to get there, but hard to find wide-and-full-length CCF.

Suggestions:

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm, Large, R6.9, if you can handle the crinkly noise (not me)
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xtherm-sleeping-pad/neoair-xtherm.html

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Max, Regular Wide or Large, R6.9, same noise issue
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xtherm-max-sleeping-pad/neoair-xtherm-max.html

NEMO Tensor Alpine, Long Wide, R4.8. Much quieter, better side support.
https://www.nemoequipment.com/product/tensor-alpine/

Currently I have the NEMO Tensor Insulated LW, not warm enough, but very comfortable for ground sleeping. My next pad will be the Tensor Alpine LW.

Good luck.

— Rex

To add to Rex’s list, you can find a large (25 x 76 inch) Thermarest RidgeRest pad at Campmor or Thermarest.com.

I had the same problem with 20″ mummy pads. If I rolled onto my back, both elbows fell off the sides, down 2-3″ onto cold ground. If side-sleeping, my hip or knees might fall off. I noticed this when I moved to a quilt. The sleeping bag had kept my limbs partially contained/constricted and a little bit insulated. A rectangular, 23″ pad is just barely enough, for me.

They’re not exactly the lightest, but Klymit sells pads that are 23″ wide and some that are 30″. they even have one with extended wings for hammock use, but it’s truly heavy and bulky. All their insulated versions are R4.4, last I’d checked.

Neoair XLite Large size pad.. or Regular/ Wide.  You can also use a Gossamer Gear 1/8 Thinlight pad under that if needed.

The Neoair X-Therm Makes no noise..  the Xlite crinkles a bit..

Now, either the crinkly noise from the pad dissipates over use or I have just gotten used to it and do not hear it anymore.  Honestly,  it never bothered me in the first place..

I use a hammock also, and started to carry a Neoair Uberlite large pad with me just in case I needed to sleep on ground.. usually I always carried a short length Neoair.. which is a nightmare to sleep on.. I dont mind bringing the Uberlite now..

If 20″ is too narrow for you and impacts sleep, move to 25″, it really is a game changer. At 20″ my arms fall off pad and go numb. 25″ and I sleep like a baby.

Exped also makes wide pads, and I’ve been happy with a wide Synmat UL + 1/8” closed cell foam. I find the vertical baffles more comfortable.

I’d take a good look at Sea to Summit pads too. They have a unique baffle system which does is very comfortable and supposedly very robust.

25 inches seems to be the defacto “wide” size. The Nemo Alpine is appealing to me if for no other reason than to give a different brand a try.

I echo the sentiment of getting a Regular/Wide pad (72″x25″) unless you are really tall. My next pad will be a reg/wide xtherm.  I’ve had decent experience using my 20″ wide pad but that is because my quilt wraps under me tight enough to kind of cradle my arms up off the ground when I’m on my back. If you decide to go with a air pad + CCF combo, a regular CCF width (20″) will typically be ok under a 25″ wide air pad as, the outside 2-3″ on each side of the of the air pad is typically circular and not making much contact with the ground anyway. Your arms are not going to be your main source of heat loss – the wider air pad should be sufficient for the aspect of comfort resulting from the support.

Heat loss is the least of my concerns. I’m 6 ft two and wear a 44L sport coat. The 20 inch Neoair is like trying to sleep on a tongue depressor!

I’m not sure how I tolerated it so long. Maybe it’s because I’ve had a taste of hammock bliss and now I’m spoiled. I also realized that my head needs more support (bigger pillow) on the ground than in the hammock. So I’ll be looking for one of those stuff sacks that has the plush fabric on the inside: invert it and stuff your clothes into it to make a pillow.

I swapped to wide pads ages ago.
Also I’m a 47 chest and the almost same height

I’m a big fan of Sea to Summit. They are not the lightest or the cheapest. But I’m willing to carry a few more ounces for a good night’s sleep. I use the wider 25″ width Ether Light  and with the 4 inch depth, I never bottom out while on my side.  I actually use a woman’s large, it’s 6ft long 25″ at the shoulders and hips then tapers down. 22oz – 3.5R value.

In my scouting days of using a closed cell, one of the tricks I’d use for a better rest was to build a bed of leaves or pine needles a couple of inches thick underneath a ground cloth with my pad on top or in some rare cases underneath my tent to give a little more cushion. It was more work and time consuming to disperse in the morning but it wasn’t too bad.