Inflatable Sleeping Pads: Finding Comfort when Sleeping on the Ground (Updated)

Thanks, Ryan, *great* article as always. I have to agree about the Nemo R-values not lining up with their performance. My worst couple of nights ever were in Apr 2021 on the Tensor Insulated Expedition I think it was called, in spring conditions on snow -4C/25F. This pad was their best, with an R4.2 rating on the newly standardized system, and was less warm than my old Ridge Rest Std at R2.0. Now 3 years later they’re selling a mattress rated R8.5 that can’t be used in winter. I’m totally baffled! :)

I suspect the R ratings require full inflation.  I have two older versions of the Neo Airs that for me, are far more comfortable with slightly less inflation. Fully inflated, they are like sleeping on hard ground. They seem to be colder with less inflation. Any science to that observation?

This is a good article. I have used a Prolite for some years and my only complaint is that I got many punctures. I had the same issue with the original Thermarest.  I use a Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 and a ground cloth and of course check the ground. So I don’t get it. Maybe I should carry a sheet of Tyvek! Anyway I got a NeoAir quite by accident and hope it will be more durable, and warm enough. BTW the Flextail pump is great.

I use the Exped Schnozzle with my Thermarest and as my pack liner. The valve that comes with the Thermarest pump sack can be used as an adapter for the Schnozzle, but it’s unwieldy (even if you cut it out). Better is this converter available on Etsy. I’ve had both the Nemos and the Thermarest, and personally I find the Thermarests 95% as comfortable for less weight and (in the case of the XLite) more warmth. Those of you who have rejected Thermarests XLites or XTherms in the past because of their loud crinkly noise should check out the new ones: They are much, much quieter than the older models.

I just got back from an 8 day trip and took a new Flextail Zero pump and the Nemo Tensor Extreme pad. Happy with the tensor, not so much with the Flextail. First, it is not really rechargeable. It has a rechargeable battery, but you must take the battery out and recharge it separately. You can not recharge the unit it self. Worse, it doesn’t work well. Usually, it would pump up the pad but not firmly enough. I always had to top it off with 4-5 breaths. Not a big deal, but not what is promised. Then, it died after 7 inflations, nowhere near as many as advertised. I’ll be returning it.

The problem I find with R values are the way the pad is tested. Heat conductivity is measured from top to bottom and essentially ignores the heat loss from the sides. Take the Big Agnes Zoom. No physical insulation yet claimed a tested R value of 4.3. That was the test, so it’s accurate. The trouble is the test isn’t conducted in a room that’s – let’s say, 32°. So top and bottom tests are R 4.3, but cold air coming in from the sides of the pad dramatically lower that number to the point I sent it back and bought the Rapide, which is heavier, but has physical inflation and has is R4.8. A couple of trips on this reasonable bear this R rating out. Bottom line is there’s less heat loss from the sides of the pad, which isn’t accounted for in the room temperature lab tests. Beware.

Schnozzle rules. Basically foolproof and much, much easier than blowing a pad up by mouth when at 10,000 feet. And, it’s a really good dry bag/liner. I stuff my sleeping bag in a WP stuff sack, and my down jacket. But all clothes and items I need to keep dry are kept in the Schnozzle in my pack. So I feel doubly protected. I think I could take a slip in a river and come away with dry bag and clothes. Assuming I didn’t  drown. In rain, it hasn’t failed me yet. Oh, and it’s super  light!

I always use a thinlight pad for added puncture protection. It really only add a tiny bit  of warmth, but still…and it’s also light enough to justify carrying. It’s slim and fits easily in an outer pocket of my pack.

Does the schnozzle work with the Nemo tensors without an adapter needed?

Yes, works great, and when you get to the correct inflation pressure it just pops out!

I’ve used a new Neoair NXT for close to 30 nights. I know sound is subjective but I don’t notice any crinkle, or much sound at all. I used the older Xtherm for years so know the dreaded crinkle these pads used to make. The NXT version are WAY quieter.

It’s amazing the difference a decent pillow has on sleeping mat comfort. I’m comfortably back onto CCF…. I bought one of Exped’s takes on the Z-lite, and cut it in half. With a decent foam pillow that properly supports my head, I’m comfortable on concrete. Took a while to dial in the pillow height (I’ve chopped down an Ikea pillow…).

I think getting your pillow/mat combo just right is important, especially if you are a side sleeper.

It’s amazing the difference a decent pillow has on sleeping mat comfort.
Agree. Sue & I carry decnet pillows for that reason. Sure, they are ‘UL’, but they are pillows.

Cheers

A newer Schnozzle fits my Thermarest where the old one doesn’t.

I just returned from hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for 108 days from Mexico to Canada. During my hike I used the Alpenblow Micro Inflator for inflating my Therm-a-Rest pad.

After this long-term test I can say that this tiny 8g inflator truly rocks. It was great to have my sleeping pad inflated effortlessly by the Alpenblow while I took care of other things.

I own both – a PadPal and an Alpenblow – and decided to take the Alpenblow with me as it

1. Is considerably quieter in its operation as it uses an impeller instead of a propeller
2. Is less bulky at less than half the height
3. Weighs less – 8 grams vs 9 grams
4. Is easier to use with no button to press, which is one thing less that can fail on such a long trek

The Alpenblow, like the PadPal, relies on a battery charger and USB-C cable. which were things that I carry anyways to charge my smartphone, my inReach, my headlamp, etc. Thus their design is for my backpacking treks far superior to the Flextail pump.

How much usb battery does it consume to inflate mattress

Jerry, the Alpenblow Micro Inflator uses 90 mWh (18 mAh @5V) in its only mode that will inflate the sleeping pad to a level that requires 2-3 puffs for the level of firmness I prefer. The PalPad uses up to 150 mWh (30 mAh @5V) in its fastest and loudest mode and similarly requires 2-3 puffs to fully inflate the pad.

You said the FlexTail Zero weighs 1.2 oz, as reported on the label. Indeed, the pump alone weighs 1.2 oz on my scale, but it’s useless without a battery and adapter to connect to a pad. Including these, mine weighs 2.1 oz. Still worth it!

A 10,000 mah battery has 36,000 mwh, nominally

That 90 or 150 mwh to inflate mattress is a miniscule fraction

I’d take a 10,000 mah battery to charge my phone, so the amount required is insignificant

I’m old school. A battery to inflate a pad? When a schnozzle does it with big bags of air and no battery?

Hello?

“The PalPad uses up to 150 mWh (30 mAh @5V) …” etc.

Well, then that answers that!!

I’m happy that technocrats have invaded the wilderness. I sometimes wonder if they know what they’re doing there.

Take a deep breath and turn off your devices. then use that breath to blow up your pad; or better, use a Schnozzle. There’s a kind of transcendence to found out there that goes beyond you or me, and certainly our battery driven devices. Simplify and dive in! I don’t like being reliant on battery driven devices when out in the wild. indeed, the two things seem contradictory.

Theroux wrote a famous essay on “self reliance”. That used to define an aspect of the American spirit. I like the Schnozzle for its simplicity and potential for double duty. A battery won’t keep  my down jacket from wetting out in my pack in a storm. the Schnozzle will.

Two different pictures  of American ingenuity. The technocrats claim we need to connect with a satellite in order to know where we are.

Theroux? not so much. He points out another way to reach where you are.

more old school than that is to just blow

it takes 30 breaths to inflate uberlite

it takes 3 to inflate prolite

And the Prolite is arguably a better insulator as well, since it’s got open celled foam inside which restricts air movement, and doesn’t compress as much during “normal” use.

Speaking of which, I firmly believe the ASTM needs to examine their testing procedure, which doesn’t take pad compression, body movement, or ambient air wet/dry numb temperature into consideration, all factors which will invariably impact R value performance.
Building Insulation manufacturers are are held to strict standards regarding R value claims. Why shouldn’t camping pad manufacturers?
There are obviously life-safety concerns regarding sleeping in sub zero temperatures, and the claims of air-only mattresses are bogus, since they’d only apply if you:

1) don’t have any curvature to your body, where some parts may potentially compress more than other parts, and

2) you don’t move during a sub-zero night, an action which would quickly “recirculate” the air inside of a 2.5” thick mattress.

This is why most seasoned folks recommend a plain-ole CCF pad to supplement an air-only mattress during the winter, even though their ASTM R value tests are inferior.

Imho, Matt makes a very good point here.
Imho, the only thing air-only mats are good for is as pool toys (or canyoning).
CCF pads are good (we have several0, but there are other options. A fill of very loose Apex-type material works, and of course there are always the quite luxurious Down Air Mats (DAMs)

I did emphasise some of this (especially the compression part) in our Air Mat Survey back in 2011:
https://backpackinglight.com/airmat_sotmr_part1_2011/
https://backpackinglight.com/airmat_sotmr_part2_2011/

Cheers

Those are good articles

The only thing bad about ccf pads is they’re too firm for me to sleep by themselves, and if I take it in addition to an air mat, they’re too heavy.  And too much bulk when packed

When car camping I do ccf and air mat

I like the prolite because it packs well.  Burrito style.  Then put the rest of my stuff inside.  Then my pack as a whole is a solid package, resists sagging.  Even though it weighs 12 ounces more than an uberlite, my pack carries better so maybe makes up for the added weight.

CCF really is king if you can sleep on it. I can’t, but envy the people that can. I used a CCF for 28 nights of a PCT section a few years back thinking I could train my body into accepting it, no success, but did find great enjoyment in the simplicity.

but did find great enjoyment in the simplicity.
but not so much in the suffering?

Cheers