Inflatable sleeping pads: finding comfort when sleeping on the ground

[Roger Caffin]

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

Cheers

[Terran Terran]

No suffering, no story.

[Jerry Adams]

many years ago I slept on a CCF just fine

if you could find a soft place, like pine needles or duff, then a CCF would work

[Matt Dirksen]

Thanks Roger,

And thanks for re-sharing your pad survey. I still remember when you released it -no one had done anything like it at the time.

It’s in-depth and thorough analysis compelled me to invest in a life time BPL membership,  something I’ve been grateful for ever since.

Now how do ordinary concerned outdoor enthusiasts come together to push against the outdoor equipment manufacturers raise their ethical standards regarding the accurate measuring of their gear?
(This also must include Gore industries and their “Guaranteed to keep you dry” stuff)

[jscott]

nm

[HkNewman]

warmth to weight ratio

As much as I’d like to return to the Prolite, that’s a definite strike against it.  That said the sleeping surface is closer to the ground whereas the air mattress can “high center” a sleeper unless the wide option is carried.  Maybe it gets negated unless a dedicated side sleeper who can use a regular width pad?

CCF

And A simple and cheap option especially if klutzy with inflatables.

[Ben Kilbourne]

Hey Ryan, your top five pads include rectangular Nemo pads and the mummy Therm-a-Rest pads. Does the stability difference you mention come from directly comparing these designs, or do you also think the rectangular Therm-a-Rest pads are less stable than the Nemo pads? I tested a Nemo pad at one point but can’t remember why it didn’t stand out to me. What about the baffle design makes the Nemo more stable?

I also think my opinions about pads would probably be very different right now if I had been using 25″ pads all along, so I’m glad you brought that up. I’ve used a ton of 20″ pads but in some ways it seems silly to even compare them because 20″ is really too narrow to be useful.

[Roger Caffin]

I can’t agree that 20″ pads are too narrow in every case. Sue & I have 2 off Exped 20″ rectangular mats which we couple together with silnylon loops. That gives us a combined pad which accommodates the two of us nicely. Well- it works for couples anyhow :) :)

Cheers

[Brad Rogers]

I used to sleep on a Ridgerest – and use it as a frame in my frameless pack “burrito style” but as I’ve gotten older I moved to a Thermarest XTherm in 2015 (still use it – never leaked – knocks on wood) which made me change from frameless packs to framed packs.  I just blow it up with my mouth and don’t worry about it.

[Jerry Adams]

if you have a 3.5 inch pad that’s 20″ wide before inflation, then it will be more like 18″ or less wide when inflated

That could be too narrow

I use a 20″ thermarest prolite which is 1″ thick and 20″ wide when not inflated, but more like 19″ wide when inflated – wide enough

[JG H]

Im a 100% side sleeper. I use a 20” wide Exped Ultra 7R almost exclusively. I deflate it a bit for improved comfort and it’s still toasty warm. It is definitely heavier, but sleeping comfortably through the night is important to me and the 7R gets it done.

[AK Granola]

Ugh some time in the next 3-4 months I have to purchase a new one. so expensive! Or I just use the old one that I have to inflate at 2am. I wish they came in lengths between super long and short; I am 67 inches. I’ll probably get a short one and just put something under the feet.

[Ben Kilbourne]

Brad, are you using a 20″ or 25″ Xtherm? mummy or rectangle? I have liked my rectangle neoairs more than my mummy ones

[JG H]

@ AK Granola

Have you compared the weight difference between the short and standard length pads? It’s usually quite negligible, so the standard may make more sense. Also, if you decide to sell it down the road, you’ll have a bigger resale audience than you will if you opt for the short.

Does anyone other than Big Agnes still make inflatable pads in a 60” length?

[Matthew / BPL]

AK, I’m 66” tall and I picked up a 25” wide NeoAir when they updated to the thicker version and new valve a year or so ago. I had been using my leaky 20” women’s NeoAir and wanted the width and assumed that I would cut it down and seal it. I was surprised to learn how much more comfortable it is to have the pad under my feet and pillow so I decided to keep the whole pad intact. I think mine is 72×25?

Anyways my point is that the comfort of the wide/long/thick pad surprised me and is worth the couple ounces to me.

YMMV

[Author]

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