Sleeping Pad dilemma

Russell – I can’t comment on the CCF pad for comfort, however, I have the same Klymit pad and after some initial discomfort I found that if you don’t over-inflate and leave just a tad soft, it sleeps much better. Might be worth a shot if you haven’t already tried it.

Russ

My sincere apologies.

I hit the “inappropriate” button, not the reply button, like so many have done before me…    [fixed – Roger]

Anyway, I would suggest putting your Solar pad over the Klymit and trying that system out first. And as Russ said; don’t overinflate the Klymit. I did the same thing for my NeoRest, and it was much more comfortable. But the best setup I’ve found is a thin CCF over the air mattress. The CCF adds some firmness to the system, which greatly helps my back out.

Good luck!

I just bought the same Massdrop/ Klymit pad and found the same to be true about over inflating it.. Once I let a little air out it was very comfy..

thanks fellas, I will have to try that.  I just realized that I weedwacked all day two days ago too, so it might be the combination of that and the new sleep system.

What works for me is to inflate the pad as much as it can be inflated when I set up camp. By the time I actually climb into my bag on the pad, it has softened up on its own (I forget why that is, smart people on here know). It’s pretty perfect to sleep on then. (Note, I use a NeoAir, not a Klymit, but assume it would work the same).

Future PT here. How is your mattress at home? Do you have a history of back problems from an injury?

Injury’s or not, is it possible your back just needs strengthening? So many questions, but I would try increasing your back to get rid of the issues.

Foam pads you say? I am a huge fan of the Oware 1/2in pads. I bought a double wide one and cut it down to a 25in wide pad.

@ still here, not sure how you inflate your pad but likely the pressure drop is due to the decrease in temperature of the air in the pad.  The pressure in the pad is directly proportional to the temperature of the air inside it.  Fill it with warm air, when it cools off it will be softer.  Leave it in the sun and let the air heat up, you and over pressure you pad and cause it to fail.

No back to the original thread topic . . .

while we are on the topic, is there a way to make air pads last longer with daily use?  I know REI has pads inflated all day to test, but I bet they swap them out if they pop.  I try to lay on the ground and then roll onto the pad to prevent direct kneeling preasure, any other tips? or is it far fetched to think a 20d balloon is going to last forever?

If you want to know, I have pulled my back in the past, slightly and have a 21″long back but bendover and touch the ground everyday for my job, so gravity is against me but I do plan on doing yoga to strengthen my back this winter. 3 months away from 30years old, so I figured I’d jumpstart my way into comfortable old guy sleep with an inflatable pad investment.

Are those oware 60″ out of prodution?  can only find torso sized.  already got a GG torso.  Why can’t the earth be warm and comfortable….

the best way to make an air mattress last is to buy a cascade designs pad (neoair, thermarest) …

as long as it isnt obviously your fault (puncture, abrasion) … their warranty is excellent and theyll take care of you …

many a BPL has had leaking and delaminating pads replaced by them

;)

Oware must be out of them now. Drop him a line and see when they could be back in.

The earth once was VERY hot, but we weren’t camping back then. The universe is now cooling and the average temp in the universe is now something like -450F. What R value of foam pad would protect you from -450F?

I had the Klymit pad a few years back… and like you, I found it terrible. It was worse when blown up fully. Killer on the ribs, especially while lying on my side. I under-filled it some, and it was still quite uncomfortable. I had problems with my hips bottoming out too, not just when moving around, but even when lying still, no matter if the pad was filled fully or not. (And for the record, I was about 200 lbs then, so a little heavy, but I didn’t bottom out on any of my other air pads.) I ended up selling the pad.

If you wanted to keep it, like others suggested, layering a CCF pad on top would help some, but IME, the popular 1/8″ CCF pad did not help… just wasn’t thick enough. The 1/4″ pad would be a bit better… but still, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth keeping with all the trouble…

If you were happy with the ridgerest, I would suggest just getting another one. As you found, the CCF pads do wear out over time, so even they are not perfect and need replacing with some time.

Also, FWIW, I too have some back issues (actually currently recovering from my second microdiscetomy) and I find flatter pads to be of more comfort than those with ridges. The NeoAir’s are mostly flat, and is my choice pad for all but summer hiking (too hot to use them then). When I am not using the NeoAir, I am using a ProLite pad. I love that pad! It’s self inflating (for the most part), flat, and only 1″ thick. It would likely be the very next step up from a CCF pad, and you may find them to be more comfortable. I would suggest trying one out.

The pad system i used on the CT recently (and i’ve used similar in the past during short fall and winter backpacking trips) was to combine a EVA foam pad with a Klymit Inertia X Lite blow up pad.

I’ve done both methods of foam on top and foam on bottom.  If i’m on an incline (keeps stuff from slipping), or it’s warm, i prefer the foam on bottom.  If it’s cold, or for a little more comfort (provided it’s fairly flat), prefer foam on top.