Sleeping pads comfort

[Sebastian O]

 

Do any of you use heavier more comfy non UL sleeping pads or double up with a Z Lite Sol under your pad?

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I have:

->original type Thermarest 3/4 length pad – (1st model with plastic valve). It is kinda thick.

->Thermarest – Trail Pro. that is as thick as the original above and used only in winter camping or car camping. Very comfortable but heavy.

->Thermarest Prolite – “Comfy enough” but could be better with stiffer foam of the same weight.

-> Thermatest Ridgerest – Bulky and not very comfy but light and warm for 3 season use.

BTW, I’m looking for a lighter winter pad. An insulated BA pad may be what I need. (And just as I buy it somebody will come out with an R 5 pad made of “Insulatium” weighing less 8 oz. than my Prolite! (Murphy’s Law of Shopping)

 

[Rex Sanders]

I went from Thermarest Z-Lite to Nemo Astro Insulated Lite 20R sleeping pad over the last 10 years, with many stops along the way. Why?

Sleep: Once I switched to inflatable pads, I started sleeping much better. That makes a HUGE difference in enjoyment, and the ability to think on my feet during the day.

Warmth: I was shivering in 40° weather in a 30° sleeping bag with all my clothes on, until I got a thicker, warmer sleeping pad. You’ll find many others on BPL with similar experiences.

Everyone’s different – you might sleep fine on a thin foam pad in sub-freezing temperatures.

— Rex

[Sebastian O]

I recently went base camping and used various combinations because the group brought pads for everyone.

1. My Sea To Summit only – not horrible, quiet, good design concept, but not the best sleep (temp not an issue, just back comfort sketchy): https://www.rei.com/product/882037/sea-to-summit-ultralight-insulated-sleeping-pad

2.  My Sea To Summit + Z Lite Sol under it – better than above

3. Thermarest Trail Lite + Z Lite Sol under it  – WINNER, the best sleep our of the 3 scenarios. However that specific Thermarest would be “unacceptable” for light backpacking; heavy and very bulky.

https://www.rei.com/product/113369/therm-a-rest-trail-lite-sleeping-pad

I dont like the noisy crinkly pads

 

[Lester Moore]

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core (72x20x3″ rectangle) – Used this for several years backpacking in Colorado and Wyoming. Warm enough for most 3 season use, but a bit heavy at 25 oz. In shoulder season I combined it with a half length 1/8″ closed cell foam (on top of the Air Core pad) for added insulation.

Thermarest Neoair Xlite Reg (72x20x2.5″) – Used last few years in WA state and JMT. About the same warmth as the Air Core above, but much lighter at 12 oz. The crinkle noise does not bother me and the taper is tolerable (I prefer rectangular to allow for more leg position choices). With it I use a full length 1/8″ (2 oz) pad (under the mattress) in 3 seasons for added pad protection and a little added comfort – doubles as back panel for backpack.

If I’m mostly base camping on a trip (camping in one place multiple nights and doing more camping/day hiking than backpacking), and want sleeping comfort nearly as good as home, I may carry 36 oz Big Agnes Sleeping Giant memory foam top pad (72x20x1″) for the Air Core mattress, plus a 7 oz pad cover to hold them both in. This is also my standard car camping setup.

Any camping on snow and it’s an older Thermarest Prolite (72x20x1.5″) on top of a Ridge Rest full length foam pad.

 

 

[Sebastian O]

So two part sleeping pad….example main pad + a Z Sol Lite or similar is not uncommon?

[Greg F]

I love my neo air exlite large.  For me no sacrifice in comfort for the minimal weight.  Essentially compared to the other options you get a large for the same weight as the other insulated pad mediums.  For me works great to about 0 and tolerable but you can feel heat loss down to about -5 (Celsius 32 and 24F).  The only drawback is price.

I also have an Exo-light regular which is okay.  I don’t find the foam skeleton to make it any easier to blow up or more comfortable.

Im getting a klymit insulated static V massdrop version for my other daughter but don’t have it yet.  It wins on Price at $60 for a 15.9 oz R4,4 pad.

To answer your question though No, I purchase a pad for the lowest temperature I plan to camp in and eat that weight on all trips as opposed to supplementing on colder trips

[CARLOS C.]

I use a heavier pad that is longer and wider for the comfort. Exped Synmat 3-D 7 34.6 oz. I sleep in all kinds of positions so I needed to be able to not touch the floor and not hear my pad every moment. Also it covers me into most of winter and if necessary I bring a foam pad for extension.

[J R]

Do any of you use heavier more comfy non UL sleeping pads or double up with a Z Lite Sol under your pad?

A CCF under an airpad won’t make it more “comfy.” It will make it warmer and at least theoretically offer better protection from puncturing the airpad on something hard/sharp/pointy underneath. But if you want “comfy” as in cushy, cuddly, feels nice to lie on, etc, then look to your top pad to provide that.

[Lester Moore]

A CCF under an airpad won’t make it more “comfy.”

Well, it depends. If you sleep on your back mostly or have narrow hips, then perhaps a CCF pad underneath makes no difference in comfort. But for a side sleeper with wide hips, even a thin 1/8″ pad makes a subtle but noticeable difference in hip pain for me. Doubling up the pad to 1/4″ half length makes more difference. A shallow depression for the hip is noticeable too. A friend even cut a Z lite pad into a 10″ circle with 2″ donut hole in the middle that helps him greatly with hip pain when positioned under his air pad. As with shoe and pack comfort, sleep comfort can be very individual and a little trial and error is prudent if you want to dial in your sleep system/s.

[Dena Kelley]

I did go to a heavier pad and use a Big Agnes Q-Core SL long/wide (I didn’t need long but I wanted the width and they didn’t have a short/wide option) and I top it with a z-rest because air mattresses are cold and I’m a cold sleeper. The z-rest is the difference between sleeping or lying awake shivering for me. I use the CCF on top, not on the bottom.

[John Vance]

I sleep on a large xtherm year round.  I am only 5’9″ 170lbs but love the ability to stretch out and move around which is worth the extra weight and bulk to me.

[J R]

Lester, is your hip bone bottoming out? I’m also aside sleeper and find a sweet spot in how much I inflate my pad (Xlite), enough that my hips and shoulders don’t bottom out but not so much that I go bouncing off. I can’t feel whatever is under my airpad because my hips are literally floating on air.

[Colin M]

I’m a stomach and side sleeper so all aren’t great. But just like how hunger is the best seasoning, exhaustion is the best sleep aid!

[Lester Moore]

J R, you hit the nail on the head – there’s usually a sweet spot at moderate mattress pressure that just barely allows the hip bone to not bottom out. If the pressure is high, hips are far from bottoming out, but the pad is too stiff and sleep is less comfortable. If the pressure is lower, the pad conforms better to my body and is more comfy everywhere but the hips, but then the hips will bottom out if side sleeping. The CCF pad adds a little cushion for the hip bones and provides a little more leeway on lower main pad pressure. I have yet to experiment with my friend’s donut technique but may do so this summer as I’d like to make it part of extra lumbar support for the backpack too. The best part about sleeping on snow is how easy it is to dig out a small depression for the hips.

[Rex Sanders]

For many inflatable pads, reducing the pressure also reduces the insulation, as your weight compresses the insulating features inside, typically reflective layers, foam, fiberfill, or rarely down.  (“Air mattresses” provide almost no insulation.) How much insulation you lose depends on how much air you let out, pad design, your weight, and pressure points like hips on side sleepers.

My hips quickly get cold through a squishy pad if they get too close to the cold, hard ground. Lately I’ve been happy enough to sleep on an almost rock hard pad and stay warmer.

— Rex

[Cole B]

A theoretical question here:  Assuming an inflatable pad is inflated enough to keep you from bottoming out but less than fully inflated, isn’t the air pressure going to be the same every time you lie on it?  When I use an inflatable, they always feel the same “hardness” no matter how much air I let out.

[Edward John M]

I have to laugh.

For those of us who grew up thinking that a section of old grey army blanket was enough to sleep on all of the above solutions are like swansdown and silk in comparison

I like my comfort

So I tend to carry what most would consider over the top, the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus in Extra large. I don’t walk much in summer anymore spending most of my time in the hills during winter skiing so I add to my burden with both a RidgeRest Solar XL and a thin CCF pad

The RidgeRest seems to work best with even a 2mm CCCF under it but many seem to think it should go on top. The S2S mat is cool when first laid on but warms up fast enough but I can see and feel why some people would also put the thin CF on top of the airfilled mat.

In really deep cold I would swap the thin CCF pad for something at least 12mm thick, the combination of the CCF  plus the RidgeRest would allow survival if the air mat suffered a catastropic failure of both layers

The S2S mats seem to punch well above their weight but the extra comfort and warmth of the Comfort plus is worth the weight penalty in cold weather; not so much warmer than my old 32mm thick ThermaRest 3/4 plus a CCF pad but much more comfortable

[Greg F]

A theoretical question here: Assuming an inflatable pad is inflated enough to keep you from bottoming out but less than fully inflated, isn’t the air pressure going to be the same every time you lie on it? When I use an inflatable, they always feel the same “hardness” no matter how much air I let out.

Assuming side sleeping:

if the contact area is the same the pressure In the mattress is the same.  When you have a firm mattress your hips and shoulders don’t sink in as far you back rotates causing your side to go on the pad.  Making less contact are than your hip sinking in.  So slightly higher pressure. However that isn’t why deflating is more comfortable.

Deflating allows the pad to deflect and your pressure points so your hips and shoulders sink deeper in the pad which provides better (more horizontal) back support for a side sleeper.

[Paul S]

for years I used the original orange 3/4 thermarest and a 1/2″ foam pad (20″x20″) under my feet. A great, versatile system. LOVED the self-inflating mat (even though it needed a puff or two of breath to top it off).

When I switched to an Exped Synmat 7 I found that I slept MUCH better, and, my arms no longer fell asleep (I am a side sleeper). WAY better. and worth the weight. When it’s warm, and we know we won’t be camping on snow we bring the UL version of the synmat 7. When it’s cold, and camping on snowy ground, the Synmat 7-3D..Totally happy this way!

[Matt Dirksen]

I’ve found there to be a noticeable difference when I sleep with my 1/8″ ccf pad ON TOP of my Neorest.

As a predominantly side sleeper, I like the “firmness first” instead of the “squishiness first”, if that makes any sense.

If I’m truly worried about punctures, I’ll carry a second 1/8″ ccf. At that thickness, it’s rather stowable.

[Author]

Posts