Winter sleeping pad: all season or extreme conditions?

I was recently at REI and had this conversation with an associate there. He claimed that common home mattresses have a high R value (I forget what he quoted) so he suggested if you buy just one, get the higher r-value one. I don’t know if this is true though, and a preliminary google doesn’t seem to provide any relevant info.

One of the main reason to have different pads of R values is that the lower R value pads weigh a bit less.

Higher R-value pads do not cause you to be too warm during warm weather, in my experience.  If I could own only one pad, it would be my Neoair X-therm, which does great in cold temps, is fairly comfortable and durable, and not much heavier than my X-lite.  In really cold temps you might consider also taking along your z-lite for added warmth and backup in case of a leak.

I’ve been taking a z-lite along in addition to a summer-weight inflatable pad for some recent trips that were 15F to 25F because:

1) more R-value,

2) more cush for my older hips,

3) redundancy  – can’t pop the z-lite on a thorn in the Grand Canyon,

4) protection of the inflatable from things on the ground,

5) more length.

Thank you all!

The Xtherm seems perfect — strong materials, light weight, and high R-value. I tried it for 2 nights of camping and found it uncomfortable though (crazy, given that I’m used to the Z-lite) :(

The next best guess would be the Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions. The only doubt I have about it is that it’s made of less durable materials than the Nemo Tensor All Season… does anybody have any long term experience with the Tensor All Season?

Quite a few hikers go with the xtherm for just a 4 oz penalty.  Bonus it’s much more durable.

Undo your sleeping bag or quilt a bit if too warm.

Advanced studies: If dialing in a temp rating is that important, get a pack that can use foam as a pseudo-frame (GG, LiteAF, Zimmerbuilt, Redpaws, etc..), so if tropical.. just pull out the foam (i.e. one of these low to high routes).

I sleep on an X therm year round, but I rarely see nighttime temps above 60f.  Not a fan of hiking in the heat.   I am also a side sleeper for the most part and I find it’s not so much the high R value that’s an issue, it’s the non breathable nature of sleeping pads in general than can makes them uncomfortable.

I sleep on a 14” thick foam mattress at home, so a high r value, but it’s breathable.  On trail I sleep in silkweight long top and bottom which helps, but then again I don’t camp much in places with warm nights.

I did spend 12 nights in the Grand Canyon at the end of August, while rafting the river, and it was hot!  I slept on the shelter floor sans a pad, sleeping on the sand, which wasn’t too bad.  Many nights I used a wet towel as a “blanket,” and my wife, who is a cold sleeper did the same.  Point is, I don’t find the R value of the pad to make as much of a difference as the pad/body interface.