cussed narrow sleep pads

[ncmtns]

My arms need to be on the pad at night.
I know there are a couple of 25" pads for sale out there, but nothing that I can afford. I have a Big Agnes 20" one. Im trying to think of a way to add a tube on each side to make it wider. Anyone got any ideas how it can be done?

[KG4FAM]

I use a piece of ccf that I got from foambymail.com and just cut it to size. They have all different thicknesses and sizes pretty cheap

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

The Dinos are a couple. We have a homemde piece of quilt that lays between our 20" pads - it is about 6 to 7" wide. It works for us to keep feet and arms off the cold ground.

You may want to look at the 'wings' or pad segments that hammockers use on their pads. Your arms don't need the sort of support your buns and shoulders do.

[Jim Adams]

This may sound odd but thought that it may help.
A friend of mine has the same problem. His thin "summer" mat is fine but his thick, 2 1/2" winter mat gave him the same problems and he couldn't afford a wider mat. His solution was to sew and stuff 3" pads into the elbows of his polypro "sleep shirt". He swears by it and says that it also insulates great.

geek

[saimyoji]

I have the same problem and have gotten by by hugging a stuff sack full of clothes, or placing a stuff sack full of clothes (or my pack) on one side of my pad.

[FanaticFringer]

www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm

[Tipi Walter]

For years all I ever used were 20 inch pads, now all I ever use are 25 inch. Whatever is 25 inches I use, whether it be a Prolite 4 large or a large Trail Lite. Despite the costs, with decent caution these Thermarests can last a long time with near constant use. In the winter during my abundant narrow pad days I always carried a wool poncho-blanket to use under the pad for protection and for warmth under exposed knees and arms.

[CoyoteWhips]

I want more pad, but I don't want the bulk of more pad. Today I was thinking of taping some windshield-shade wings to my three-quarter pad.

[Gray Blazer]

I bring my bed with me. That's my pad on the bottom of my old skool pack.

[JAK]

On trick is to wear boxers or long underwear and then tuck your hands into you shorts. Still in winter you can still get some condensation if you roll off, even with a 28" wide blue foam pad. Another trick to keep from rolling around too much is to wrap the sleeping pad around your feet with a strap or bag. In cold weather I move around less, but in warmer weather its an issue, and the ground can still be wet and cold. Perhaps I should get a hammock.

[bigcranky]

I have wide shoulders, and my elbows are constantly falling off the pad. Annoying. So I tried a 25-inch wide pad -- my elbows still fall off the sides. So I just sleep on my side.

I did find a great pad that actually is big enough for comfortable sleep. It's amazing -- 78 inches long, 34 inches wide, and about 4 inches thick -- and that's the *regular* size. It only weighs a little over 9 pounds, and stuffs to the size of a small car. (Seriously, check out the Cabelas pads at cabelas.com. Greatest car camping pad ever.)

[mweinstone]

big agnes, big mistake.

[Miner]

Whats wrong with duct taping some pieces of a foam pad to the sides of your sleeping pad when you sleep? Since only your arms are on it, it doesn't have to be that comforatable and 2 small pieces shouldn't weight much. I'd recommend using a Gossamer Gear thinlight pad for this purpose since they weigh next to nothing.

[camper10469]

Cut 2 sitting pads form an old ridgerest and just make a velcro hookup, no sticky tape to bother with. The 2 extra pads will fit nicely in the back of your pack.

[Smile]

OK, 80's flashback: I wear leg warmers on my arms at night for extra cushioning when my arms go off-pad and keep them warm too. You can get them in just about any dollar store in the colder months, and can be tied in a knot at one end and used as a 'bag' to hold a bandana for filtering water as well, or worn on your feet, or on your head, or to wrap around something more 'delicate' like a walkman or camera in your pack for padding. Lots of interesting uses.

[BenWaller]

I'm with the folks who finally just gave up and bought a 25" pad. the Prolite 4 large is not that heavy, just over 2 pounds, fits into a manageable 13 inch wide roll and provides the rest I need to enjoy the trip. and it's about 30 bucks more than the 20" BA, which these days is less money than most of us would spend on a night out drinking beer and eating pizza.

it finally came down to priorities for me, after a lot of years of sleeping on waffle foam and hating it. it's always hard to spend money on gear, especially when the gear you have does work and is not wore out, but sometimes you just gotta' do it to stay in the game.

ben

[Gray Blazer]

I bring my bed with me. That's my pad on the bottom of my old skool pack.

I weighed that sucker and it weighs almost 7 lbs. I will be coming up with a new lighter sleep system. That thing is comfortable. Maybe if I hike harder I can just fall asleep on the ground or on a less comfortable pad.

[russb]

www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm

Agreed. Hammocks rock!

[FanaticFringer]

And help you avoid rocks as well.

Agreed. Hammocks rock!