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Spider
08-13-2008, 16:58
I'm a minimalist to some extent so, is it important?

Mags
08-13-2008, 17:01
A sleeping pad is not just for comfort, it is also keeps you off the cold robbing ground.

So, yes it is important.

You can use something as elaborate as a Thermarest or as simple as the good ole "blue foam pad". The Close Cell Foam (CCF) pads are light, inexpensive and are perfect for the minimalist backpacker.

Seeker
08-13-2008, 19:29
warmth is the first issue... comfort is the next... you're 16, so you probably can sleep on a concrete slab and still be good the next day... the rest of us, alas.... :D

if a blue foam/ccf pad is too big/heavy, you can cut it down to just a back and butt pad. then you can use your pack or extra clothing to insulate your legs.

Blissful
08-13-2008, 20:16
For me a good night sleep means I can ask my body to do what it needs to do on the trail. My 16 yr old used the z rest last year and did great.

Summit
08-13-2008, 21:29
As a general rule, the older you get the more padding (comfort) you need/require. At 16 . . . a sheet of tin foil might be enough, and that's really minimalist! :eek: :) :p

fiddlehead
08-13-2008, 21:37
I'm amazed at my wife here in Thailand. Almost all floors in Thailand are hard tile floors.
She often sleeps on the bare floor. (even though the soft sofa is right aside of her)

So, you can get used to anything as far as hardness goes. That's not a problem.
BUt sleeping on the ground can be cold. YOu need some insulation from the cold AND damp.
I always buy a blue foam pad and cut it in half. I use my pack for a pillow, a food bag for a foot prop, and the pad is underneath me from my shoulders to just below my butt. works for me.

I've hiked with people who use a piece of cardboard or even newspaper already (long ago in shelters)

Up to you! But you should use something for the dampness.

CarolinaJP
08-22-2008, 21:49
I think that you could be ok without the pad, by I suggest using one for the simple reason that you can. There is an idea kinda adjacent to this one that you should remember. The Lord made us barefoot, and we only began to cover our feet because of the discovery of fungus and worms and what not. I try to get as barefoot as possible (Teva's hold up better than chaco's if you ask me) and half of my knee and ankle problems go away. Obviously you cant take bag a rocky summit barefoot because your feet are sensitive from wearing shoes your whole life. But remember. . the human body was built for performace in numerous conditions believe it or not.

icemanat95
08-22-2008, 22:19
I think that you could be ok without the pad, by I suggest using one for the simple reason that you can. There is an idea kinda adjacent to this one that you should remember. The Lord made us barefoot, and we only began to cover our feet because of the discovery of fungus and worms and what not. I try to get as barefoot as possible (Teva's hold up better than chaco's if you ask me) and half of my knee and ankle problems go away. Obviously you cant take bag a rocky summit barefoot because your feet are sensitive from wearing shoes your whole life. But remember. . the human body was built for performace in numerous conditions believe it or not.

He also gave us marvelously complex brains and opposable thumbs with which to conceive and craft tools that allow us to enhance our somewhat limited capabilities. Without the brain we were little more than predator food.

I can sleep on virtually any surface. My pillow at home would be regarded as ...super firm, being filled with buckwheat hulls, but I like the insulation of a pad under me. it allows me to go with a lighter sleeping bag than would otherwise be necessary.

Mags
08-25-2008, 10:08
But remember. . the human body was built for performace in numerous conditions believe it or not.


It "grew up" the savannas of Africa.

That is why we wear clothes as most places are a bit more harsh than that place.

Having said that, bring a pad so you will not be as cold at night.

Otherwise, do not. And you'll need more clothes and/or more of a sleeping bag.

wrongway_08
08-25-2008, 10:17
Just think about those times above tree line or on rock out crops that you can cowboy camp, much nicer with a pad and your sleeping bag wont get torn to crap.

bigcranky
08-25-2008, 13:57
You can set up an easy experiment to find out the importance of a sleeping pad. On a night when the temperatures get down to about 50, go outside and lie down on the ground and get in your sleeping bag. Go to sleep for a few hours, and see what happens.

If you find yourself warm and comfortable, then you don't need a pad. If you find yourself getting cold but comfortable, get a cheap closed-cell foam sleeping pad. If you are cold and everything hurts, get a self-inflating pad like a Thermarest.

Of course, this changes in cold weather. That's when you really need a pad -- or two pads -- to avoid freezing.