View Full Version : Concerning Sleeping Pads...
Young Scott
01-27-2009, 09:42
I'm trying to cut down on pack weight for my thru-hike. I was considering leaving my crash pad behind for the trip. Any thoughts on if this is a wise choice? :confused:
4eyedbuzzard
01-27-2009, 09:49
By crash pad, you mean like an EMS self inflating mattress, similar to a thermarest?
If so, I wouldn't think of bringing nothing. You'll need something to insulate you from the ground at least at the beginning and end sections. At minimum I'd take a ridgerest. [Wait, I'm too old for that. At minimum I'll hang onto my BA aircore or try out my new(used) hennessy hammock.:D]
garlic08
01-27-2009, 09:58
At minimum, try six sections of a Z-rest, it will insulate your torso and it only weighs six ounces. You could probably trim down another ounce or two of width. You don't NEED a pad--a lot of us hiked before they were common--but they really do help on frozen/snow covered ground and on wooden shelter floors if you go that way.
Minimum is a 3/4 length closed cell foam pad, like a Walmart blue pad. Better for an early start would be a full length pad. As the weather warms, you can cut down the pad to 3/4 or torso length.
If you want extra comfort, then a light self-inflating will work well. The Thermarest ProLite series is great. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Cores are the ultimate in comfort (ultimate other than a hammock that is).
Whatever you get, make sure it insulates, that is it's main function. In other words, a cheap vinyl pool air mattress is useless.
In short: Take a pad.
jersey joe
01-27-2009, 10:03
Two reasons to bring a pad: insulation from cold and comfort.
If you are planning to sleep in a tent and avoid cold temperatures then you don't need a pad.
If you plan on staying in shelters, i'd recommend a pad.
Young Scott
01-27-2009, 10:18
Yeah, it's an EMS self inflating crash pad. It's perfect. I'm just trying to cut the pounds down.
skinewmexico
01-27-2009, 10:40
At my age, I have to have something like a BA Air core / POE Max Thermo. I don't care if it is 22 oz. Self inflating pads are just way too heavy, and too thin.
mister krabs
01-27-2009, 11:55
My combo of Pacific outdoor equipment AO-lite self inflating and blue walmart pad gives me comfort and warmth, and I have found the combination to be very flexible. Both of them are 2/3 length, I overlap them under my hips for cold, lay them directly on top of each other for comfort. The combination weighs 18oz, but the walmart pad 5oz. can be added or removed according to conditions, heck if I got tired of carrying it, it's essentially disposable.
gonewalkabout
01-29-2009, 10:04
My combo of Pacific outdoor equipment AO-lite self inflating and blue walmart pad gives me comfort and warmth, and I have found the combination to be very flexible. Both of them are 2/3 length, I overlap them under my hips for cold, lay them directly on top of each other for comfort. The combination weighs 18oz, but the walmart pad 5oz. can be added or removed according to conditions, heck if I got tired of carrying it, it's essentially disposable.
I do the same for cold weather. A prolite 3 with an R value of 2.3 and a blue pad I guess about the same R value. But I use a full length foam pad. The two weigh about 19 oz together and result in an R value of about 4.5. Good insulation for wniter and march. I've used the combination down to -20 in the Adirondaks. Some of the cheap blue pads (Mt Washington pads) may become become bittle in extreme temps. Not a problem for most thru hikes.
If you have the pack volume you could consider 2 blue foam pads in winter. Closed cell offers the most warmth for weight, and 2 pads plus some snow should be comfy. If one pad is 28" wide you don't need a ground sheet. The second pad could be 20" wide, and perhaps shorter also.
72"x28"x0.375" = 10 oz
48"x20"x0.375" = 4.8 oz
So the total is under a pound, warm, comfy enough for some, but 1100ci of pack volume.
Good case for a big light pack like the Go-Lite Pinnacle.
sleep on a cold floor for a week, then decide
Something like this:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/torsolite_inflatable_sleeping_pad.html
along with a sit-pad might suffice for a thruhike. In warmer months you might consider swapping an insulated pad out for an air-only pad. Warmth won't be a problem then. Of course, there's always the hammock................;)
Two reasons to bring a pad: insulation from cold and comfort.
If you are planning to sleep in a tent and avoid cold temperatures then you don't need a pad.
If you plan on staying in shelters, i'd recommend a pad.
I don't know about that JJ , that ground gets mighty hard and cold.
just go with a full lenght z rest.
Some people will cut it in half and just use that, i knew someone that had a short prolite 3 pad and used like 3-4 sections of his zrest for his feet/sitting pad.
i used a full length z rest, it was plenty comfortable and it covered the ground from my feet to my head. it was good when the ground was wet and it kept me warm during the night.
-Pusher
Celeritas
02-18-2009, 00:53
Is a Ridge Rest going to do the job? I'm also trying to cut down on weight and I'm also basically poor so it's between that (9oz, $20) and a Thermarest 3/4 (18oz, $30).
skinewmexico
02-18-2009, 01:19
You guys are masochists.
Is a Ridge Rest going to do the job? I'm also trying to cut down on weight and I'm also basically poor so it's between that (9oz, $20) and a Thermarest 3/4 (18oz, $30).
Plenty of people sleep on Wal-Mart blue pads or Ridgerests. They are definitely not as comfortable, but are much lighter and cheaper. Your choice.
BTW, you can often find cast-off pads in shelters and hostels, so you can stack up CCF pads for extra comfort.
You can also increase your comfort by choosing softer places to camp. Wooden shelter floors are bad; hard-packed dirt is bad; leaves are good; pine needles are good. That said, you need to be careful about destroying things when setting up camp, i.e., don't bed down on a patch of nice, soft wildflowers because you will kill them.
I'd say, go as cheap as possible to start with. If, after a couple of weeks on the Trail, you are finding life pretty bleak due to lack of sleep, then spend a bit more money to buy more padding. Or be on the lookout for free castoffs.
SteelReserve
02-18-2009, 08:31
i always have found a blue walmart pad to do the job fine.
and i honestly think i have had some of my worst nights sleeping in terms of comfort on that hard shelter wood, so i would say that where you sleep has a big impact as well, not just what kind of pad you get.
Check out BA non self inflating pads. They are a bit of work to inflate, but SUPER comfortable, and not as heavy as a thermarest.
Leaves work pretty well in a pinch.
trailfoot
02-19-2009, 09:57
I found on my 08 hike that a Z rest worked fine for quite some time. I made it to Waynesboro before I gave up the bad and went with an Agnus air mattress. By the time I hit Waynesboro I had lost 30 lbs and was skin an bones. I literally was lying on my hib bone night after night on a hard wood floor in shelters.
Moral of the story you can probably get away with a z rest mattress at first but may switch over later to your air mattress.
Many Walks
02-19-2009, 12:44
We used a small Thermarest Prolite pad (11 oz) and threw our outer gear (fleece, shirts, etc) in the bottom of the bag for insulation and comfort for our legs. Saved some weight and was comfy, plus the clothes were warm to put on in the morning. Worked great for us.