PDA

View Full Version : Advantage of air over self-inflating? Need suggestions, please?



Sassafras Lass
02-22-2010, 19:10
So I've finally settled on my sleeping bag (Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15, would also welcome comments about the bag), will order that soon, so now I need to get my mind settled regarding a sleeping pad.

I wouldn't say I'm extraordinarily picky, and I understand that accidents will happen and things will crop up that will interrupt my flow of walking, but in the interest of minimizing those instances, which pad should I choose?

I'm a woman, I lean more towards being a cold sleeper than a warm one, and I sleep exclusively on my sides, and I have mild-moderate lower back problems and joint issues (shoulders and hips primarily) . . . . so what can you suggest?

People have been praising the Big Agnes Air Core up and down, and it does look mighty comfy - but will I do if it leaks? Or outright pops? I've got the $$ for 1 pad and 1 pad only. It would be a tremendous pain to ship it in for repairs or anything like that.

I originally set my sights on the Thermarest Women's ProLite Plus, but many people have told me to get an air bed instead. My leaning toward the Thermarest was based on the fact that if it deflated, I would still have some kind of cushion.

I'm not terribly concerned about weight, as my bag's only 30 oz. and my husband's carrying our tarptent, but I absolutely require something comfortable.

So what do you guys think? What do you guys use?

Thank you so much!

Blissful
02-22-2010, 19:14
I use the BA air core. But I used two for a thru hike.

Appalachian Tater
02-22-2010, 19:23
I use a short ProLite 4 very similar to what you're looking at. Very comfortable, I would even go for a slightly thinner one next time.

You may not be understanding what it is--it is basically an inflatable air-filled mattress but it has foam in it that compresses when you roll it up and then expands when you unroll it. Then you finish it off with a few puffs of air and close the valve. Stick a marshmallow in a plastic bag and suck all the air out with a straw and you'll get the idea. The mattress is more comfortable if you don't overinflate it.

Sassafras Lass
02-22-2010, 19:27
"Stick a marshmallow in a plastic bag and suck all the air out with a straw and you'll get the idea."

That is a terrific analogy! lol Thanks for the smile. :D

seabrookhiker
02-22-2010, 19:49
My situation is fairly similar to yours. I sleep on my side and I have back problems.

I can tell you that if the prolite springs a leak, you are not going to feel like it's cushioning you. That exact thing happened to me, and I basically felt as if I were sleeping directly on the ground. My hips were in a lot of pain by morning.

Of course, the same is true of the Big Agnes, but you expect it more. :)

The Big Agnes (or NeoAir) pads are a *lot* thicker than the Prolites. I am comfy enough with them to sleep on the ground, as opposed to the hammock. Sleeping on the ground used to be torture for me with the thinner pads.

I believe there are repair kits you can take along. You might take a very light sit pad to put under your hips in case the pad goes. Mine goes in a pocket at the back of my backpack to form part of the frame so I always have it with me anyway. When I was (painfully) using the prolite, I'd put the sit pad under the regular pad in the hip area, and it helped.

The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core is quite a bit warmer sleeping (to me) than the NeoAir. I've used one for several years but have moved to the NeoAir to save a bit of weight.

Also, FWIW.. A long pad can be nice in winter to keep your feet warm at night. But as soon as my feet start hurting from the hike, I like to have them hang over the edge of my pad at night and not touch anything. So if you're like me you may prefer having a shorter pad for longer hikes.

bigcranky
02-22-2010, 19:57
I use a Prolite 4 (which is now called the Prolite Plus.) It's at least five years old and is still very comfortable and has never given me any trouble.

However, I have tested sleeping on it uninflated vs. sleeping on a closed cell foam mat, and even uninflated it's still more comfortable. There is still a 1.5 inch thick open cell foam pad inside there.

white_russian
02-22-2010, 20:03
I use a 1/4 inch closed cell foam on top of a this (http://www.powderfin.com/pacificoutdooraolitesleepingpad-womens.aspx?utm_source=VersaFeed&utm_medium=VersaFeed&utm_content=Pacific+Outdoor+AO+Lite+Sleeping+Pad+-+Womens&utm_campaign=base&v_traceback=c0219_2007_f0220_0027). Plenty warm in the teens on the ground and starting to push it on a shelter floor at that temp. It is comfortable enough for me, warm and if the thing craps out on me I still have my ccf that is providing most of my warmth.

If you have money for one pad and one pad only then just get a blue ccf from wally world. If money is that tight you can save a bunch by going this route.

Appalachian Tater
02-22-2010, 20:18
If you have money for one pad and one pad only then just get a blue ccf from wally world. If money is that tight you can save a bunch by going this route.

That is good advice except for side sleepers with shoulder or other problems like Chancelynn2002, seabrookhiker, and me. An inflatable is really necessary. It sucks having to pay $50+ for a heavy pad when there are pads available for under $10.

I even have trouble with a firm, lightly-padded coil mattress and do much better on any kind of foam mattress because without enough padding my arm gets numb and painful.

The ProLites are pretty durable though, just check for obvious nails in shelter floors or sharp things poking through your tent floor. If you're really worried carry a patch kit. Weird accidents happen.

Cool AT Breeze
02-22-2010, 20:28
The BA is tough. Not only that it comes with a repair kit.

mykl
02-22-2010, 21:26
I agree with Appalachian Tater, they Pro lite is more comfi if you don't inflate it all way. You can tweak it to your licking/comfort level.

DAJA
02-22-2010, 21:32
I prefer the BA to the Neoair but I prefer the prolite plus to both... Just has a more natural bed like feel...

Lerenke
02-23-2010, 11:18
I like the foam cell therm-a-rest.

If I were you I would get a used prolite 4 (old model) from ebay because it woud be cheaper. It has yhe same temp rating, but it is thicker; hence more comforable. Bad news: heavier, potentially smelly.

Lerenke
02-23-2010, 11:19
...heavier and bulkier forgot to say.

flemdawg1
02-23-2010, 11:30
For side sleepers, nothing is better than a thick air mattress. Get the BA Air Core.

Jester2000
02-23-2010, 12:26
The BA is tough. Not only that it comes with a repair kit.

I agree with this. If you're a side sleeper and a cold sleeper, I'd get the BA insulated air core. Just treat it like you can only afford one and it will be fine. And as mentioned, should something unlucky happen, it's got a repair kit.

Oh, and here's something funny about that:
I know people who have carried the repair kit and were completely unaware that it was there, tucked into a pouch inside the stuff sack. And I know people who have ditched the stuff sack and threw out the repair kit because they were also unaware it was there.

Sassafras Lass
02-23-2010, 13:03
The BA Insulated Air Core sounds great - I'm just worrying about it because every air bed I've ever slept on has lost air when you sleep on it, no matter what you do. Do these inflateable mattresses tend to lose their loft throughout the night, or are they pretty sturdy?

Jester2000
02-23-2010, 14:26
The BA Insulated Air Core sounds great - I'm just worrying about it because every air bed I've ever slept on has lost air when you sleep on it, no matter what you do. Do these inflateable mattresses tend to lose their loft throughout the night, or are they pretty sturdy?

I've had good luck with them. Most air beds that aren't designed for hiking tend to have crappier nozzles than those made by any hiking manufacturer. There may be some change due to temperature, but unless you've got a leak it shouldn't really be a problem.

Blissful
02-23-2010, 14:37
The BA Insulated Air Core sounds great - I'm just worrying about it because every air bed I've ever slept on has lost air when you sleep on it, no matter what you do. Do these inflateable mattresses tend to lose their loft throughout the night, or are they pretty sturdy?

Mine started to lose air through the nozzle out west when I got sand in the nozzle. On the trail the nozzle also lost air eventually after a few months of continuous use. But I never lost air before that. I mean eventually its gonna give out. A thru hike is tough on gear. I'd have another on hand that could be mailed to you; I doubt one will last a whole thru. The one I have now I used on my hike in -07 in NH and ME and now on my section hikes, still keeps its air fine. The one that got sand in it and is losing air I got used from another hiker.
As for the thermarest I know some hikers who had issues too. You can't really expect an air pad to last 2,000 miles, day in and day out, imo, thogh I have an old thermarest orange pad that has lasted 20 years and still keeps air. And my seat cushion I took in my -07 hike has kept air the entire hike and still working. I think the newer Themarests are not as durable as the old fashioned ones

AeroGuyDC
02-23-2010, 14:54
I decided to go with a Thermarest Trail Lite Regular instead of the Big Agnes Air Core. Through trial and error I found that I only needed 1.5 inches of pad to keep my hips from gouging the ground at night (and waking up sore). A one inch pad was too thin , and 2 inches or above was just overkill for me. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core is 8oz lighter than my Thermarest, but those 8 ounces didn't trump the requirement to huff and puff to inflate the Air Core after a long day on the trail.

Appalachian Tater
02-23-2010, 15:42
Regarding the discussion of the appropriate air mattress thickness for side sleepers: You are trying to keep from bottoming out and touching the surface under the pad at your pressure points such as your hip bone. The ProLite 4 at 1.5" thick does that just fine for me and I weigh over 200 pounds.

I even regret not buying the ProLite 3 which turned out to be just fine at keeping me off the ground when I tried one. How fully you inflate it plays a role in this.

2"+ is definitely not necessary for comfort as far as pressure, well, maybe if you are very heavy. The effect on comfort would be due to increased insulating value which is not only a product of thickness but also of materials used and design.

There are also ThermaRests specifically for women (who tend to sleep colder) with higher R-values and maybe different proportions which you might want to look at--men as well as women. An outfitter suggested that women's SmartWool socks might not slip as much on my heel and he was right and I was very happy with them. A few men find that packs made for women fit them better. Men shouldn't forego equipment better suited for them because it is marketed to the opposite sex--women have been "borrowing" men's clothes forever.

Alligator
02-23-2010, 16:35
I have a Prolite 4 and weigh 185 at 6'2" and I was not always comfortable side sleeping. My older T-rest was only 1" and definitely not comfortable on my side. It may be more of a function of one's side profile rather than weight.

I have a NeoAir now. It's comfortable on my side but I do wish I had gotten the large one. The regular is a little narrow and my feet drop off a little bit.

Appalachian Tater
02-23-2010, 16:48
It may be more of a function of one's side profile rather than weight. That makes sense, scratch what I said and try the pads out and see what works for you.

Jester2000
02-23-2010, 16:56
It may be more of a function of one's side profile rather than weight.


I think this is probably true. In my experience, the bonier someone becomes on a thru-hike, the less comfortable side-sleeping gets.

Sassafras Lass
02-23-2010, 17:49
I'm just shy of 5'7" and about 25-30 lbs heavier than I'll be when hiking, which means my hips and shoulders will be bonier than they are now.

My biggest issue with gear is that I have at least an hour and 45 minutes' drive to look at anything well-made, which doesn't work well with my work schedule. All I have here is a Dick's Sporting Goods and Dunham's, neither of which stock anything real (as far as I can tell). This greatly impedes my ability to touch/examine/try out anything that I would actually buy and use.

Thus I come here to pick everyone's brain. ;) Thanks for the suggestions, guys, keep 'em coming!

Appalachian Tater
02-23-2010, 19:28
At least online Dick's has a good selection of pads. If they don't have them in stock locally perhaps they could arrange in-store delivery or if not, you could order and return the item to the store to save return postage.