View Full Version : GG Thinlight Insulation Pad
Last week was our first night sleeping on our BA insulated air core pads. It was 28 degrees overnight in Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI, we're side sleepers, and we both had cold hips wearing our long johns. Bad enough to make Mary miserable.
I'm thinking thinlight pads on top of the inflatable would do the trick. I'm wondering if the 1/8th" would be sufficient, or if I would need to move up to the 3/8", or if there's a better option elsewhere ...
We're planning a late March nobo thru attempt.
WoW! I've used the 1/8" pad by itself and been just fine. If you were miserable, then maybe your body requires a bit more than the 1/8" will add for you. Everybody sleeps differently, so it's hard to really say.
I'd suggest getting a thicker pad to use by itself instead of stacking pads. That can get slippery/tricky at times. Just my suggestion.
I have used my NeoAir with a 1/8" Thinlight pad to temps right at single digits. Put the GG pad on top of the air pad, it will work better than if it were under the air pad. And it is shocking at the difference that little pad actually makes. My set up is a lower R-Value than yours if you use the BA IAC with the GG pad, but everyone sleeps different. My 1/8" pad weighs 1.7 oz and it packs down small enough to pack inside my ULA Circuit with everything else. And it was only about $15 with the shipping.
The GG pad is tacky feeling so it will stick to your other pad fine. Also, with layering these pads, once you are out of the cold weather you can send one home.
Chubbs4U
04-26-2011, 23:16
If I may ask. Why did you go with the 1/8 in instead of the thicker ones? Looking to get one myself just not sure what size.
Thanks Stick. I'm not crazy about the idea of adding this to my shoulder season weight, and I was hoping that the 1/8" thickness would provide enough extra insulation.
Chubbs,
not sure who that was directed to, but I will answer for myself.
I was happy with the NeoAir (http://sticksblog.com/gear/my-current-gear/sleeping-pads/therm-a-rest-neoair/) on it's own to temps around 25 or so. With this in mind, I decided to go with the 1/8" Thinlight pad (http://sticksblog.com/gear/my-current-gear/sleeping-pads/gossamer-gear-18-thinlight-pad/) because it was the lightest, and more important to me, it packed down smaller than the thicker ones. And if the 1/8" didn't work, I could then try the 1/4".
Once I got the 1/8" pad I used it with my Neo in my yard a few nights with temps just a little lower than 15 (http://sticksblog.com/2010/12/13/another-backyard-camping-experiment/) and have been fine (http://sticksblog.com/2010/12/15/backyard-camping-experiment-results/). I always tried it with the GG pad on top and it worked great. However, one night I tried it with the GG pad under the Neo (http://sticksblog.com/2011/01/05/january-sipsey-wilderness-tr/), and I was cold. I waited about an hour to see if I would warm the air in the Neo since the GG pad was under it and I figured if I could warm the Neo air it would be ok. It never happened. I changed the GG pad back on top of the Neo and instantly felt a difference. Although, at times when I would roll on my side I could briefly feel some cold air at my hips, but it wouldn't last long.
A friend sent me a 1/4" pad and I will try it with the Neo next winter to see if it is much of an improvement. Although I don't see how it could be unless I went well into the single digits...
JaxHiker
04-27-2011, 10:02
WoW! I've used the 1/8" pad by itself and been just fine. If you were miserable, then maybe your body requires a bit more than the 1/8" will add for you. Everybody sleeps differently, so it's hard to really say.
Since you hang and I know you're familiar with the Light Hiker do you think the 1/8 would work well between the layers? I'm using the pad from my Supershelter now but the 1/8 thinlite pad would help me save some more weight.
Fiddleback
04-28-2011, 12:14
Quite by accident I found a combination and technique that gave me my most comfortable night ever on the ground...
Since my trail partner had not yet seen the Light of Hammocks we took a tent and I took both my hammock pad (¼" Oware) and my 25-year old ThermaRest. I folded the Oware pad along its long axis and inserted the ThermaRest taco-style.
Wow! It was the most comfortable ground padding I can remember. It was totally warm (nighttime low was low 40's, we were surrounded by snow but on a patch cleared of snow), and, most of all, there was no slippage. The Oware pad held the ThermaRest in place and, of course, there was no slipping off the Oware's surface (re; slippage -- I don't use a sleeping bag...on this occasion I was in Smartwool baselayers and used a top quilt).
The two pad combination was great! Going to ground it was automatic that I was going to take the ThermaRest...adding the Oware pad tremendously boosted the comfort, warmth, convenience, etc., all for an added cost of just 7oz.:D
From what I've read, the GG pad is similar and I would expect the same results.
FB