Poll

Do you use a sleeping pad?

Only registered users are allowed to vote for this poll.
45 votes were received.

Yes	45		100%
No	0		0%
Sometimes	0		0%

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Just curious. How many of you active backpackers use some sort of sleeping pad? I'm very partial to that particular creature comfort despite the extra weight.

I think you should ask what peeps use:

- Closed cell foam Pad Only
- Inflatable Pad Only
- Both A & B
- None of the Above

NeoAir XLite shorty is 8 oz / XTherm (great for winter) is 14 oz
Takes little pack space. Zero if you forget it at home.

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How's the crinkly noise factor with the XLite/XTherm?

Quote
BrandonL
How's the crinkly noise factor with the XLite/XTherm?

I have an older NeoAir and the XTherm. (well... a bear stole MY NeoAir... the wife sleeps
in a hammock... so I stole her NeoAir).
Neither I find to have any issue with crinkly noise.

I am completely sold on the XTherm. So much so I quit using the Xped DownMat 7.

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I've got the NeoAir all-season (19 ounces) and I've been eyeing the XLite or Xtherm to shave some weight but I've seen some reviews of people complaining about noise. So long as it's not like sleeping on a potato chip bag I think I'd be ok (well, it's more about whether the gf will be ok with it as I toss/turn at night).

Dreamtime XL



Oh...sorry...I see now you said backpacking !

Yes, NeoAir is crinkly " I heard you tossing and turning all night" said my cousin tenting 30 feet away.

But Neoair not only saves weight, it saves space. I formerly strapped my Thermorest outside, now the small NeoAir fits easily inside.

What do I use where it is really cold?
Zeemat or Ridgerest ( can't deflate) and a thicker grade Thermorest on top of that.
Have no experience with Neoair when it is 0F or on snow/ice.

I'd prolly have to use a tent around ur cousin... since I sometimes wake MYSELF up with my snoring..
add the crinkling I guess. and I'd get rocks thrown at me.

Z-Rest + XTherm for winter been working nicely. I'm not convinced anymore that it matters if Z is on top or bottom.
With lower R Val... then I'd say for sure sleep on Z-Rest.
Not sure slept this winter near 0. In the 10s yes..

anywho... Xtherm in action:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,66611,66686#msg-66686

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When I was using my original NeoAir, I used a cut down Z-Rest under my torso. Found I felt warmer with it between the NeoAir and me... I run COLD. And after 12 nights with it on JMT, no way was I going back to my 10 ounce BPL TorsoLite. I sleep on my side... Lotsa cush with NeoAir! I think the two feathered ones sleep warmer than I do... Which is unfair given i have more built-in insulation...sigh...

I am now happily in love with my NeoAir XTherm, no need for ZRest so far, not even carrying it anymore. We'll see as temps lower, but it is obviously warmer than original.. And with tapered foot shape, even more room in my bivy sack. Note.. We use the Instaflator... The company website seems...well.. Hmm...hope they are ok.. Here is a review.

Crinkly? Yah a bit, but earplugs or no, I can sleep happily on it.

I won't skimp on my bedding comfort. Especially when we go for long days, I need to sleep well at night.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2013 03:16PM by JustKeepWalking.

Quote
h_lankford
Yes, NeoAir is crinkly " I heard you tossing and turning all night" said my cousin tenting 30 feet away.

But Neoair not only saves weight, it saves space. I formerly strapped my Thermorest outside, now the small NeoAir fits easily inside.

What do I use where it is really cold?
Zeemat or Ridgerest ( can't deflate) and a thicker grade Thermorest on top of that.
Have no experience with Neoair when it is 0F or on snow/ice.

Borrowed the first generation NeoAir for a 4 day trip, and it was the best sleep ever on a BP trip. Like you said, you can store the Neo INSIDE the pack, so that there was even less 'stuff' to catch on brush. The Neo with the Z-rest was a great combo, however, a couple of people on the trip complained of the fragility of the thing, though (at $150(I think is what it cost), it had better hold up!) The sound did not bother me, and I hope that it bothered the huge group that was camped too close by.

Tried to save weight and use a Z-rest without a pad......really bad on granite -- only good for one lousy overnight.

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

Thermarest Neoair Trekker (I think?). I've only used it a few times but it's comfy and I love how small it packs.

Seems like inflatable pad people are either neo-air or exped users. I've had good luck with exped over the years, so that's my choice. I use the symnat ul7 and it's great. Two years with no issues, but get the schnozzle for sure! Pure beauty--and it works as a waterproof liner for your pack. Last week in Yosemite backcountry temperatures at night were in the mid 20's, and my synmat was fine.

My downmat short has been retired because of a leakage issue, probably around the nozzle. But geeze, it's about ten years old! Exped doesn't use this nozzle design anymore, I think.

Chick-on, good to hear such a rave review of the x-therm. If I had things to do over again, I'd get the exped ul downmat even for summer use. But now I'll look at the specs for the x-therm.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2013 06:04PM by hegel.

I forgot my Neo last weekend... but my good buddie Z Old Dood
let me use his tried and true blue full 3/4 length UL thermarest.
Comparing the two like that made me realize just how comfy the
good ol Neo is.

If I had things to do over again I wouldn't have bought the Exped.
Just the Neo XTherm. But then again the XTherm wasn't avail when
bought the Exped so I can't complain really... and really... the gear
nowadays is really the chick-on's meow.... if chick-on's could meow.
Sooo much good stuff out there... and really lightweight.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2013 09:47PM by chick-on.

Yeah, just when you think you've got the latest and greatest....along comes something new. But as you say, all this recent gear is the cat's cockadoodle do, or something. I'm an old guy too, and I sure hope the Old Dude is using one of these newer mattresses, because what a difference!

Nah. If you have to give up your inflatable for a few days to cover a major error then you just fold your Z-Rest in half and get twice the comfort.

It was a 3/4 length inflatable.

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Old Dude

Exped Synmat UL7 large size (wide+tall) - absolutely love it! Far better than my old Thermarest Pro 4 in every way.

Agree with chick-on. Asking who uses a sleeping pad is likely to show near 100% except for a few unfamiliar newbies. One can of course sleep without a pad however anyone doing so will notice sleeping on hard surfaces as are most often encountered camping and backpacking, inside even the most expensive sleeping bags, is rather unpleasant over hours to the human body, especially we softee modern humans.

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http://www.davidsenesac.com

David, you bring up a valid point. The reason I posted the question is that I thought many of the campsite photos I've seen were absent evidence of sleeping pads, especially for those sleeping under the stars. Maybe they have been there all along and I just have not noticed them. Now I'll probably be rewarded with a gazillion campsite photos posted with little red arrows pointing to sleeping pads. The chicken will probably get me first.

Quote
tomdisco
David, you bring up a valid point. The reason I posted the question is that I thought many of the campsite photos I've seen were absent evidence of sleeping pads, especially for those sleeping under the stars. Maybe they have been there all along and I just have not noticed them. Now I'll probably be rewarded with a gazillion campsite photos posted with little red arrows pointing to sleeping pads. The chicken will probably get me first.

The Chick-on may be silent on the use of inflatable pads.

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Old Dude

Quote
mrcondron

Quote
tomdisco
David, you bring up a valid point. The reason I posted the question is that I thought many of the campsite photos I've seen were absent evidence of sleeping pads, especially for those sleeping under the stars. Maybe they have been there all along and I just have not noticed them. Now I'll probably be rewarded with a gazillion campsite photos posted with little red arrows pointing to sleeping pads. The chicken will probably get me first.

The Chick-on may be silent on the use of inflatable pads.

Oh good! Another great subject for suppertime sit-down time while on the trail.

Quote
mrcondron
The Chick-on may be silent on the use of inflatable pads.

Sleeps on an inflatable goat instead?

Donated an inflatable pad to a deserving bear?

I have no idea what Z Old Dood is talkin bout.

And Jim... I wouldn't do that to you...

But I dew like this faux toe:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?1,21358,21360#msg-21360

search also brought up this:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,52923,52923#msg-52923

You may be thinking... why the second one... well... OD:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,52923,52929#msg-52929
(always appropro response to OD) (just FYI)



If you read the first link entirely... talked about MSR eWing.
It's super light... but a major pain in the rump to setup...
and it's fine in the wind... if you can set it up properly...
MLD SoloMid... cake to setup in wind. awesome in wind.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2013 07:12AM by chick-on.

I have both the exped ul 7 and the neo air. I found the exped to be vastly more comfortable than the neo air, and less noisy as well. That being said, my exped was destroyed on a trip back in February. I did replace it, but I haven't taken the new one out of the sack yet. I've been using a foam pad instead, the mammut alpine mat ul:
http://www.campsaver.com/alpine-mat-ul

Its lighter and I don't have to worry about it deflating.

Quote
oakroscoe

I've been using a foam pad instead, the mammut alpine mat ul:
http://www.campsaver.com/alpine-mat-ul

How does that compare with the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite in terms of size, bulk, weight and comfort?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2013 07:45PM by plawrence.

Plawrence, the thermarest is about twice as heavy as the mammut, but it is more comfortable. As others have pointed out the mammut is somewhat spartan. However, when my exped ul7 gave out back in February/March, I realized I could sleep comfortably on minimal support.

I would guess that around here everyone uses a sleeping pad, unless they forgot it or they're crazy about going ultralight. I know in the old days, some people believed it was fine to rip the boughs off of trees and use those. I'm pretty confident that everyone on this forum has enough respect for the backcountry to not do that. I didn't think anyone at all did that any more, but the last trip (third week of May), when I stopped for coffee and lunch and Lake Vernon, I saw boughs on the ground that were still fresh. That was rather dissapointing...

Quote
oakroscoe

... the thermarest is about twice as heavy as the mammut, but it is more comfortable. As others have pointed out the mammut is somewhat spartan.

Wow.

I asked because I don't find the Z-Lite that comfortable by itself. It's like sleeping on an extra-extra firm mattress. Okay on softer ground but I prefer more cushioning on harder stuff, not only on granite but even hard packed dirt. So I switched over to the Therm-a-rest ProLIte (not do be confused with the heavier ProLite Plus) which if fine in the warmer months by itself. On days when colder nighttime temps are expected I bring along my Z-Lite too. The Z-Lite+ProLite combo works quite well for me in the fall.

.

Used a small Prolite for a longtime then decided to revisit my youth and invested in a small Ridgerest a few years back. At $20 or so you can't beat the price for the weight (9 oz) unless you go with blue foam or get a stellar deal somewhere. It is a bit bulky though.

Yeah--and how is that pad that Mammut pad to sleep on?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2013 08:41PM by KC.

For that size and weight that Mammut pad can't be more than 1/2" thick. Too spartan for my tastes... Sleeping pads are one area I've never been able to skimp on to save weight. Tried to sleep on a Ridgerest a year ago and it felt more like an unplanned bivy... never slept longer than 15 minutes at a time that night. Now I use a 20x72" Neoair. I usually bring a thin 1/8" foam pad to put under the Neo air and to use as a sit pad.

You called it a pad. Marmut didn't minch words... it's a mat.
Kudos to anyone who can sleep on those. As you I pretty much
look at that as something to keep my NeoAir inflated.
Or to fold a few times and sit on.
Similar to:
http://gossamergear.com/sleeping/1-8.html
or "pads" sold my MLD
I quit using a sack for our Z-Rests... so ... on virgin trip with
the GossamerGear pad last year... didn't have a sack over it...
and my "MiniPad" (as Bearpoof called it) (he had worse on CR)
it got ripped to shreds. Had to buy a new one...

Shorty NeoAir (pack is at feet to keep them happy)... + MiniPad.
About 10oz ...

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I actually have a short Neo air too.. but the 2.5" drop off wrecks my knees at night. Probably will sell it someday. Sometimes I bring the shorty and a 24" piece of ridgerest which goes under my feet and is a better sit pad, but that contraption weighs the same as the long Neo air so I usually don't bother. Sure wish I could sleep well on just that 7oz short neo air though...

BAC IA full sized for me. I could shed some weight with something else, put I already own it (two actually, one for my wife) and it is very comfortable. Waking up without any additional aches and pains from sleeping on something to hard is worth it. Besides, I'm too cheap to replace it.

Anyone use, or have any firsthand experience with the Big Agnes Q-Core SL Sleeping Pad?