Re: Gear: Sleeping Pads - suggestions?

What kind of sleeping pads are the backpackers of this forum using? Foam-only, air-only, or foam+air?

Has anyone used the therm-a-rest line of sleeping pads? They have a lighter, ridge-rest line of foam pads and heavier, more deluxe air+foam versions such as the trailpro series. I'm more inclined to purchasing the lighter foam pads only because of the weight difference.

Thanks..

For summer / lower elevation : Thermarest ProLite 4 Short - only
For winter / early spring / high elevation : Thermarest Neo Short + Z-Rest Long

For winter or cold Z-Rest on Top. Therma on bottom.
I put my pack for my feet to rest on (and use short therma)

The ProLite 4 is 1 1/2" thick. Neo is 2" thick. Neo is too thick for some people actually.

Neo is more blow up with no core. I like it but don't LOVE it. LOVE the prolite 4.
ThermaRest I think has new version which may be even better (more R) and lighter.

The current Prolite model, regular length, R value is 2.2 and is 1 pound:
http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/prolite/product

Why do you use short pads rather than regular length pads?

Quote
Dowwie
Why do you use short pads rather than regular length pads?

Weight. I used the long lengths for years and switched over to the short a couple years
back. I don't see any huge benefit to the longer lengths and I doubt I will go back.
Like I said I put my feet on my pack.

If I were buying I would go with the ProLite Plus Short. It has a much higher R value.
And you will be able to use it longer in the year without another pad.

I and other have mentioned this before... Just buy it from REI and give it a test run.
If you want the regular... just bring it back or vice-versa.

I have used the Thermarest Zpad which also serves as the "frame" in the Gossamer Gear pack that I use.

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

All depends on your comfort level and the rest of your gear. I use a folded Ridgerest that also serves as my pack frame. In the winter I also add a thermorest Prolite 3 and my pack under my feet to keep me off the snow. I chose the lightest weight vs comfort.

I used a full length REI brand Thermarest but thought it was way too big/heavy for any kind of distance. Now I only use that one for lazy/short trips. The short one is the way to go. I have used the plain foam mat before. It is superlight, but in only dulls the rocks under you and has minimal R value. I used some tent seam sealer and put several "dots" of sealant on the bottom of my thermarest -- does a great job to stop the pad from sliding around in the tent if your sight is off level.