You're blog is dangerous in that it makes me want to buy more gear! So I come to you looking for more gear suggestions. What are some of your favorite light weight, compact sleeping pads? Happy Earth Day!!
Hello!
So sleeping pads are all more or less the same , not gonna lie. However, I tend to favor name brands [E.g. Therma-rest] as opposed to store ones, like the REI sleeping pads.
I’ve always owned Therma-rests and loved them dearly. They are reliable, always upgrading their designs and lightweight as well as packable.
Many of my friends have owned other sleeping pads like Big Anges’ but have found them to be difficult to pack.
Here are my top recs:
1) Therma-rest Prolite: I own both the 3/4 pad and the full length one. Really awesome, all around, easy to store and usable not only for backpacking but for kayaking, climbing, mountaineering etc… The benefits for buying a 3/4 pad is it is lighter and packs smaller. People often are deterred from buying one of these cause they are worried about being uncomfortable and cold. However, I have found 3/4 pads to be equally as comfortable as my full pad and that your feet really dont need to be insulated when summer/ fall/ spring camping — and if you are cold, you can put your backpack or something at you feet to keep them off the cold ground.
If you are a 4 season adventurer [or even late fall/ early spring one] I’d recommend buying a full length pad, or even the ProLite Plus, which has a little extra padding for colder weather.
2) The Therma-Rest NeoAir: SO LIGHT! Its actually insane. However, the price is also a little insane, but it can be justified. The 2 1/2 inch thick, full mattress can pack down to the size of a waterbottle and the small weighs only 8 oz. It comes with a stuff sack and repair kit as well. [A NeoAir All Season as well as a Neo Air Trekker came out, both are a little more heavy duty than the former]
3) If you’re not feeling the inflating sleeping pads, their closed foam Ridge-Rests are a good option too. I own one to use with my inflatable one during winter camping/ mountaineering trips in order to backup/ boost my Therma-Rest. These kind of pads are great because a animal can literally gnaw on these things and it will still do its job. Ridge-Rests are very durable. However, I have found them to be a little uncomfortable to sleep on, and they are not very packable, like some of the other pads listed. However, they are cheap and will last you forever.
So, there you have it! Sorry for the shameless Therma-Rest advertising, but they are really a great brand and one that I am most familiar with.
However, if you want me to talk about other brands, feel free to shoot me a message!
Sorry again, kateeflick, for the lateness of my reply,
cheers,
jas
Air Mattress #1
This summer, my long-term, long-distance boyfriend and I broke up. After an appropriate amount of time had passed, I decided that it was time for my rebound.
I’ll admit, timing and convenience were more important than personality and normal-ness and I ended up making out with one of my coworker’s roommates. He may have been wearing fishnet tights that night. Hey, it was a rebound.
The end of the night came, and he said, “I don’t think it’s a good idea if you sleep in my room.”
Fine. I’ll sleep on the floor of the hallway on my friend’s sleeping pad.
He poked his head back out of his bedroom, “You know, I have a way nicer sleeping pad you can use…”
No thanks. I’ll keep my dignity and sleep on the crappy air mattress.
- Sweet Face
Therma-a-Rest Luxurylite UltraLite Cot
Tired of pacing around a campsite for a soft clearing of leafy dander that usually doesn’t exist? Of lying down on your sleeping pad only to find that an unseen rock protrudes into your shoulder blade? Suffer no more, because the Therma-a-Rest Luxurylite UltraLite cot takes you off the ground and into comfort. Boasting crossbars that bow under your weight, a waterproof, stretch-free cover, and a set-up time of only 3 minutes, a good night sleep in a tent has never been easier. But while the cot packs up pretty small, it weighs close to 3 lbs., which makes it more of an ideal option for car-camping or short backpacking trips than serious treks into the backcountry.
The Therma-a-Rest Luxurylite UltraLite cot retails for $229, and is available at several outdoor retailers.
Outdoor Innovation: The Windcatcher Inflatable Air Mattress
It’s not always the next Polypropylene, or other chemical based, moisture wicking innovation in the outdoor textile industry that really blows people’s minds. Sometimes it’s just a little bit of common sense applied to a old established concept.
That’s what the Windcatcher air pad is. The video below explains it all, but the magic is in the ease. This air pad requires no touching of your mouth to bag to inflate. It also inflates in just a few blows. How many times have you gotten to camp late after dark, and had to sit there blowing until you were lightheaded and cold? I have, more than I care to admit. While the Windcatcher won’t fix the whole “late to camp” thing, it’ll definitely save me time airing up my sleeping pad.
Check out the video and contribute to this awesome Kickstarter project!
