Backpacking pad carry?

[beef]

My blue foam mat is half length with the corners rounded. Weighs 100g. I roll it up, stick it in the pack and let it unroll. I then pack all of my stuffsacks inside the pack, in my 'tube'.

In Australia anyway, only newbies have mats on the outside of their packs, as offtrack walking shreds the mats to nothing, leaving SAR a little breadcrum trail of blue foam pieces to follow But I notice that the other side of the pond seems to have less of an issue with this.

 

[Codger_64]

Shredding is the reason I carry mine in an old stuff sack. I hate to shorten my pad to make it smaller so that it will fit inside my pack, though I have seen guys trim them to hip length or shape them like their mummy bag (most often to save weight). When I tried to put it inside the bag, it didn't leave room for everything else. No, don't tell me the "evrything else" was the problem! I'm working on that!

 

[lk3331]

i just strap mine to the side of the pack

 

[mdauben]

I normally carry it horizontally either on top or bottom depending on the pack. I've never had a problem with it getting in the way.

Same here, although admittedly I generally stick to the marked trails and don't do much in the way of bush wacking where it could be a problem.

 

[Codger_64]

I've solved my delima, at least partially with a Big Agnes Air Core inflating pad. Deflated, it is the size of a Nalgene and fits in the pack quite well. Winter hiking still requires me to carry the blue closed cell foam mat, but I will likely do more three season hiking than in the Canadian one.

 

[Odds]

I used to carry a Thermarest folded up inside my pack. I never liked lashing anything outside my pack to keep the weight better balanced and distributed.

 

[lukeeson111]

(REI self inflating) I carry mine on the horizontal side straps attached to my bag

 

[RoyalM]

I used to use a roll mat like that but i've changed to a folding roll mat after I burst too many Thermarests.

If you have the time or a friend who could help you out you can turn that roll mat into a folding roll mat. They pack smaller and as a bonus when you fold them up they don't cover both sides of themselves with mud.

 

[brians]

Exped in the pack and closed cell pad wrapped in tyvek (groundsheet) and strapped to the outside of the pack.