Sleeping Pad?

I hate thermarests, personally - I'd either carry a $10 walmart foam pad, or an exped downmat ( $$$$ ) - the downmat packs reasonably small and insulates like crazy, and the foam pad is cheap and light, and can be strapped to the outside of your pack.


I sold my thermarests a long time ago and haven't looked back.
 
soft dirt-I sleep on a hardwood floor in my own house, I put too many miles on with too much crap on my back-sleeping on foam or a mattress gives me pinched nerves that last for weeks. As long as I have something between the ground and my sleeping bag, like a canvas tarp, I'm fine.
 
I loved my inflatable...until I got a hole in it and spent the rest of my trek on hard ground. I converted to a closed cell foam pad and haven't looked back.

Foam just works better for me. No worries about punctures. While on trail, during rest and meal breaks just flop it on the ground for a quick seat. I've used the foam pad on surfaces I'd never put an inflatable on.

Z-Rests have been best for me.
 
When it comes to sleeping pads, it comes down to this:

Cheap

Comfortable

Light

Chose any two.

Gordon
 
You're missing a category... "compact".

Foam pads can be cheap, comfortable, AND light... they are just bulky as hell.
 
MustardMan said:
You're missing a category... "compact".

Foam pads can be cheap, comfortable, AND light... they are just bulky as hell.
Click to expand...

I've been through a few foam pads that are not too bulky -- USGI foam pad cut down and scored into thirds that folds into a sort of panel that lays against the back of the pack. Very similar to the Gossamer Gear NightLight Torso Pad, which has recently replaced it:
Torso-BIG.jpg


Both are less bulky in the pack than my wife's Thermarest.
 
So I think I'm going to go with the Thermarest ridge rest. I like that I can cut it down to the shape of my bag and I won't have to worry about it ever leaking. I don't do much snow camping, and there ain't much snow this year anyway. So I can wait a year to figure out a warmer pad. The thermarest will be a huge step up from my usual pad, which is a thin fleece blanket from good will on top of some uneven and kind of sharp rocks usually. Thanks for the help everybody.

Since this thread is already going, Has anybody had experience with Tyvek bivy bags or ground cloths? I've got quite a bit of the stuff and was thinking about making myself a bivy.
 
Tyvek is nice and light for a ground cloth, but it is slippery. A Ridgerest might "stick" in one place OK but some nylon covered pads may slip around.

I don't believe that Tyvek is breathable so I'd be reluctant to use it for a bivy. I suppose you could use it for the bottom and employ a Gore-tex like fabric on top.

If you made a Tyvek bivy large enough (with some hoops or poles) and employed some bug net vents around the base like my little tent from www.tarptent.com, that might keep condensation down.

DancesWithKnives
 
I use a floorless tarp tent (BD Beta Light). A Tyvek ground cloth is what I use under my sleeping pad & bag. I've had no problems whatsoever. Tyvek is very tough. Never had a puncture and it won't tear. I've even thrown it in the laundry for cleaning. This also softens it up quite a bit.

Check home building work sites. The contractor may just give you some of the scrap they are trashing, which is big enough to cut a ground cloth from.
 
gander6 said:
Check home building work sites. The contractor may just give you some of the scrap they are trashing, which is big enough to cut a ground cloth from.
Click to expand...

I have some from a house boat I was working on. :D

Tyvek is breathable, which is why it's used for house wrap. It will let water vapor through but not drops of water. You'll still get condensation if you seal up the bivy and sleep in it, but less than with SilNylon from what I hear. I did a little research and I think I'm going to try and make one. Apparently you can use duct tape and super glue instead of sewing it.
Wish me luck.
I'll try and remember to get some pics while I'm making it.
 
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