December 1, 2020

Sleeping Pads

Sleeping pads serve two purposes: comfort and insulating you from the ground. Both are important. I have decided that a really good nights sleep adds more to my backcountry enjoyment than anything else other than simply having a light pack. For this reason I lean towards somewhat extravagant 25 inch wide pads with plenty of warmth and thickness. The extra weight and cost is more than worth it to me.

I just added this in-depth discussion of pads for the total geek to go nuts reading. The interesting conclusion is that they give a 1/2 inch thick closed cell pad by Oware the highest rating.

R factor

R factor is used to rate insulation, and many manufacturers use it to rate their pads. Bigger numbers are better and therefore warmer. There is no precise way to convert R factor into temperature ratings, in part because other parts of your sleep system are involved as well. But you can find numerous tables that give recommendations, none of which agree exactly. Here is one. 
R = 2-3 down to 32F
R = 3-4 down to 20F
R = 4-5 down to 0F
These values probably indicate a "comfort" rating rather than a "survival" rating.

Here is another table (from Exped) 

R = 0-3 -- Summer use
R = 3-5 -- Spring, Summer, Fall
R = 5+  -- All seasons

Some manufacturers (notably Big Agnes) don't provide R factor and instead give recommended temperature ratings. This makes some sense, but is unfortunate because it makes it impossible to compare their pads to those from other manufacturers. Big Agnes is endlessly annoying in this way, so I don't even list their pads.

Ground sheet

I always use some kind of ground sheet. This is not needed with a closed cell pad like the Z-lite, but with any kind of inflatable pad, it is essential to avoid punctures and damage. I carry a piece of Tyvek, 36 by 86 inches that weighs 3 ounces. There may be lighter alternatives, but probably not as tough and I am not that crazy (yet) about reducing weight. You can buy this at whatever length you might need from Ebay sellers. I use a larger sheet, appropriately sized, under my tent when I carry it.

Exped mega mat (6.5 pounds)

I just can't talk about pads without mentioning this. One of these has changed my life. It is hardly "normal" backpacking gear, but that has not stopped me from carrying it on short overnight trips (where I am hiking 2 miles in one day and 2 miles out the next).

It of course excells for car camping and is worth every penny. I have used it on the floor (or balcony) of motel rooms where it guarantees a better nights sleep than short or unfamiliar beds.

It is 6.5 pounds. Just for the record, I just weighed two full sized pillows (which make the ideal partner to a megamat). My two pillows weigh 1.5 and 2.5 pounds each, so figure that a full sized pillow is 2 pounds.

Z-lite pad (R=2.5, 14 ounces, $40)

I don't know why I don't use one of these. I don't know why more people don't use these. You see them all the time strapped onto thru-hikers packs. Actually, I do know why I don't! Comfort!! 3/4 of an inch of foam under you does only so much towards a good nights sleep, and I have spent way too many nights on such pads. I simply am not going to do it any more, except on rare occasions.

You definitely can't beat the price and weight ($35 and 10 ounces for the short version). And they are durable! Nothing can go wrong short of having it fall off of your pack. What I suggest is buying the long version ($45, 72 inches) and cutting it into two 36 inch pieces. Each will weigh 7 ounces and can be used as a torso length pad. If you have a half piece like this and also have a more civilized pad to use instead on most trips, you will have an option for when you want to go "spartan". I have done this in warm weather locations (such as the Grand Canyon) and it has been entirely adequate, if not luxurious. You really don't need insulation under your legs, especially in warm weather. With an R rating of 2.5 you should be "good" down to near freezing. This is far and away the budget option.

Exped Downmat 7 (R=5.9, 26.5 ounces, $150+)

Now we go to the other extreme of weight, expense, and luxurious comfort. I carry one of these more than any other pad. If you are going for luxury, insist on the 25 inch wide version of any pad. A 20 inch pad will do, barely, but be endlessly annoying. I have two Downmats. Both are Downmat 7 (2.9 inches thick, 7 cm).

I have the original with integrated pump (20 x 72 inches, 31 ounces).
I also have the newer UL LW (26 by 77.5 inches, 26.5 ounces).
Either has R = 5.9, so will be warm well below freezing.

The newer pad is extra wide, a bit lighter, and looks more delicate. It also requires the use of the "schnozzle bag" to inflate it. These need to be carried inside my pack to protect them and they are somewhat bulky, but they are worth it all when you lay on them and it feels like there is a heater underneath you. Interestingly, in 2019 I see the integrated pump version back in production. I think this is a good thing. The schnozzle bag is a bit of a pain, though it probably saves some weight over the built in pump.

Nemo tensor LW (21 ounces, R=3.5 $180)

Nemo does not publish an R value for their pads, with some double talk as to why not, but they say this pad will do down to 15F. The guess is that is has an R value of at least 3.0. I will guess and call it 3.5 The Neo-Air Xlite women's with two internal layers is 3.9, so this is probably more like 3.9 as well.

This is supposedly available in either an insulated or non-insulated version. Be sure to get the insulated version.

This is a 3 inch thick pad, so in a 25 inch width it should offer the kind of comfort you get from an Exped Synmat but with about 12 ounces less weight and a much smaller packed size.

I like that this pad is rectangular. I think that tapered pads suck (big time). I also like the fact that this pad is available in an RW size (regular wide, i.e. 25 by 72). However the LW is only 2 ounces and $5 more and 76 inches long, so it is not that big of a deal, and I am almost sure to get the LW when I get one of these. It is quiet (unlike the otherwise similar NeoAir Xlite), and has two reflective layers inside, so it might well be warmer than the standard Xlite as well. Like the NeoAir, it yields a very small package when deflated.

Neo-Air Uber-lite (Small, R=2.0, 6 ounces, $140)

There are a myriad of Neo-Air variants to choose from and probably more will be hatched by the time you read this, a situation that I hate. I am sure the stores who try to stock them all hate it too.

Neo Air pads are noisy and tapered, so I look elsewhere, but they are very popular in ultralight circles.

The original Neo-Air was noisy as heck, but I am told that the "Uber-lite" is not. This is because it omits the noisy inner layer, also saving weight, but sacrificing way too much warmth.

I ordered the small (20x47) to be part of my super ultra light kit as sort of an experiment. You can get this pad in regular and long sizes, but I am (or was) charmed by the idea of a 6 ounce pad that gets lost in my pack.

I had mine out for its first trip in the wild and learned some things. In a tent, on a 60 degree night, under a 35 degree bag used as a quilt, I was struggling to stay warm! Now I tend to sleep cold, but I was fine with this same bag in the same conditions on a trip a week or two before this -- with a different pad! On this trip with the "uber", once I zipped the bag up (and thus got some of it under me), I was decently warm. The lesson here is that you have to consider the entire sleep system. Even in mild conditions, a pad like this requires more insulation in the quilt or sleeping bag to achieve the same sleeping comfort. In other words, what you gain by having this light and tiny pad, you have to make up for by carrying more insulation, so the gain is deceptive.

For use with a quilt, this cute little pad is pretty much a flop. It would probably serve to provide comfort only (no warmth) in summer conditions. If you are sleeping in a bag in a tent in pleasant summer conditions, this could be the pad for you. I will probably only use it rarely.

It might do to carry it along with a second closed foam pad (like my cut in half Z-pad). I intend to experiment with this -- the two pads will then be 13 ounces total, but the torso length Z-pad is a backup in case the "uber" gets punctured.

Neo-Air XLite Womens (R=3.9 12 ounces, $160)

What I am told is that all the guys (the "cool kids") get the womens version because it is a tad warmer. Apparently the thinking is that women need more help staying warm, so they add an extra layer to the womens pad and bump the R factor from 3.2 to 3.9. $160 For that money, I would get the Nemo tensor instead (see above). This is a 20x66 pad, so it is narrow (which sucks) and your feet hang off (no big deal). Lots of comfort at 2.5 inches thick. If you want even more comfort (and a bit less warmth), consider the regular mens XLite in large which is 77 by 25 and 16 ounces ($200)

REI Stratus (R=2.9, 29 ounces, $100 )

I bought one of these on sale, full price is $100 and I got mine for $50. I got the long and wide version, 25 by 78 inches. It has some primaloft inside, but you would never know it, with an R-factor of 2.9. Pretty heavy at 1 pound 13 ounces (29 ounces). Compare it to the Exped Synmat with an R factor of 4.9 and 30 ounces. You get what you pay for with the Exped! It has fatter tubes on the sides to "cradle" you and keep you from sliding off. The tubes are literal tubes, and provide channels for cold air to creep in underneath you, which may be part of the low R value. At half off it is a bargain for a comfortable, rather heavy, and not very warm pad. At full price, I would spend the extra $50 and get the Exped Synmat for $150. Actually I would get the Exped Downmat, which you can sometimes find for $150 in LW. Something to use for car camping and possibly to loan to people.

Closed Cell pads

This is sort of an appendix to this article. My old man body just can't get a good nights sleep on one of these. I recently purchased the Nemo "Switchback" to see if they had somehow revolutionized things, but they hadn't. These may be a tad better than the ever popular "ridgerest", but it is not a drastic improvement. The big plus is they are cheap and absolutely bullet-proof.

Another angle on the closed cell foam is the denser "Evazote" foam. Gossamer gear sells this in 1/8 and 1/4 thickness. They used to sell a 40 wide by 60 long piece of the 1/4 thickness, but dropped that in summer of 2020. This was virtually perfect for hammock camping. Happily MLD (Mountain Laurel Designs) offers the same thing for $36 with very reasonable shipping, so get one from them if you are a hammock user. I con't have any comments on this for use on the ground.

They sell it in a variety of dimensions. For example if you are a ground sleeper, I would order the 25x80 size and perhaps cut 20 inches off the end so I had a torso length 25x60 pad and a 20x25 "sit pad" for optional use. I've had it with sleeping on 20 inch wide pads.

The Evazote is surprisingly warm for how thin it is.

Now that I have both a 1/8 and 1/4 inch piece of this stuff in the 40x60 size I am experimenting with it. It is great in a hammock. On the ground it will offer warmth, but essentially no comfort. What I have done with some satisfaction is to use a sheet of this along with a Neo-Air uberlight pad. The Uberlight gives me padding and comfort while the foam give warmth for a very workable combination.

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's backpacking pages / tom@mmto.org