Looking for a new sleeping pad. Something with more padding and R value than the Thermarest Prolite that I currently have. Slept out with my 6y/o son again and he is really starting to like it. Going to try a real camping trip soon. I would prefer to sleep in my hammock but he is still a little nervous about staying in the tent in the woods so he definitely isn’t going to sleep by himself in a hammock yet so I am going to be tenting it for a little while till he gets more used to it. Looking for something in a short size (I am 5’4”). Not afraid to pay the money for something good but don’t want to pay out the nose just for a name or something. I was looking at the Big Agnes insulated air core ultra. They are $89 for the petite size (22”x66”) on Amazon. 3.5” thick and is rated to 32 so I know with a good bag I can take it colder than that. Any recommendations? I know there are a bunch of non name brands out there but reviews go from great to poor so I am looking for any first hand experience.
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Sleeping pad recommendations
- Thread starter Brian5582
- Start date
Thermarest, self inflating. If you need more R value put a wool blanket under it.
You can sleep on solid ice and you won't feel the cold, no hard spots and its easily kept clean.
Best piece of sleeping gear I ever bought.
Open the cap, let it self inflat, add a little air if you want ot firmer and go to sleep. To stow, open the cap and roll it up from the other end. It drives out the air and it reduces down to about a 24 inch long by 5 inch diameter that can be stuffed in a nylon bag.
You can sleep on solid ice and you won't feel the cold, no hard spots and its easily kept clean.
Best piece of sleeping gear I ever bought.
Open the cap, let it self inflat, add a little air if you want ot firmer and go to sleep. To stow, open the cap and roll it up from the other end. It drives out the air and it reduces down to about a 24 inch long by 5 inch diameter that can be stuffed in a nylon bag.
I have a Thermarest self inflating now but it’s only about 1.25 thick. My back is cooked so looking for some more padding too. Don’t really want to go with a foam z fold type pasd for size reasons. Even stowed on the outside of a pack they a big
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LOL, one of my kids 'stole' my Thermarest ProLite. They are good for 3 season with the appropriate bag. I've used a standard thicker version of Thermarest pad in weather well below freezing.
After one of the boys started using the ProLite, I bought a mummy shaped air only Big Agnes for two week treks in the Rockies and elsewhere. It folds and rolls up into a size that could fit into a jacket pocket and is quite light. It inflates to ~3" thickness and is ridiculously comfortable even on lumpy ground. Not much for R value so it sucks in extreme cold. If the insulated ones have decent R value, that would be just the ticket for cold tent camping. The level of comfort is in a completely different world than the typical Thermarest.
After one of the boys started using the ProLite, I bought a mummy shaped air only Big Agnes for two week treks in the Rockies and elsewhere. It folds and rolls up into a size that could fit into a jacket pocket and is quite light. It inflates to ~3" thickness and is ridiculously comfortable even on lumpy ground. Not much for R value so it sucks in extreme cold. If the insulated ones have decent R value, that would be just the ticket for cold tent camping. The level of comfort is in a completely different world than the typical Thermarest.
Wickedcoolname
NES Member
I just scrape out a trench with my E tool and fill it with pine needles and leaves. Plenty comfy and nothing to pack in or out.
minininjer
NES Door Greeter
I have a Thermarest NeoAir Xlite .. 3.2 R value compared to your 2.4 R value... it’s not self inflating though. It’s super lightweight and small packing profile and 2.5” thickness. Not sure what the reviewers are talking about saying it’s noisy but I like mine just fine.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad | REI Co-op
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad | REI Co-op
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vickers
NES Member
I was looking at this one recently. No r-value listed but I saw a review that estimated it at around 2.0 or so. Inexpensive but well reviewed.
ECOTEK Outdoors Hybern8 Ultralight Inflatable Sleeping Pad
ECOTEK Outdoors Hybern8 Ultralight Inflatable Sleeping Pad
71montess
NES Member
Mine is going on 25 years old. Only replaced the air valve.
Duxprep
NES Member
Big Fan of Exped Mats I own 7 of them . I'm a side sleeper so need an air mattress. I use the 7 UL for backpacking and a Synmat 7W for winter camping which has a 4.9R value. the Downmats (5.9 R Value) are excellent but I'm allergic to down. 5 year warranty on their mats - I've had to send one back that developed a whole and it was repaired promptly - Highly recommended! Be sure to shop around as they're frequently on sale
Re-reading the OP I see you did say Pad - I'm answering based on "mattress"
Re-reading the OP I see you did say Pad - I'm answering based on "mattress"
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Are those the ones with down feathers? Do they still have problems with the down poking holes in the mattress? Or was that only a problem when they were first made?
Duxprep
NES Member
The Synmat has synthetic insulation to achieve the Rvalue. Downmats have actual down .I've never used one of those as I'm allergic so I'm not sure about poking through. The mat material is very tough though so I'd doubt that remains an issue if there ever one
Got the pad, seems very comfortable and a huge improvement over my Thermarest Prolite self inflating. Going to sleep on it tomorrow night. I was happily surprised it came with a inflation bag sense most others you have to buy one separately.
depends on type of camping, I run 3 different set ups
Winter I run 2 milspec foam pads on snow, I have one supper duper non self inflating neo something with like R5.8 with reflective baffles which I never use because it is pain in the you know what to inflate. That one fits into a soda can deflated. I'll save that for backpacking
If car/motorcycle camping I run one of 3.5 rei self inflating, sleep as good as home. I would by thermorest not rei if I had to do it again
Winter I run 2 milspec foam pads on snow, I have one supper duper non self inflating neo something with like R5.8 with reflective baffles which I never use because it is pain in the you know what to inflate. That one fits into a soda can deflated. I'll save that for backpacking
If car/motorcycle camping I run one of 3.5 rei self inflating, sleep as good as home. I would by thermorest not rei if I had to do it again
Just tried an insulated air mattress this summer. Lot smaller and lighter than the self inflaters, but found it less comfortable.
Got my first ThermaRest while in the Army in 1983 and it was a HUGE upgrade from the Army 1/4” foam pad. My daughter used it this summer two weeks in the Presidentials.
Got my first ThermaRest while in the Army in 1983 and it was a HUGE upgrade from the Army 1/4” foam pad. My daughter used it this summer two weeks in the Presidentials.
I like my Thermarest pad as far as the functionality of it and ease of use it’s just not enough padding for my not so old but seriously messed up back. The Exped mat isn’t self inflating but came with a inflating bag. It actually inflates pretty quickly with the bag. Only takes a couple mins. It also packs down to the same size as the self inflating Thermarest.
