Originally Posted by
nsherry61
This is a reoccurring statement that doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and I suspect is speculation and NOT reality. The IR-reflectivity can only increase heat retention by somewhere around 5-10%. So, although it may contribute to the effective insulation an X-therm and X-Lite pads, I don't think it can account for as much as the hype suggests, and is minor compared to the effectiveness of the internal baffling system they use.
Secondly, if one is using a reflective CCF pad like a RidgeRest Sol or a Z-Rest Sol, then the IR reflectivity is already taken care of by the CCF and the IR reflectivity of the X-Therm or X-Lite being on top is irrelevant, whereas the loss of heat through the sides of the inflatable (if that is truly why the inflatable on bottom works so much better) is still relevant.