I have a difficult time finding the right sleeping pad, can't get comfortable..

I am on a quest to find the most comfortable sleep pad with weight as second consideration.

I use a Xlite now. I can't seem to get the pressure right. I am a side sleeper, I feel like I either get to much pressure in it and its is like sleeping on a board. If i let some air out my hip hits the ground or get very close to it, enough that I feel the cold from the ground.

I think the Xlite is 2.5" thick...

should i use a thicker pad? Is there such a thing as a light/compact thick pad?

I have a Ridgerest but scared to try it out..lol. I might have to sleep in the backyard sometime.

I use the xlite, and at 2.5" thick, I never come close to my hip hitting the ground.
If deflated just before your hips touch the ground isn't soft enough for you, you could try and seeing what it feels like if you use a closed-cell foam pad under the xlite, especaily if it feels ok for the underpad to only be right at the hips. Then you just need a piece big enough to double as a sitting pad.

I blow up my pad tight, then lay down on it and let just enough air out so my hips sink in a little bit. But even that little bit can make a difference when the ground is cold. So, I carry a piece of CCF pad to put under the hip area of my NeoAir. It also doubles as a sit pad and something to stand on barefoot while changing clothes.

In the fall before the ground starts to get too cold, I use an old ThermaRest Prolite pad. Hum, you might want to look at the ProLite Plus, which is more of a three season pad. Significantly more bulky and heavier then an air pad, but more comfortable and easier to pack then a Ridgerest pad.

Have a look at either the Nemo Tensor Insulated or the Sea to Summit Etherlight. Both are super comfortable for side sleepers.

Sea to Summit Etherlight is grand. I’m a guy, but got Women’s large, slightly higher R value.

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Originally Posted by HankIV

Sea to Summit Etherlight is grand. I’m a guy, but got Women’s large, slightly higher R value.

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Very nice. I noticed that too.

The women’s is the same length as the regular xlite i am used to but an additional 5” wider!

No one seems to ever agree or listen but I will give my 2 cents on pads lol

I have and will forever use Exped pads. I am a not so great sleeper in the woods. I use the exped in long wide and have 1 for summer which is a UL, and one for winter with a very high R value. I can sleep on my side, never bottom out. Their customer service is absolutely top notch.

As much as I love the packed size and the insulation to weight ratio on the new fully inflatable pads, I've never been able to sleep as comfortably on them as on the older/conventional self inflating foam core models. Something to consider if you've got some alternatives available to test.

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Originally Posted by Slo-go'en

I blow up my pad tight, then lay down on it and let just enough air out so my hips sink in a little bit. But even that little bit can make a difference when the ground is cold. So, I carry a piece of CCF pad to put under the hip area of my NeoAir. It also doubles as a sit pad and something to stand on barefoot while changing clothes.
In the fall before the ground starts to get too cold, I use an old ThermaRest Prolite pad. Hum, you might want to look at the ProLite Plus, which is more of a three season pad. Significantly more bulky and heavier then an air pad, but more comfortable and easier to pack then a Ridgerest pad.

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I do the same thing. Bought us some small ccf foam pads on ali express for a couple dollars a few years ago, and they serve many purposes and weigh very little.

My wife makes fun of all the little things I do before bed to get my sleeping area ready, but it helps. I am 6'4 and very wide shoulders, so even wider mats cause some issues.

Foam pad under mat for side sleeping (or sometimes as an elbow rest to make my mat wider...), gear or shoes if clean under the mat at the top for a better head rest, I often put my pack at the foot of the mat to make the mat longer and propped up a bit, and then quilt straps to mess around with if cold temps...

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Originally Posted by Gambit McCrae

No one seems to ever agree or listen but I will give my 2 cents on pads lol

I have and will forever use Exped pads. I am a not so great sleeper in the woods. I use the exped in long wide and have 1 for summer which is a UL, and one for winter with a very high R value. I can sleep on my side, never bottom out. Their customer service is absolutely top notch.

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Which mat are you using?

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Originally Posted by OhioHiker

I am on a quest to find the most comfortable sleep pad with weight as second consideration.

I use a Xlite now. I can't seem to get the pressure right. I am a side sleeper, I feel like I either get to much pressure in it and its is like sleeping on a board. If i let some air out my hip hits the ground or get very close to it, enough that I feel the cold from the ground.

I think the Xlite is 2.5" thick...

should i use a thicker pad? Is there such a thing as a light/compact thick pad?

I have a Ridgerest but scared to try it out..lol. I might have to sleep in the backyard sometime.

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Nemo Tensor is 3" thick (insulated, R-value of 3.5) and GREAT for side-sleeping. I purchased the long-wide version and it is very comfortable and doesn't seem to bottom out.

That MondoKing 3D looks like something else! It's a mere 4lbs.

Side sleeper, back-snorer here... I use the Big Agnes insulated pad (also use B.A. bags) and am very comfortable with it fully inflated and then dialed-back a bit.
The only part that is not comfortable is if I shift positions to "arms out" and then shoulders are a couple inches off the ground and elbows touch the floor, in that case I need to surround sleep system with some gear to rest my arms on. In warmer nights I tend to use my thermarest though.

I second... third the use of the sit pad to go under the hip. Triple use item, sit pad, kneeling pad to get in and out of the tent, and hip buffer at night.

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Originally Posted by stilllife

Which mat are you using?

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http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-...s/synmat-ul-lw

http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-...ownmat-xp-7-lw

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Originally Posted by Puddlefish

I second... third the use of the sit pad to go under the hip. Triple use item, sit pad, kneeling pad to get in and out of the tent, and hip buffer at night.

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I’ll give that a try. I recently started using a Gossamer Gear Gorilla. It uses a removable foam pad for the back ventilation. It also doubles as a sitpad

As a side note, there is more to a good sleep than the pad itself.

- Niveau of the ground
Your body most likely is used to a perfectly level surface to sleep on, something that is hard to find in nature.
Yo can help a bit by stuffing clothes or shoes under the pad.

- Shape (profile) of the ground
You'd need a shallow grove for hip and shoulder. If there is none, you can help with some clothes stuck under the pad to create a shape that suits you

- Training
When not outdoors, I'm sleeping on the terrace or in the backyard on a regular basis, to get skill and training and to fine tune the equipment

http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-...2-lxw-ruby-red

just 3oz more than the LW 3D pad. I have both and use the mega for car camping or short overnighters. Beware, in some single tents loft becomes an issue with the mega and 30 degree or lower bags.

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Originally Posted by OhioHiker

... I might have to sleep in the backyard sometime.

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I think you answered yourself in your first post. Your pad might work fine with a little something under the hip area. A thin foam pad, extra clothes, jacket, or stuff sacks. Sleeping in your own backyard is fun with the luxury of modern plumbing just steps away. (Although my wife thinks I'm crazy when I head out back when storms are rolling in.)

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Originally Posted by Sparky B

I think you answered yourself in your first post. Your pad might work fine with a little something under the hip area. A thin foam pad, extra clothes, jacket, or stuff sacks. Sleeping in your own backyard is fun with the luxury of modern plumbing just steps away. (Although my wife thinks I'm crazy when I head out back when storms are rolling in.)

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Good point about the spare clothes. Use everything in your pack for multiple uses. I'll often use my spare clothes just to level off one side of the sleeping pad when the tentsite is less than level.