Sleeping Pads - Seeking Guidance

[hooshr]

I just finished a 3 day hike in the Grayson Highlands area as a gear shakedown. Tent, sleeping bag worked great, but not happy with sleeping pad. I have a Big Agnes inflatable pad. It is very noisy and not wide enough. I tend to twist and turn when I sleep. Seeking guidance/suggestions for pads that handle twists and turns and is not so noisy. I am 5' 11" and 210 lbs. Thanks in advance for comments.

[JaketheFake]

I am definately interested in hearing what the experts say about this...

[Namtrag]

I love my Klymit Static V pad. I have the insulated one, and it is wide enough for me and very comfy. Not noisy at all.

It's 1 oz heavier than my quilt, but well worth the weight if you need some support, or have an older person's back like we do.

[Tipi Walter]

Current Pad: Thermarest 40th Anniversary large, now discontinued.
Good inflatable: Thermy Prolite Plus large (25 inches wide nice)
Other Option: Thermy Trail Pro large (2 inches thick)
Comfy Alternative: Thermy NeoAir All Season large.

[Namtrag]

You can always tell who has a Thermarest pad when you are trying to sleep and they are tossing and turning! lol

One guy we go with said he was waking himself up when he rolled over.

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm quite happy with my Therm-a-rest NeoAir.

The newer models do not make as much crinkle noise as the 1st generation pads did. Additionally, the level of inflation also effects how much noise they make. Mine was never too loud, and I think it got even quieter after a couple of uses.

While expensive, the size large is wider than the typical 20" pad. I think the specs claim 25" wide, but it seems like I've heard some say that because it is so thick, when fully inflated, it isn't quite that wide. I haven't measured mine for width, but it is definitely wider than my old Therm-a-rest 20" foam pad.

[Namtrag]

I was just kidding HooKoo! I know a lot of people with Neo Air and most everyone loves theirs.

My best suggestion to the OP is to go to an outfitter and have them inflate several different mattresses, lie down, toss and turn, and see how noisy they are, and see if they are supportive enough. I am of the opinion that this is one area where weight is not a concern to me, comfort is! I am too old to have a sore back, hip and shoulder from sleeping on a really light, thin pad! My pad weighs 25oz, vs my quilt at 23 oz, but I love my pad. I may get the lighter, noninsulated version for warm weather when funds become available.

[hooshr]

Namtrag,

Thank you for input. Seeking support, width and low noise.

[hooshr]

Tipi Walter,

Thank you for input.

[hooshr]

HooKooDooKu,

Thank you for input, greatly appreciated

[Namtrag]

Namtrag,

Thank you for input. Seeking support, width and low noise.

My pad is 23" wide and 72" long.

Here is a link to Amazon, but you can often find it cheaper. There is also an uninsulated one with a lower r-value.

http://www.amazon.com/Klymit-Insulat.../dp/B00D2HXG5E

[Old Hiker]

I have a few - some gifts, some I bought on sale to try, based on reading here on WhiteBlaze. I still have qualms about inflatables, but those are the most comfortable. I'm worried about holes, leaking, etc. on the Trail.

The closed cell ones I can also use as a pad when taking breaks, etc. to sit on.

1. 500+ miles: Thermy Ridgerest. No probs, I was comfortable. Seems to be getting thinner or I'm getting older. Take your pick!

2. Now have Thermy Z-Lite SOL. Very comfortable - 2.6 r value. Using this one in 2016.

3. Also have Klymit Static V - was a gift. Very comfortable, but again, worries about leaks. This one started to leak around the valve. I sent it back and other than "losing" it for a couple of weeks, had no problems with warranty service. Had an upper mgmt take my phone call and give me a reference number. Didn't follow the complete, correct procedure, but everything was straightened out when I called back to find out where my pad was.

4. Also have Thermy Prolite Regular. Very comfortable. Same, same worries, etc. No leaks to date, however.

[hooshr]

Old Hiker

Thanks for input, greatly appreciated

[Tipi Walter]

Leaking pads are ALWAYS a concern and I have countless stories from myself and others of mysterious pinhole leaks or valve leaks which inconveniently altered our trips enough to be a hassle. When you're in the middle of a 24 day winter wilderness trip without no bail-out points the inflatable pad becomes important and must work.

One time I had a nice Exped Downmat 9 DLX which blew a baffle on Day 1 of a 19 day winter trip and I had to detour 12 miles to a cached emergency Thermarest I had buried just in case. Bummer

Backpacker-maximus Christine Thuermer had a real hassle with her NeoAir here---

http://christine-on-big-trip.blogspo...20Appalachians

On my April trip my Thermarest delaminated (a common enough problem with heavy use) and I had to once again detour 10 miles to a buried NeoAir cache for an in-field replacement. See pic below---taken at Wildcat Falls on Slickrock Creek---



After 35 years Thermarest still hasn't figured out or engineered a pad that doesn't delaminate.

I also carry a Ridgerest Solar pad on my trips which makes a great emergency backup for sleeping and a great lounging pad---



The Ridgerest Solar pad in action.

[saltysack]

I sent my 2 year old neoair xlite in for replacement due to the common problem of Mylar flaking off due to moisture...they sent newer model....first night I used it.....didn't hold air! Sent back they found a hole...now I'm nervous about trusting this pad for my 14 day Jmt hike..thinking might just take xlite but definitely not as comfortable....sleeping on the hard ground stinks!


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[saltysack]

Zlite...


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[nsherry61]

There a several different Big Agnes pad models and different sizes of each. Most manufacturers, including BA, make wide versions of their pads that are along the lines of 25" instead of the more common 20". Wider than 25" is not very common or easy to find in the light-weight backpacking category of pads. From the standpoint of noise, (with the exception of the thermarest neoair xlite which is internally noisy) the type of surface fabric is going to be the biggest noise variable. Again, many pad companies, including BA, offer different pads with different surface fabrics, the softer and quieter ones also tend to be a bit heavier ones.

I like the idea of an earlier post about going to a local outfitter and trying out a number of pads so you can make an educated compromise choice since light, quiet, comfortable, large, and inexpensive are all rather mutually exclusive attributes.

Personally, I've trained myself to sleep comfortably on a small, narrow, noisy, expensive pad because comfort and light-weight are my highest priorities. And yes, it took some time, but with practice, I have learned to sleep well on my narrow, noisy pad.

[Another Kevin]

Tipi Walter makes a good point. In deep winter, when a leak in an inflatable pad could put you in a survival situation, you need two pads, and one has to be foam, because foam can't leak. The foam one goes down first and both provides more insulation and protects your inflatable from punctures.

In winter, I use a blue foam from XYZ-Mart and a Therm-a-Rest ProLite. I see a lot of people - well, at least a few, there aren't a lot of people crazy enough to do winter backpacking in the Northeast - with the same arrangement of an inflatable plus a foam pad. Self-respecting hikers use a RidgeRest or Z-rest or something. I'm a clueless weekender with no self-respect at all.

[MuddyWaters]

I just finished a 3 day hike in the Grayson Highlands area as a gear shakedown. Tent, sleeping bag worked great, but not happy with sleeping pad. I have a Big Agnes inflatable pad. It is very noisy and not wide enough. I tend to twist and turn when I sleep. Seeking guidance/suggestions for pads that handle twists and turns and is not so noisy. I am 5' 11" and 210 lbs. Thanks in advance for comments.

Pads that handle twists and turns.....all of them do.

Im going to guess you had trouble staying on the pad or something? You didnt provide much info.

Heavy people have trouble turning in place on pads. You arent that heavy though.

Noisy? Only the neoair is really called noisy by some. I suggest you wear earplugs and this wont be issue with any pad, even neoair.

UL inflatable pads will fail eventually. Plan on it. It just means a night or two on hard ground till can get a replacement. Some get lucky and never have failure. Others have multiples.

[Venchka]

Tipi Walter makes a good point. In deep winter, when a leak in an inflatable pad could put you in a survival situation, you need two pads, and one has to be foam, because foam can't leak. The foam one goes down first and both provides more insulation and protects your inflatable from punctures.

In winter, I use a blue foam from XYZ-Mart and a Therm-a-Rest ProLite. I see a lot of people - well, at least a few, there aren't a lot of people crazy enough to do winter backpacking in the Northeast - with the same arrangement of an inflatable plus a foam pad. Self-respecting hikers use a RidgeRest or Z-rest or something. I'm a clueless weekender with no self-respect at all.

I have an antique blue foam pad, 22 x 54. You don't see that size anymore. It is destined to reside under my large Xtherm one of these near or real winters. I gave my Ridgecrest to my granddaughter.

Wayne

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