sleeping pad recommendations?

[insight]

Looking for a relatively light, relatively cheap (naturally.....), sleeping pad that's under 6 feet. I'm only 5' 7.5", and since most of the discomfort when sleeping seems to come from my boney hips, something about 4.5' in length and 2' wide would be perfect. Does anyone make such a thing?

I used to be against the idea of sleeping pads, but I wouldn't mind shelling out $20-30 for something decent if it rolls up compact and weights about or less than a pound.

 

[Gris]

Buy a Link-Rest (short) by Cascade Designs - $10 from Campmor. Weighs 8 oz. IMO much more comfortable then Ridgerest.

 

[SherpaKroto]

The nwe Prolite series from Thermarest are excellent, but not cheap. I tried a short for the first time on many years and loved it!

 

[Frosty]

Looking for a relatively light, relatively cheap (naturally.....)

There is an old engineering maxim:

Good, fast, cheap: Pick any two.

I suppose in backpacking you might say:

Good, light, cheap: Pick any two.

For me the light and cheap ones are not good for getting any sleep. Those closed cell pads don't do it for me, so I can get good and light, but not for cheap. I bought one of the new lightweight Thermarest pads from Campmor. One pound seven ounces, 72x20. 1.5 inches of cushioned air comfort.

The short version I believe is about a pound. Roughly the same price, alas, as the long version is on sale.

Frosty

 

[jfb]

These are pretty nice, you can cut it to whatever size you wish: Evazote pad

 

[jbrown]

Thermarest Z-rest. I think I paid $30 for mine at EMS. You can cut a section or two or three off and have an extremely light and, in my opinion (I shun internet abbreviations...) very comfortable pad. I actually cut mine down into 6 and 8 section pieces. One for me, one for the dog. Moosejaw has the Z-lite for $29.95 in the short model.
Good luck!

Josh

 

[Johnnycakes]

Stacked Pads

Here's a suggestion I saw somewhere on the web. I wish I could find the site so I could simply direct you there, but here goes. The suggestion came from a hiker who had discomfort in his hips and shoulders while sleeping. He experimented and concluded that the discomfort was from lying on a flat pad that did not support the arch in his back, and hence, all of his weight was concentrated on his shoulders and hips. His solution was to use stacked pads.

Start with a 60-72" long pad (Ridgerest, ZRest, Mt. Washington, etc.). Cut the pad in half, and then cut one of those pieces in half again. You should now have one 1/2 and two 1/4s. Place the 1/2 down first, then place the two 1/4s down on top of the 1/2 so that the 1/4s overlap each other. The result is something that looks like this:

____________zzzzzzzz_____________
_____oooooooooooooozzzzzzzzz_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Perhaps not the best illustration, but here is the key:

x = 1/2 pad
o = 1/4 pad
z = other 1/4 pad
_ = nothing (ignore this, it is only there to take up space so the illustration comes out correctly)

The result is a nicely shaped curve that supports the small of the back very nicely. The result is that your bodyweight is dispersed over your entire torso and hips. This works very well if you sleep on your back or on your side. It does not help much if you sleep on your stomach. There is no need to tape the pads together. Friction alone will keep them in place. You can customize the system by choosing the pad length and thickness, as well as how you place the pads to conform to your own back. I've tried this at home, and it is surprisingly comfortable. I have yet to use it in the field.

If this proves to be as comfortable as my initial testing leads me to believe, I plan to abandon my Thermarest for good because this system has a lot of benefits:

1) Cheap
2) Virtually indestructable
3) Light
4) Customizable

I wouldn't worry too much that the final length of your sleeping system will be 36" or smaller. Unless you are very tall, the length from your neck to your hips is probably not more than 36". You can use your empty back for padding under your legs and feet.

John

 

[insight]

ahhhhhh so many suggestions!!!

Thanks again folks! I'm not sure what I'll go with at the moment, as they all seem like great suggestions... The last one by Johnnycakes is ingenius...except that I NEVER sleep on my back (nor my stomach)... :/ Either my sides or a kinda 3/4 side/stomach position. I'm not sure why anyone would need leg/foot padding, but I guess to each their own. As I mentioned, my only concern is my hips, but it's nice to have decent shoulder/head support as well.

 

[Doc McPeak]

I'm not sure why anyone would need leg/foot padding, but I guess to each their own.

It's not just padding for comfort, but to insulate you from the cold chill of the ground. If you have hiked all day and have some hurting dogs, a cold chill coming out of the ground will dig its teeth deep into them footsies. But as you said, to each their own. I have absolutely no problem carrying an extra pound of thermarest comfort on my pack for 1000% better sleep at night. Shave weight in the sleep department. Not on your life!

 

[chomp]

3/4 length z-rest does the trick nicely, its very light, and fairly cheap. Been using one for a while now and I have no problems.

 

[insight]

It's not just padding for comfort, but to insulate you from the cold chill of the ground. If you have hiked all day and have some hurting dogs, a cold chill coming out of the ground will dig its teeth deep into them footsies. But as you said, to each their own. I have absolutely no problem carrying an extra pound of thermarest comfort on my pack for 1000% better sleep at night. Shave weight in the sleep department. Not on your life!

Ahh yes, sorry.. I should have mentioned that I'm mostly interested in 3-season hiking/camping at the moment (well, spring and fall, really, as I dislike the summer humidity and heat). I don't quite have the money for the gear required for harsh winter conditions, but I'd eventually love to head in that direction in the future since I prefer excessive cold to excessive warmth any day...

 

[Nadine]

Full length Z-rest for me, and a 3foot hunk of ensolite for the dog.

 

[percious]

I second the thermarest Prolite 3. I have the full version, and at 12 oz., it provides the best night of sleep I have ever had in the woods. Definately worth the extra $$. Buy a cheapo foam pad at walmart, and then start saving. For the winter I will be using a cheapo pad in conjunction with the Prolite to keep the warmth up. I can't say enough good things about this product.

-percious

 

[peakbagger]

I picked up one of the full length Thermrest Prolites for an AT hike this spring which consisted of entirely shelter camping, it is just as good as my old lightweight thermarest and the extra few ounces over a ensolite type pad is worth it to me. I tried using a 3/4 length pad for a couple of long backpacks (mostly shelter camping) and usually ended up with sore hips and knees due to the lack of support of my feet. I tired the trick of piling stuff up at the end of the pad but it inevitably got kicked out of the way over the night. The other plus with a full length pad is that it keeps you up off the floor which is sometimes handy when the floor is wet or dirty. Another big plus for an inflatable type pad is that it is about the only thing that is comfortable in a shelter with "baseball bat" floors (there are still a few up along the AT in Maine). I also like the prolite as it rolls up real small and fits in the pack versus having to hang it on the outside.

On the other hand if you tent out all the time on the ground away from organized campsites, a foam pad is probably good, as the ground is usually softer than a shelter floor. The foam pads also are sometimes part of an ultralight backpacking system where the pad is used in the pack as a backsheet.

 

[Warren]

I don't quite have the money for the gear required for harsh winter conditions, but I'd eventually love to head in that direction in the future since I prefer excessive cold to excessive warmth any day...

Easy, buy a 3/4 foam pad of some sort now. When you're ready for winter add a full length, if you really want the comfort at that point, go thermarest.

 

[Gris]

A clarification - i don't use a 3/4 Link-Rest closed cell, but a full length cut down to custom fit. can do that w closed cells cause they are cheap (full length cost $15 vs. $10 for 3/4).