luxurylite cot
It is out of your price range, but I bought one despite it being expensive and I’ll never use another sleep mat.
It breaks down as small as my thermarest pad and is as light. Never have to worry about going flat in the night, and gets you off the ground and any possible bumps.
We’re using REI 2.5s. I tried the 3.5
but even at my weight and with my protruding hip sockets, the 3.5 wasn’t better than the 2.5.
Sleeping on the bare ground or on inadequate padding may cause one’s restorative sleep (stages 3 and 4 if you care) to be repeatedly interrupted. Research done long ago showed that when stage 3/4 was repeatedly interrupted in a sleep lab, normal subjects felt in daytime as if they had fibromyalgia. Interrupting REM sleep did not produce that effect, though it left subjects sleepy.
So a good sleeping pad is a place where extra money may be well spent. I also suggest a small pillow filled with buckwheat, to keep your head from scrunching when you sleep on your side.
ever stayed at a $100 hotel
and had to sleep on a crappy uncomfortable mattress?
Exped is worth it.
Big fan
of the Thermorest pads. They are quite comfortable, not heavy relative to the comfort and they last forever if you take reasonable care of them. Alternative brands (lie EMS) are poorly made and will not hold up. You get what you pay for.
The correct answer to your question
may also depend on the underlying ground. Thermarests of a canoe camping and portaging size that roll up into a small bundle are inadequate in the Canadian Shield. And god save you if you try to sleep on the tundra on one!
They work fine on sandy beaches or forest floor duff that has no underlying rocks an inch down.
Going cheap
The Foam pads like the Ridge-Rest are not as comfortable as the self-inflating ones, but much cheaper. You can double up the Ridge-rest or the Walmart equivalent and still be around $50. The foam pads eliminate the worry about sticks or sharp rocks deflating your bed under load.
Bill
Actually on that queen size mattress
in my travel trailer beats them all.
Now if only I could figure a way to tow it behind the canoe.
Jack L
Luxury at a Bargain Price
http://www.rei.com/product/852798/exped-airmat-basic-75-sleeping-pad-long-wide-2012-closeout
I highly recommend Exped. I have two, one over 10 years old, one about 5 years old. Tell you what. If you buy this pad and DON’T like it, I’ll buy it from you for what you pay!
WW
Therm-a-Rest Fan
I’ve used various forms of sleeping pads over the years, including just about every model of Therm-a-Rest. To date, I’ve been the most satisfied with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Camper Sleeping Pad.
http://www.rei.com/product/848569/therm-a-rest-neoair-camper-sleeping-pad
I still have my original 3/4 Standard Therm-a-Rest purchased in 1982! I’ve used Therm-a-Rest pads in the BWCAW, Quetico, and various other tripping locations, as well as winter camping for over thirty years.
I know there’s a loyal following for the Exped brand, probably for a good reason, but I’ll stick with my Therm-a-Rest(s). If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
I can’t help but wonder…
– Last Updated: Dec-30-13 11:30 PM EST –
if this is a size issue much like selecting a kayak for touring. Would a sleeping mat for a 5' 125# back sleeper work for a 6' 5" 245# side sleeper? Not at all.
A data base of size, position, gender and preferred mat would be a very interesting project.
T
FWIW, I'm 6' 200# male side sleeper, and I like the Exped Synmat 9LW. Further, I live in a warm climate.
Try to borrow from friends and find out
before buying or shop the thrift stores or second hand outdoor gear to reduce the price risk. With Christmas over with, people will be unloading “old” gear. maybe check Craigslist.
therm a rest pro lite
– Last Updated: Jan-05-14 10:57 AM EST –
I have a therm a rest prolite large. It is 25 inches wide for my old body and it is full length. It folds in half and rolls into a very small stuff sack - 13" x 4.5" inches and it is quite light. It is one inch thick. I use it for all seasons and weather except the dead of winter. I have used it a lot in the Maine northwoods in the shoulder seasons and in summer. Also used it in Canada on the shield and in the far north on the tundra as well. It has never failed me except one time when we were pinned down over night in an emergency campsite in cold terrible weather on Chesuncook Lake one time and stupidly we were making dinner in the tent (something I never do) and my partner sliced it with a knife. That was an uncomfortable night. I repaired it and it has been fine since. Yes, it has kept me warm and comfortable all over Canada, including on the tundra, including on rocky ground, etc. Guess god was helping me! Highly recommended.
I use Thermarest & Big Agnes
I bought two thermarest “Trail Comfort” off eBay for around $40 each. They work great for what I do here in the southeastern US; never been camping in Canada so I can’t speak to that. I also have a Big Agnes mat, I think it advertises R5 insulation. It’s not self-inflating, but it’s smaller than the Thermarest – about the size of a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.
Never used any of the others that have been mentioned, therefore I’m not suggesting that these are better…
Another thing I like about therm a rest
pads is the ability to quickly and easily convert them into a chair for camp when the chores are done. Perhaps other pads do this as well - I don’t know.
pad
thermarest Basecamp
I second the Exped
I second the Exped. It’s fairly light, has high R value and is comfortable. Although it’s not easy to fork over the cash, buying quality gear can make a huge difference in your experience.
ThermaRest gets my vote !
I have had the same ThermaRest mattress for 25+ years, still works great ! Light weight, easy to clean, and rolling them up is good exercise to keep you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome…really !!
Get a thick 'un
After a long day of portaging and paddling, a crappy night’s sleep is the last thing you need to enjoy yourself. I’ve had thermorests for a long time, but I now use the thicker variety. It is worlds better on rocky, uneven ground. My bones used to be more rubbery, and I slept like a hound on rocks. These days, I like the exta cushion, and the weight is minimal. I’d spend more on a pad and a little less on other things if it was a choice.
No need to spend alot
I see a lot of suggestions on here for some rather pricey items.
I used to be a paratrooper, Infantry, in Alaska with the 6th ID. We were issued standard, Army issue, closed cell sleeping pads. You can get them at most surplus stores. I know the “gear snobs” are going to get greatly offended by this but, I have litterally used these things, on a mountain top, in Alaska, during the works blizzard ever recorded in North America. My feet were freezing but my butt was warm. I still carry and use my original issue mat today.
I am sure there are a lot of EXPENSIVE options out there that you can spend tons of money on. Why? These things work just fine. They insulate you from the ground, provide padding and keep you somewhat dry. The last time I looked, you could get them for less than $20.
Like the old Army saying goes, “If it is stupid and it works, it ain’t stupid.”
LIke many I used
closed cell foam pads for years and years. The reasons I switched to a therm a rest pad are these - I’m old and my hips hurt when I sleep on a foam pad, I’m old and I like having a chair on trips and a therm a rest doubles as a chair, I’m old and I’m lucky enough to have few spare dollars now and then to spend on comfort. But I agree, a closed cell foam pad works just fine. We do tend to get sucked in by the marketing folks don’t we? Keeps the unsustainable western economy cooking along.