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.
nothin’
Just go and enjoy. Mat is not important.
Sleep IS important
I used a closed cell foam pad. It insulated me from the ground chill/ But then I turned 30 and my hips got sore from the hard ground below.
So I got an early Thermarest. It was warm and comfey. But then I turned 40 and my hips and shoulders got sore from the hard ground below. Eo I got a thicker Thermarest. It as warm and comfey.
But then I turned 50 and my hips and shoulders got sore from the hard ground and my back got sore on the portage trail. So I got an Exped Synmatt 7 UL. It is warm, comfey, and light.
Dunno what I’ll do when I turn 60?
SynMat UL 9 - they got one for you !
More insulated than the popular SynMat UL 7, the Exped SynMat UL 9 Sleeping Pad provides greater warmth for year-round adventures, yet it still packs down small to fit in your backpack.
REI has them now! These look great. I got to get me one and try it out.
Wrong about the Shield
I’ve used a Thermarest Trail Pro up there many times, including on bare rock. They work just fine.
Only good for sandy beaches or…
– Last Updated: Mar-29-14 6:59 PM EST –
Say what Kayakmedic??? I used a Thermarest Camp Rest for years in Canada. 2" of padding and I usually slept better than @ home. And, I was usually sleeping on rock. Even @ 25" x 6" rolled, I had no problem packing or portaging. I mean c'mon... a canoe has plenty of room, why suffer with a small pad?
Wow… Tommy is some ten years
behind or ahead of me in sleeping age.
I am almost 70 and happy with Synmat 7 but its nice to know there is something thicker and softer ahead.
I tried a cot… Its going back to Bean… I hate that the pillow falls off its head.
I’ll continue to use the blue barrel for rising assistance… Gawd knows I am not bringing a walker.
Go with a BA IAC
Go with the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad. Like sleeping on a a bed at home. Around $90.00
Your final step
Exped MegaMat 10 on a cot.
sleeping
I just finished a trip with all the camping on gravel bars. I am going to try a light weight cot from Piragus next.
+1 on th Exped
I second, third, and fourth the recommendation for the Exped. My wife bought me an exped 9 down mattress. I would have never spent $200 on an air mattress for myself, but now that she bought it for me, I don’t know how or why I lived without it.
It provides an excellent warmth barrier from the cold ground. It is more comfortable than my bed at home. It packs small and lite.
+1. on the progression
Ha ha ha. Ya I followed the same pattern. In my teens, bare ground. In my twenties, closed cell foam. In my thirties, Thermarest. in my forties, air mattress. In my fifties, Expo down mattress. According to my friends, most of them switch to Motels in their sixties.
Walmart
blue pad…try a double thickness under torso.
The Blue Pad is not closed cell foam, the olefin (?) material absorbs some water but not as a sponge.
Cheap
Everything inflatable develops holes at 2AM. Of course surface roughness is directly related to leakage.
Campers swear by the inflatable, campers swear by Thermarest, both listed on the commodities exchanges.
Observation is users of both swear a lot.