Sleeping pad?

[ppine]

I have used a Thermarest Basecamp for years. Too heavy for backpacking Lately I have added another lightweight pad on top of it. My brother's dog punctured it last trip. The light weight pads are kind of flimsy and expensive.

For gravel beaches I got a 2 pound Thermarest cot. A little hard to set up but very comfortable with the pad on top.

 

[snapper]

@Alan Gage - Part of my issue is my arms fall off the pad. While the 3" height shouldn't seem like much, I always wake up when it happens. With my 1" Pro-lite my arms sort of slide off when I roll over. For whatever the reason, it's not so jarring and I don't wake up. I even went to a 25" wide pad, hoping my arms would stay on the pad all night but that didn't seem to work for me either. Guess I'm just a restless sleeper at times. Whatever the case, I seem to sleep better on my old Therma-Rest Pro-lite 4 that's only 1" thick.

Another issue I contend with at times has to do with my knees. I had total knee replacement on my right side back in 2009 and still have issues with my left knee. Usually I can easily get up off the floor of a lean-to or the ground but sometimes, the thick pads don't give me the support I need when pushing myself up. Again, it shouldn't make much of a difference but it does for me. In the end, the 1" pad just makes my life easier so that's what I go with; especially since I can still get a good night's sleep using it.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...

be well.

snapper

 

[kbobb]

Thanks all - found a very old Gander Mountain sleeping pad under a bed, looks like the original thermarets self inflating - likely 20 yrs old and forgotten there - about 1 1/2" thick - laid on it and it's OK but very narrow - about 20" wide. My shoulders hung off the sides so I'll likely loook for something wider and a bit thicker.

 

[Seeker]

I am essentially a lightweight backpacker who happens to carry a canoe, most of the time.

I prefer a 3" thick full length Thermarest NEOAir much of the time. 18oz. In cooler weather, I go with the better R-rating of a Klymit Static-V, and if conditions permit/necessitate, I lay a foam pad over top of it for even better comfort and warmth.

In summer, I usually end up in a hammock, which is a whole different answer with pros/cons.

I have a cousin who brings a full double air mattress like you'd use for a house guest in his Eureka Timberline 4 so he and his dog will be comfortable. But dude's built like a horse and he carries it on the portages, so I don't care what he does.

 

[Boatman53]

I bought a Big Agnes Boundary mattress this summer and used it in the BWCA in September. It has a blow-up bag and has some sort of insulation and I think a Mylar layer for warmth more than just air. It worked great, didn’t slide around in the tent and I didn’t slide around on it. Way more than I thought I would spend on a mattress but I think I can get reimbursed through my insurance.
Jim

 

[Patrick Corry]

@Alan Gage - Part of my issue is my arms fall off the pad. While the 3" height shouldn't seem like much, I always wake up when it happens. With my 1" Pro-lite my arms sort of slide off when I roll over. For whatever the reason, it's not so jarring and I don't wake up. I even went to a 25" wide pad, hoping my arms would stay on the pad all night but that didn't seem to work for me either. Guess I'm just a restless sleeper at times. Whatever the case, I seem to sleep better on my old Therma-Rest Pro-lite 4 that's only 1" thick.

This… precisely! I also prefer a Prolite 4 for the same reason. Mine is a women’s version, 66” long and higher R value than the men’s version.

 

[Keeled Over]

I have used a Thermarest Basecamp for years. Too heavy for backpacking Lately I have added another lightweight pad on top of it. My brother's dog punctured it last trip. The light weight pads are kind of flimsy and expensive.

For gravel beaches I got a 2 pound Thermarest cot. A little hard to set up but very comfortable with the pad on top.

ppine,
right there with you on the Basecamp - smooths about everything right out. Did the dog puncture your Therm or the lightweight top pad? If it was the Basecamp they used to have a lifetime warranty. I'd give 'em a call.

 

[kona]

Are paco pads comfortable? How comfortable? I’m intrigued for camping on rivers and in my van, with uneven/lumpy surfaces.

I have used a thermarest guidelite for ever. In summer if conditions are no issue, I’ll put a thermareat ridge rest underneath. After a very cold October bwca trip a few years ago I invested in an exped down mat; it’s great for shoulder seasons.