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WTB Sleeping Pads


barjor

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So I am looking for a new sleeping pad to use in the winter on the Cascade Volcanoes.

My criteria would be that it is Warm, not to heavy and that it roles up well. Is there a huge difference between different manufactures or are they all more or less the same? The pad I have now is 72 inch long but I been looking at a 60 inch long but I am not sure what the practical difference between 60 inch long and 72 inch long are. Are the dual foam (closed/open) pads worth the extra cost? Any one got any recommendations?

 

EDIT inch (")messing up the text

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72" is the normal length for pads. the shorter one is obviously going to be lighter. some people use even shorter 3/4 length ones and just use their packs or something under their feet if it gets too cold. the self-inflating thermarests are great but can be heavy compared to plain foam pads. the self-inflating pads tend to be warmer than foam pads, though, and disguise rocks and such that may be underneath you better as well. imho. don't have experience with other inflatable pads but after many nights of misery using a skinny foam pad for sleeping on glaciers i quickly went out and bought myself a self-inflating one. worth the weight to me. although i'm considering supplementing with a good thick foam pad for times when i need to really watch the total weight i'm lugging around ...

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So I am looking for a new sleeping pad to use in the winter on the Cascade Volcanoes.

Why are you looking for something to use in winter when it's June cantfocus.gif

 

Because I am cheap and winter equipment are cheaper in the summer. Unless you go to REI then you can't find it.

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Do you think the thermarest insulate enough when you sleep on snow?

the quick answer is yes. i use the old regular standard self-inflating one. and from what i've seen, i'd guess that's what quite a few people use.

I actually got the prolite 4 a few weeks ago and I couldn't even tell I was sleeping on snow. A slightly cheaper option is the prolite 3 women's version. It's hot pink and has a higher insulation rating than the standard version. And it's a puny bit narrower.

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Use a 72" long (regular) ridgerest and a 47" long(short)prolite 3 pad in the winter. This combo is warm and comfortable. Yea the bulk sucks but if you sleep better it is worth it.

In the summer use the short prolite 3 only and a pack under you feet.

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I use a 1/2 length ridgerest, and the 1/2 length out of my 3000 ci frameless backpack. I double them up and use my pack with some clothes in it for my head and the rope for my feet.

The ridge rest is wrapped around the inside of my pack so it adds frame support(a lot of support!) and keeps the pad inside.

 

Sometimes I go with a 2200 cu framed pack and with that I just use the a 1/2 length blue pad rolled up on the outside and clothes/rope and stuff.

 

To me the sleeping pad you bring depends on the pack you have. It's like a system.

What kind of pack do you use?

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An Arc Teryx Bora

65, 50, 80 ?

Regardless, it is a framed pack. The back panel on these i believe has good insulating values. Take advantage of this. You can put your feet or upper body on the pack.

Since it is framed you probably want to either put a sleeping pad on the outside or have an inflatable on the inside or both.

I would reccomend and inflatable pad and a 1/3 to 1/2 length blue or yellow pad for snow sleeping. Put the extra pad on your hips through shoulders and use your pack for whatever else, if you even need to.

depending on the infatable pad though, you may not want anything else. There are some pretty lightweight swanky ones out there.

This one is pretty swanky, no need for additional pads. very comfy. My friend has one, he loves it, and its easy to infalte. The stuf sack doubles as the air pump.

Swanky pad

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I just upgraded from a Prolite 4 to the only slightly heavier Exped Downmat 7 because I was getting cold with the Prolite 4 and felt like I may as well have been sleeping straight on the snow. The downmat is an air baffle mat insulated with down in the baffles.

 

Highlights include:

 

-7 cm of pillowy downy thickness

-Twice the R-value of my Polite 4

-Stuff sack is air tight so it can be used as a pillow

 

Sound alpine sleep, here I come. smile.gif

 

Brianna

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It feels pretty burly. It is some sort of laminated polyester and then has a slip-proof and more comfortable top layer for next to your bag. One of the reasons I bought it was this quote I saw on the Exped site:

 

“We always slept right on the rocky ground, and for weight reasons we took only the Venus outer tent. But with the Down Air Mattress, we slept in fantastic comfort and warmth! And, we never experienced any puncture as we had with other mats!”

August 2002 - Mountain Guides Sebastien and Claude-Allain after 50 days and 250 summits on a 400 km trip along the border of the Swiss state, Wallis

 

I'll let you know how it turns out as I am heading out tomorrow for 10 days of varying terrain. smile.gif

 

B

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, it's official. My new Exped Downmat rocked. Insulated amazingly well on snow at 9000' this last week ... far better than my Thermarest ever has ... and weathered all sorts of jolts from various terrain, rocks, bad pack jobs, etc.

 

If you are still in the market ... check this one out. It's worth every penny. smile.gif

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