Any Recommendations for Sleeping Pads?

[off.track]

i love my thermarest. i have had it for ages and will not be switching to anything else anytime soon.

Lying on this on the ground at the store was everything but comfortable

they never really are on completely flat and hard surfaces like floor or picknic tables.. but i have slept on all kinds of stuff and my back hardly ever hurts and most of the time when it does, it is unrelated to the pad or sleeping location.

 

[jbs]

Okay, So I am nearly done with my sleeping platform for the back of my 4Runner and I am now looking for some new pads to go on top. I was at the Cabela's in Boise yesterday looking at what they had to offer and discovered something interesting. I measured their deluxe cot pad, with my calibrated finger, and came up with a foam thickness of 2” and not the 3” as advertised. Lying on this on the ground at the store was everything but comfortable. I am not a small person, 6’6” 260#, and would like a little more cushion under me.

So my question is, is this mis-measurement common? I would like to purchase a pad roughly 3-1/2” to 4” thick, actual dimension, so will I need to look for a pad that is advertised as 4-1/2” to 5”?

What is the actual measured thickness of your guy’s pads?

We have a Cabela's Alaskan Guide Pad and Paco Pad (Silverback). The Alaskan Guide is OK, but no comparison to the Paco Pad. It is big, heavy and expensive, but VERY comfortable. It is an actual 4" thick. Best pad I've ever used by far, including the mattresses in the RTTs I've been in. The only drawback is that it is PVC, so you'll want to cover it with something (like a sheet) since the plastic is not a nice comfy surface. OTOH, it is waterproof and thick enough you can use it directly on the ground w/out damage, and (I assume) easy to patch if ever needed.

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Another vote for the REI pads if you don't mind the extra space weight. I'm assuming this is for car camping. We have both the Thermarest for backpacking and the REI 2.5 for car camping, sleeping on hotel room floors whatever. The Thermarest is nice, but the REI is seriously the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on.

 

[spikemd]

Go to REI if there is one near you and try them out.
I have the 2.5in and it feels great on my bad back, plus REI has a killer warrenty on their stuff.

I have two of the 3.5 inch REI self-inflating pad for myself and my wife. We love them. We also have used a few blow-up air mattresses and don't like them anymore. The 3.5 inch is great. Highly recommended. I will never go back to an airmattress.

 

[Fireman78]

We have a couple of the Thermarest Dreamtime mattresses. At 3" the Dreamtime is Thermarest's thickest self inflating mattress. They are available both in both 25 and 30" widths. We find them to be quite comfy - not like sleeping at home, but the best we've found for this type of mattress. I also like the non-slip surface on the top. My thinner backpacking Thermarest is covered in nylon on both sides, and I frequently find myself sliding off the mattress if the ground isn't perfectly level.

The only downside I see to them is they are pretty bulky when rolled up, so make sure you'll have room to transport them.

I suggest you try to find a local retailer where you can test some out before you buy.

I second the "Dreamtime"- I have two of them and I have at least 100 nights on it. Get the larger size, due to it's width being more then enough to prevent your arms from slipping down. I LOVE it! http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/camp-and-comfort/dreamtime/product It's definatly a car camp matress, as it is large, but it is the most comfy I have ever used.

 

[Stumpalump]

I also have a Thema rest. It must be at least 15 years old and still going strong. I slashed a good rip in it ( no fault of the product) and used Shoe Goo to fix it. That was at least 6 years ago. Today I still use it in my van. Back when I bought it they made double bed size for two people. It's been good for me because it was a perfect fit in my tent. If I'm solo I fold it in half and have a double thick single. It was well worth the money and I'd buy another Therma rest if this one ever dies. Get the thickest one you can buy unless you backpack and don't want the weight and bulk.

 

[weatherm]

Sythetic Pros:
wet = still keeps insulating properties
cheaper

Sythentic Cons:
heavier
doesn't pack down as well

Down Pros:
packs down well
has a tad better insulating properties but won't last as long as sythentic
fluffy!

Down Cons:
If it gets wet your toast... especially if your bivying
won't last as long ... looses its insuatling properties
costs more



Get a synthetic. If it gets wet ... it will still keep its insulating properties. Out of my many mountaineering and rock climbing trips a synthetic has always worked. I have seen people with goose downs ruin their bag due to either a tent failure (buy a good tent for god sakes) or they slept in their clothes they had on that day. You can spent $1000 on a bag and not following a few simple rules will make it insulate like a walmart POS. Add a inflatable pad and your golden. ALWAYS ALWAYS.. put a new fresh pair of clothes on before you get in.. this is what makes the most difference in a sleeping bag.. not that you spent 500 bucks on it... just change your clothes and if its cold try to wear wool. wool socks are key!


BTW .. I have a 20deg North Face Synthetic I have used for the past 5 years and has never failed me... even when my nalgene full of ice melted ( what I wanted it to do ) but my friend had a ghetto fake nalgene bottle the leaked.. so I was soaking wet but still stayed warm.. even at 14k on a 50deg slope in Oct with 40mph winds trapped on the side of Maroon Bells. I paid $60 bucks for it and have been everywhere.