Camping pad recommendation

drumsarereallycool

drumsarereallycool

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Looking for a comfortable pad, not doing any major backpacking and weight is not an issue. Usually doing one night a month in the cold season.
 
Pay attention to that R value. A thick summer air mattress will freeze you in the winter. The pad will need some form of insulation inside it. If it's just air or or open cell foam you will loose a lot of heat through it like sleeping in a hammock with no under quilt/pad. Last time I slept on the ground I used an old school thermarest. Been down into the mid 20's with one and been fine.
 
MacEntyre said:
btw, that cheap blue foam pad has more insulation value than anything on the market.
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This. Anything inflatable will be filled with cold air this time of year and freeze your testes off
 
I have used a klymit for years, nice and thin , literally slept on a rock at Rubicon springs. I would put a Mylar blanket under it if I colder temp camping .
 
old yoga mats have worked for me.
find them for free on CraigsList.
duct tape three together.
 
The foam mats are ok , but you can get one that when you unroll and crack and air valve the inner layers spring up and suck air in - making it a healthy 2” thick. Close the valve , sleep well, when you are ready open the valve and roll it up tightly to push all of that air out - In my opinion it’s worth a few extra bucks. Especially on those colder outings.
We just replaced our older ones - with 2 from Academy sports. They weren’t that expensive
 
Walmart blue pads are an excellent budget choice and cheap insulation. Comfortable they are not! At least not alone.

Personally, I like blue foam pad or thermarest folding egg crate pad as the base, with a Klymit Static V Insulated on top.

That said, Klymits R value is not accurate per the new ASTM standard. The Thermarest XTherm is generally said to be the best insulated pad for backpacking, but if weight and size aren't a primary concern, you don’t have to drop $200 to get a warm, comfortable pad.

 
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Jerzsubbie said:
Walmart blue pads are an excellent budget choice and cheap insulation. Comfortable they are not! At least not alone.

Personally, I like blue foam pad or thermarest folding egg crate pad as the base, with a Klymit Static V Insulated on top.

That said, Klymits R value is not accurate per the new ASTM standard. The Thermarest XTherm is generally said to be the best insulated pad for backpacking, but if weight and size aren't a primary concern, you don’t have to drop $200 to get a warm, comfortable pad.

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We took a family camping trip in October at New River State Park. Got below freezing both nights. Both my younger sons used Klymit Static Vs and stayed reasonably comfortable, though both said they got a little cold at times. Both said it was more comfortable to lie on than the warmer (and heavier) Big Agnes pads they have. I suspect the Klymit Static V will turn out to be great for temps in the high 40s and above. Haven't tried mine yet, but plan on taking it on our next trip to field test it sometime in the spring. It is smaller and lighter than the Big Agnes I have (which is bigger than the ones the boys have) and the weight and space savings will be welcome if it works out for me.
 
I used surplus and non-surplus therma-rest self inflating pads on the ground in AK. They were ok, not a lot of comfort, but insulated alright.
Regular air mattresses will freeze you when it isn't even freezing.
If weight and bulk doesn't matter I'm packing a cot and laying 1/2"+ foam or wool on it.
 
Wow, we always used a piece of 1/4” neoprene. Might use two layers if it was gonna be cold, say -20. Oh to be young again.
 
I remember discussing R value when I bought at REI. Got talked into about $100 pad 6 or more years ago. Never used it. Son could have when he went once, don’t know.
 
I used to use a Thermarest 3/4 length, self-filling, about 3/4" thick. Never had much issue with it, but I was younger.

I "upgraded" to a Klymit Static V this year: meh. It's full length, and is thicker & softer than the Thermarest. But it has some flaws:
a) valve design (same as old TR) means you HAVE to blow it up by mouth. No way to attach a bellows or blower
b) longer than it needs to be (or than I need, anyway), so requires more blowing
c) fine in summer, but froze my butt off last night, and it was only 38F. I felt the cold of the grave from below!
d) "V" shaped baffles + valve design + folding necessary to fit it back into stuff sack = you can NEVER get all the air out of it.

I'm dealing with it for now, and have a foam pad to go under it (R value 2.0) on order, but will upgrade as soon as budget & other necessary gear buys allow.
 
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Windini said:
I used to use a Thermarest 3/4 length, self-filling, about 3/4" thick. Never had much issue with it, but I was younger.

I "upgraded" to a Klymit Static V this year: meh. It's full length, and is thicker & softer than the Thermarest. But it has some flaws:
a) valve design (same as old TR) means you HAVE to blow it up by mouth. No way to attach a bellows or blower
b) longer than it needs to be (or than I need, anyway), so requires more blowing
c) fine in summer, but froze my butt off last night, and it was only 38F. I felt the cold of the grave from below!
d) "V" shaped baffles + valve design + folding necessary to fit it back into stuff sack = you can NEVER get all the air out of it.

I'm dealing with it for now, and have a foam pad to go under it (R value 2.0) on order, but will upgrade as soon as budget & other necessary gear buys allow.
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You should put the foam pad over top of the Klymit to insulate you from the cold air. Under it won't accomplish much, it's not just the cold ground that is the problem, it's the air around you cooling the air in the mattress.
 
Johnny said:
You should put the foam pad over top of the Klymit to insulate you from the cold air. Under it won't accomplish much, it's not just the cold ground that is the problem, it's the air around you cooling the air in the mattress.
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I did it the other way around on my Nov 12-13 trip to Bradley Creek, when temps got down to 32F and was warm as toast. But I was in a borrowed down bag, as well... I was going to do the same thing when my foam pad gets here. Now I'll try it both ways and verify.

Don't mean to dismiss your comment! It just seemed to work with the pad under the air mattress once before, and that config had the added advantage of not sliding around much at all. The Klymit seems to grip the bag and foam better than it did the tent floor, so i'd rather not have the two (foam & air matt.) slide apart and separate in the night.
 
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