Sleeping pads, inflatable or foam?

[thdoctada]

I know cardboard is a go to for this one, but for those of you who carry a sleeping pad, which would you prefer? Inflatable or foam? Price wise, foam has a lot going for it and you could probably strap it to the outside of your pack. But the inflatable ones pack better, though I have read they are pretty bad for slow leaks. Thoughts?

 

[Mossy Bones]

Foam ones can take a hell of a beating and still provide comfy cushion trip after trip n season after season, vs the inflatables that get torn to shit pretty quick. Worth the bit of bulk strapped to my pack for me!

 

[ali]

Foam all the way. If you're hurting for space, you only really need the top 60% of it for your torso, just cut the bottom part off and let your legs lay on the ground sheet, head on your pack. It's cheap, light and pretty much indestructible.

 

[texastraveler]

I know cardboard is a go to for this one, but for those of you who carry a sleeping pad, which would you prefer? Inflatable or foam? Price wise, foam has a lot going for it and you could probably strap it to the outside of your pack. But the inflatable ones pack better, though I have read they are pretty bad for slow leaks. Thoughts?

Inflatables pack down smaller and are warmer imo. They pop if youre just plopping it down without any site prep beforehand, but the patch kits are light and small. Sometimes it can't be patched

foam is cool but it doesn't really fit in any of my bags (even the lay flat accordion looking ones) and that you're being a bum is way more obvious if kept on the outside of a pack

 

[DaveNA702]

Yoga mat roll do provide a little insulation barrier between those hot spots not a cushion of tremendous pressure loading but it's a quick tether for hauling. Cheap is 10 dollars are there abouts and the half inch larger cushion mats are near 40 dollars but it is wipe off roll and go blocks hot spots too.

 

[Ceannairc]

It's a minority viewpoint it seems but I would say a good quality inflatable all the way. I bought a secondhand thermarest venture on ebay for £30 seven years and would never go back. It's just so, so much more comfortable. The five minutes or less that it takes for me to both inflate it and check that the ground has nothing that's likely gonna burst it is made up for by the fact that I get way more than 5 extra minutes of sleep coz I'm not waking up uncomforable on a foam mat in the middle of the night. Of course it's slower than rolling out a mat, but that's never been a problem for me.

If you do want a foam mat but don't want the bulk maybe one of the options is the old german army surplus mats that fold up and can act like a frame in the pack of your pack. Not very comfortable mind you but better than nothing.

 

[Bibs]

I know cardboard is a go to for this one, but for those of you who carry a sleeping pad, which would you prefer? Inflatable or foam? Price wise, foam has a lot going for it and you could probably strap it to the outside of your pack. But the inflatable ones pack better, though I have read they are pretty bad for slow leaks. Thoughts?

As I get older and considerably more crippled than in the past I have found that nothing beats a wool blanket over some plywood it keeps your spine aligned and is generally pretty comfy unless you're auschwitz weight (like me) and have hip bones similar to chipped flint, that being said, the best of the best big dick gear I've ever seen were those goretex rip stop sleeping pads they're about $120usd or like $80 used. Absurdly expensive for what they are but it's like sleeping on a cloud and you can abuse the fuck out of em.
If you're in a bad way get some willow fuzz and stuff it in your coat for insulation, newspaper works as well albeit to a lesser extent but is amazing if you jam it into a couple mcds bags and make a lil pseudo mattress.
Good luck dude be safe have fun sorry for the rambling reply ✌️

 

[Groundscore]

Inflatable is just not durable enough; one mistake and it gets punctured. Plus they tend to get cold easily. Go for the foam; it won't let you down when you need it, and can easily serve you for years.

 

[laughingman]

Hey T. Ive used both before and I would say that you can get a good nights sleep on both on the proper ground. Foam pads are nice for sleeping on softer ground. Sand or soft forest lome comes to mind. So if you have a lot of opportunity to chose between sleeping sights that could work for you. The foam ones also work well in a hammock, to insulate your underside if that is significant at all to you. The inflatables are what I tend to use if I know Im sleeping on the ground. They are more comfortable, even the cheap ones are more comfortable then a closed cell foam pad. The main advantage ive found though is pack-ability. Nothing says "I might be breaking peaty vagrancy laws tonight" beater then a big roll of foam or a sleeping bag strapped to the back of your bag. Its hard to convey how nice it is to be able to compress your sleeping mat to the size of a soda can. They make more puncture proof inflatables. Though honestly after years of using them. Even for months on end. Ive only ever had a single puncture.

 

[DaveNA702]

Combo tarp plus yoga mat not so good compared to a legit camping outdoor mattress but if you roll up and take a hike often, having it with you is essential, if haulage and or storage aren't conflicts to your move, plans or otherwise it's entirely your rest therefore .. have it your way.