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Need a new Pad

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    • Need a new Pad

      I need a new pad. Here are my needs/wants:
      Good for three-season conditions (my current pad is not insulated. good for summer only). I am a side sleeper, 6' 0", 200 lb, age 62. As such I need pretty good padding. However I need to keep it light weight, if possible. I can't sleep on narrow pads so it must be a wide size, but I don't really need the long length.

      I was considering the Thermarest NeoAir Xlite and the Nemo Insulated Tensor. They both come in a long/wide size. The Nemo is a little less expensive, but price is much less an issue than performance for me.

      The Xlite is a few oz lighter and has a slightly higher R value. It also is made of more durable materials (30D vs 20D)

      However the Nemo is thicker (3" vs 2.5") so I thought it might be more comfortable. But I worry about its durability.

      I am looking for input, especially if someone can speak to the comfort and durability of both.
      Thanks
    • I have that Nemo. I'm mostly a side sleeper too. What I've started doing is I inflate it pretty firm and then lie on my side and let some air out until my hip sinks. I also use a cut down zrest under it and this really helps the comfort level of my side sleep and makes it very comfortable in colder weather as that reflective foil stuff in the middle of the Nemo doesn't do a whole lot for me
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      I have that Nemo. I'm mostly a side sleeper too. What I've started doing is I inflate it pretty firm and then lie on my side and let some air out until my hip sinks. I also use a cut down zrest under it and this really helps the comfort level of my side sleep and makes it very comfortable in colder weather as that reflective foil stuff in the middle of the Nemo doesn't do a whole lot for me
      I've been using an automobile windshield sun screen as a supplement. Not much for padding, but does offer some insulation and puncture protection.
    • LIhikers wrote:

      I've decided I need a new full length pad as I'm tired of my current pad needing to be blown up in the middle of the night.
      I need one with an R value near 5, or better, and of course weight is always a concern. 20 inches wide is fine.
      Anyone have a pad they can recommend?
      Every inflatable I've had will lose a bit of air when it's cold. One fix may be to use something else to inflate rather than blowing warm moist air into it. Eventually as that warm air cools, the internal air pressure goes down. But if I blow it full again right before I go to sleep, it usually lasts through the night.
      its all good
    • I've been using the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core matress for the last five years. Primarily because it perfectly fits into the pad sleeve of my Big Agnes bag, but It is pretty damn comfy as well.

      R-value is 4.5. The downside is the 20 - 25 breaths to inflate, but that hasn't killed me yet.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Kathy and I found ourselves with time on our hands and being not far from our local REI. So of course we went in, just to browse you understand. I came out with a new sleeping pad, the Neo Air Xtherm. It's got a high R rating of 6.9 which will be good for cold weather camping. Kathy picked up some things, so let's just say we did our part to help the economy.
    • So, I needed a new pad for my hike. Normally I hammock, but this section is desert so I'm leaving the hammock at home and I'm going to the ground.

      I have a couple of Neo airs, but I am sick of them going flat in the middle of the night. Cactus needles?

      For this section I packed a small sil groundcloth, a new Thermarest Z-lite pad, and my quilt. I have a tarp for emergencies.

      I was going to buy the short version of the Z-lite pad, but the full size was just $10 more. So, I bought the long, chopped it, and now I have a torso length pad and a nice sitting pad to use on other occasions.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • My daughter went camping with friends and afterwards called to tell me how much she wants an Exped Megamat. Her friends have one and they stayed snuggly warm but she got cold.

      So I bought one for myself for winter car camping (I’m a bad mom!). I haven’t broken the news to her yet.

      I tried it out in VA and liked it but temps weren’t as cold as i hoped. It was over inflated the first night so my back and hip were sore but that’s my fault. I think I’m really going to like it.

      (Yes, I’m buying one for my girl for Christmas)
      Lost in the right direction.