Inflatable vs Foam

Why is it i see so many more people carrying a foam pad instead of an inflatable one? I grew up with foam but when i tried out an inflatable (Big Agnes insulated) manually inflated it has a ton more loft i feel like... What does everyone else use?

I have mostly used foam. It didn't bother me until I got into my mid 20's. That is what drove me to hammocks. But, I just bought (two days ago) a BA insulated pad. I am going to use it this weekend. I sleep on my side, and I can't do that comfortably with 3 foam pads stacked on top of each other.

I use both and each has its advantages. Inflatables win in the comfort category, hands down. But when I need:

1) Small volume to fit inside my bivy or

2) A frame for my frameless pack that doubles as a sleeping pad or

3) Something dependable and bombproof that won't fail me in the middle of the night or

4) A litte extra insulation in Winter.

Then.....I reach for my trusty old Ridgerest or my cheapo Walmart blue foam pad. I'm lucky. At 52 my old bones can still sleep pretty well on a relatively thin closed cell foam pad.

plus the ridgerest is lighter by a good amount

Pick up a foam pad sometime and note how light it is. If you want light and cheap above all else, including comfort, the foam pad is The Thing.

I use the hammock, or a NeoAir, myself.

I went full circle...and am back to foam. Three Thermorests, all serving me well, all eventually leaked over the years, have been replaced by Ridgerests. Ridgerests seem warmer, don't slide around in my hammock, do double duty as my pack frame, can't go flat, are much lighter, and cost 1/4th what inflatables cost.
I'll use the Thermorest inflatables when sleeping on a hard floor, or in the back of the SUV.

Foam is much lighter than most inflatables. Foam works better as underinsulation in hammocks. I use foam because I hammock and it's lighter.

I do use a big agnes insulated inflatable in the winter, on the ground.

thankyou everyone!

Insul-air mat over or under a z-rest depending on conditions. much more comfortable than thermarest, cheaper and lighter weight.

I own several Thermarest inflatable matresses (& returned a Neo-Air. Long story.).

Also I have a RidgeRest CCF.

For summer camping I use Thermarest's 1st lightweight inflatable, the "Lite", reg. length. It's over 10 years old but still works well even at 25 F..

But, for week long winter trips I'd take the Trail Pro AND the RidgeRest because after several days you get so much vapor in the Trail Pro that it loses much of its insulative value.

CLEARLY Cascade Designs/Thermarest needs a lightweight pump to attatch to their Thermarest mattress valves to keep breath vapor out during winter use.

Eric

Eric,
Have you thought about getting an Exped Downmat?
I got one on winter sale last year from MooseJaw for $69. It comes with a double layer stuff sack that doubles as a air pump.

I checked the size of the valve on a ThermaRest and it is smaller than what is on the Exped. So, you couldn't just get a stuff sack to use with your TR.

The Exped Downmat 7 weighs about 34 oz. I really enjoy having it on winter campouts.

I've been considering getting a 1/4" Thinlite for a couple of reasons.

First, I will be using it for a month-long trip, and want a pad that is thick enough to serve as a primary insulator if I end up on the ground.

Second, I have been hammocking for the last few years, and just recently upgraded to a double layered hammock. On the trip, I would plan on mostly using the hammock, so the Thinlite would stay there.

I was wondering how successful the thinlite really is in removing the back-chilling breeze? I have an old inflatable pad that does the trick when I sleep on the ground, but wasn't planning on using it. I won't be trying to use the thinlite as any part of my backpack.

Second I guess, is the wide really necessary, or will a regular width be enough to stop the breeze in the hammock?

Best,
Redfacery

I can't comment on whether 1/4" is warm enough as I have never used a pad that thin. I use either a 3/8 blue foam (doubled) or an older thermarest. 20" wide is not wide enough for me in a hammock if the temps drop below about 50F. My shoulders and sides get cold and I need to use a second, short pad set sideways to wrap around my shoulders and arms.

The 20" width I expect would be a problem for me as well, which is why I would get the wide one. I would plan on folding it to be 20" wide if I ended up on the ground I guess.

Yeah, my experience has also been anything below 45-50F and the breeze needs to be proactively dealt with.

So...not to hijack a thread, but I just returned from my first aborted winter camping trip. I learned the valuable lesson that 30F may be warmer than the nighttime temps you've been having, but it's still 30 degrees!

For three-season trips I've been using a full-length Ridgerest without problems. I started to look at the GG Nightlite torso-length pad to add for winter trips, or to use alone for three-season trips. What do you all use for a winter pad system, and why did you choose that particular combo?

I use an older Thermarest Ultralite, 3/4 length, on top of a closed cell pad (older Mt. Washington egg-crate style EVA foam). This gives me a closed cell pad for sitting on and basic insulation, with the t-rest for added insulation and comfort. If the t-rest goes bad I still have something. I'd be reluctant to go with only an inflatable pad on the snow, especially for longer trips.

Are you talking about sleeping on snow? If so, I have used my Exped DAM 9 by itself, a ThermaRest 3/4 LE, 1.5" thick with a 3/8" blue ccf pad and my NeoAir small with the blue ccf pad in the snow. One of my hips felt just a tiny bit cool when using the NeoAir/ccf pad over NY's in Yosemite, very insignificant though. In my experience, the small NeoAir on unfrozen ground is good into the mid single digits using a 15 degree down bag with a jacket draped over by morning. Did that two nights in a row. On frozen ground, may be a different matter. Per my two zip-o-gauges and the ice on slow moving water, I know it was cold.

For winter camping I take my full length Ridge-Rest Deluxe because it offers the best weight-to-warmth ratio among pads (I believe this is the case). In fact this is my year round pad. During the winter months I will also bring along a GG Nightlight.

It should be noted that my sleep system clothing is just as important as the pad during the winter season.

Blue foam atop a big agnes insulated aircore.

when it's really cold another blue foam underneath.

I have always wondered about air filled pads like the Aircore and NeoAir, during the winter season. Does the air inside the pad not become cold or is the material of the pad and the warmth of your body enough to warm the air inside?

i used mine in 36 degree air in utah and it felt like it was getting really cold. I wasnt sure though if it was the material that was getting cold or if it was the air inside.

I was caught in a shoulder season snow storm with only the NeoAir. Temps dropped into the low 20-25F range at night and we woke to snow. I think that the only reason I was warm all night had something to do with the ground not being frozen. We were on sand and previous night's temps didn't go below 40F.

I have been satisfied with the NeoAir overall, and I am a quilt user so sleep directly on the pad itself, unless I'm in the hammock which has a pad pocket. It works entirely because of the heat reflective baffles inside it.

I also make sure I've been hydrated and eaten well before turning in - you are relying on your body to provide the warmth. Need to keep the furnace going.

It was about 28 degrees Thursday night and I was sleeping on an insulated Big Agnes air mattress with no other pads. It was on forest floor (in a tent), no snow. I just pulled the sleeping bag over me and laid on the pad in long underwear and it was warm under me. If you move to an area of the pad that you haven't warmed, its not as warm, eh? But is was very comfy, eh? Aboot as comfy as anything that I've used except a warmlight down filled 3" air mattress, eh?
Jim

I use a foam pad as well. Perhaps that is just because I dislike change and that is what I have always used but the lightweight composition is an advantage.

For Minnesota winter, I use a full lenth, uncored, 1.5" thermarest with a full length CCF 3/8" pad. I'm about to upgrade to a Ridgerest (maybe deluxe) because my 28 year old insolite pad bit the dust this last trip. That combination is just barely enough for me. On really cold (-15 kind of cold) nights I can feel cool on the bottom. In the morning, the snow will be slightly melted under me. I know I sleep (feeling) cold, but conversely put out a lot of heat. In temps down to around 15 just the thermarest or a Ether thermo and a torso length CCF is enough.

[quote=ChrisFol
I have always wondered about air filled pads like the Aircore and NeoAir, during the winter season. Does the air inside the pad not become cold or is the material of the pad and the warmth of your body enough to warm the air inside? [/quote]

Yes, the air in it gets cold. Mine is an insulated aircore, so it's full of primaloft, which holds in some warmth. The neo air supposedly reflects some head but the air in a pad gets *cold*.

That's why (Even with the insulated aircore) I top it, and in cold weather also bottom it - with foam.

I almost always have a little cooking fire every night. My problem with inflatables is that you can't use them around a fire - one small ember = trouble. But, they're so much more comfortable to sleep on(I'm a side sleeper).

So my solution is a neoair with a homemade sleeve made out of that white 24" wide computer packing foam. (just tape two pieces together on the edges).It comes in several thicknesses (I use the 3/16 inch), it's reasonably strong and light. Around the fire I use the sleeve as a sit pad. Then, for sleeping - I slide the neoair inside the sleeve - which protects it and adds warmth.

I've had this combination out on the snow (with a WM Ultralight inside a SMD europa 1 tent) and it kept me warm all night. The neoair/foam sleeve combo weighs 26.7 oz. (neoair = 15.5 w/stuffsack + foam pad = 11.5)

rionada

I like foam, but I have a thick "Winter" sized Evazote foam pad.
It's the same stuff, or part of the stuff that Arc'teryx (used?) to use in the suspension of their backpacks.

For wear, I duct-taped one side and around the edges.
I left one side mostly exposed for friction with the sleeping bag.

Hope this helps!