Sleeping Pad

Hey guys!

I'm way behind on my post and have some sweet pictures to share that I'm dragging out. I get onto that when I'm back on my computer. Hope all of you is well and have a good holiday!


Anyway, I'm curious, what sleeping pad you guys using these days!? I'm in the market for new one for year round backpacking and car camping. Looking at Q core and Nemo Cosmo pad. I may pick it up from rei then do trial run on one then return for another.

I've switched from a NeoAir All-Season to a Sea to Summit Comfortlite Insulated pad recently. It's about the same weight as the NeoAir, but a bit more comfortable. Neither is as sink-in comfortable as the Q-Core. The Q-Core, however, is a real lung-buster to inflate.

The S2S is a strong inch and a half thinner than the Q-Core - which effectively means I get an extra inch and a half of headroom in a tent.

The main thing I like is the ease of inflation and deflation. The S2S has a combination valve: open the first flap, and you've got a one-way valve, so air doesn't come rushing back out before you get the valve closed. This makes the two S2S pump sacks (Jetstream and Airstream) actually work: the air doesn't backflow while you're refilling the sack. The BA pump sack doesn't work nearly as well - it has a really poor attachment system, and the two-way valve allows air to flow back out.

Open the second flap, and the air explodes out; the pad completely deflates in about second with a huge whoosh. It packs nicely, too; the included stuff sack is actually large enough to hold it when folded by a human instead of a machine.

Give it a look, too. I put it side by side with the Q-Core SL, and after a couple of sessions in the living room, ended up preferring the Sea to Summit. The most noticeable difference is that the S2S pad felt a bit wider; when inflated, you can see the difference by laying one pad on top of the other - about 2 inches. But there's another difference:: the higher side rails on the Q-Core, which are intended to keep you from falling off. They also tend to keep you from sleeping on them, so the pad "sleeps" narrower than it is. I felt constrained by the side rails, and couldn't really stretch out like I wanted to; I could on the S2S, and nothing hung over the side of the pad.

S2S also makes an Ultralite and Comfort Plus version - one is lighter and thinner, and the other is heavier and thicker than the Comfortlite. My guess is that the Comfort Plus would be as comfortable as the Q-Core SL. All three pads come in an insulated and uninsulated version.