I just bought a thermorest pad and would like to know opinions and tips on them. Do they soak up moisture if laid on ground without a ground cloth under them?

Short answer- no.

The closed cell pads like the Z-Rest and RidgeRest are very durable.

The self inflating and inflatable pads are vulnerable to sharp objects- think thorns. It is important to protect them, but from thorns and not moisture.

Another "no'.
But like any other pad, you can experience condensation between mat and groundsheet. Nothing will seep INTO the pad.

I've been using Thermarest self-inflating pads for 30 years, and own several of them. Camp Rest pad for car camping, and a thinner, lighter one for back-packing. I've used them in all sorts of conditions including a winter trip at -30ºF. I have no complaints at all. Once I had a slow leak. I carry a repair kit (boil the glue packet in a coffee-pot) and did a field repair. Still works fine. Before Thermarest, I used Ensolite closed-cell foam pads. These worked well under the same conditions but the TR's are less uncomfortable. The one down-side of self-inflating open-cell pads is that when you 'help it' inflate by blowing into the valve, your breath moisture condenses and is stuck in there, a potential mildew problem. I leave my pads fully extended, with the valve open, between trips.

I went to a ridgerest for use in my Hennessey Hammock. When tent and shelter camping I use a Thermarest Pro Light. I love this pad and has added security that if punctured , there is still a bit of foam pad for insulation and comfort. There are many neoair advocates on this fourum as well. I dont like the idea of total comfort loss if punctured with A NEO Air! I am cosidering a goossamer gear pad to reduce bulk and weight in the hammock. This with my space blanket underliner might be nice. Thermarest ridgerest is a bit stiff in the hammock. Good luck

I dislike the total loss of comfort moving from the NeoAir to a self inflating - was never comfortable at all on the thinner pads, no matter what. I'll keep taking my chances with inflatables when I am not in the hammock. Better to have slept a little than not at all....

Younger and less bumpy/bony bodies than mine seem to do well with the ProLite or other self inflating pads. Pacific Outdoors Equipment makes some interesting models, some of them a combo of inflating and foam.

I second that. I keep toying with the idea of taking my old Prolite Plus instead of my NeoAir, but when I'm actually loading the pack, I go "Naahhhhh."

IMO Self inflating plus CCF plus pillow is almost as good as an inflatable, warmer for winter use (unless you have down inflatable) and more puncture resistant, but heavier and bulkier. Neither comes close to a hammock for comfort.

I've had negative experiences with ridgerest's collecting my sweat under my bag in the ridges. As said previously, they are closed cell foam (ccf), so they don't absorb water.

I have tried almost every sleep pad system on the market and have spent $$$ trying to find comfort (I am a heavier guy) and I will show you what worked for me and my backpacking buddies in the end:

$5 pool raft

Just lay a thin fleece blanket over it and youre golden.

NOOOOO, thank you. THat's how I started out years ago. New one every trip, spent one night inflated and the rest of the trip sleeping on the ground because it wasn't durable at all.

I'll stick with the NeoAir - two years and no leaks, no cold nights, and my bones don't touch the ground.

Thanks for the tip!

I've used that specific make of raft in the lake this past summer and while I didn't think about it then, I agree with you, they'd make a great cheap alternative to more expensive pads. For cold weather I'd use my single layer bubble foil pad under it and that'd protect the raft and add great insulation to boot.

I might still have one of those on the boat... I'll have to check

Well, you can't argue with that...

But if you don't have one of those, that particular raft is better than a lot of them you'll find. The plastic is more durable, and the design is better suited for a sleeping pad too. I'm pretty sure it's heavier than a NeoAir, but probably not by so much that you'd dismiss it all together. And it did pack down nice in his video too.

I weighed maybe 60 lbs wet when I was a kid using those for camping. Looks like the same thing, pretty much. And I didn't use it in the water as a pool floatie, either, or do much of anything to stress it.

I go with things that work consistently. If I had to take one of those, I'd also take a CCF pad for warmth, and dig a depression in the ground for my hips so they have a place to land when the raft deflates.

Probably the inevitable consequence of aging:

I started out at age 6 (my first backpacking trip) through my teenage years with no pad at all and got along just fine.

For some years after that, it was the tried and true blue foam pad.

In my early 40's I bought one of the first Thermarests and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.

In my late 50's, the standard (1" thick, I believe) Thermarest became too thin. I then bought a Thermarest LE which was 2" thick and seemed the ultimate in sleeping comfort. My daughter inherited the old Thermarest which she still uses!

In my mid 60's, the LE became too thin and I spent a lot of nights in pain before deciding I needed more padding. I bought a Pacific Outdoors Equipment Insulmat Max Thermo (what a mouthful!), an insulated air pad, and really enjoyed the comfort of a 2.5" air pad, inflated just enough to keep my hip and shoulder bones off the ground while still being soft and squishy.

At age 75, I have graduated (or retrogressed) to a 3.5" thick KookaBay custom insulated air pad (also inflated just enough to keep hips and shoulders off the ground). I just hope this one will see me out! The POE pad is now in my bed at home, which despite a foam topper has also become too hard for my aching hips and shoulders!

About all I can advise from these various pad changes is that you probably will want a thicker pad as you grow older and the old joints get creakier and more sensitive! In other words, you might not want to boast that your current pad is the ultimate in comfort, because it will probably change!

Your mileage may vary, but arthritis does run in my family. Thank heavens the technology is available to keep it from ruining backpacking!

This might be a partial answer to ppine's question about good vs. not-so-good gear vs. experience--part of the answer depends on one's physical condition at the time!

PS: I couldn't get comfortable with the much ballyhooed NeoAir--I couldn't find the sweet spot between having my hip bones off the ground and having the pad too hard; I froze when the thermometer got below 40*F; the horizontal tubes kept "bucking me off" every time I turned over. The KookaBay custom pad I now have is the same price, far more comfortable and no heavier than the NeoAir!

Again, as always, Your Mileage May Vary! Pick what's most comfortable for you at the moment, knowing it may change down the road. A good night's sleep is, as the ads say, priceless!

I find all the Thermarest pads more comfortable than hard pads such as Ensolite or Ridge Rests. Either I am hard on gear or got lemons, but the first two therma-rests eventually leaked. I admit to carrying one on the outside of my pack while bushwhaking (not a good idea). I sent one back to REI to get repaired- it lasted about 6 months more. The other one was deemed not repairable. I think the newer pads are more reliable. I now use an x-small prolite (8 oz) with a 2x2 foot square of blue foam pad for my feet and my Golite Quest Pack as a pillow base. I have managed to keep this pad from getting damaged for two years of heavy use. This 3-season system is a bit cold and hard when I set up on flat rocks, but fine setting up on dirt or grass. I am on the small side so the x-small works fine. I have not found that getting older makes much difference in comfort.

There seems to be a "just right" amount of air for optimal comfort. If I blow it up too hard it is not comfortable. Often I have to let a bit of air out once I lie down on it.

Also, if you inflate it when it is warm out, it will slightly deflate as the air gets colder. I usually have to add a bit more air just before I get into the tent after the sun goes down. Sometimes I have to add a bit of air in the middle of the night. Although it is a bit tedious, I am much more comfortable if I pay close attention to the amount of air and adjust when needed.

Sometimes I car-camp with my pickup and I found a closed cell vinyle covered pool mattress from wally world for 29 bucks, It stays soft and is easy on the bony bod but it does not store well at normal temperatures. So I leave it in the back of the pickup. Its about 2 inches thick. The odd thing is that at zero degrees or lower it is hard like a brick until you lay on it for awhile to soften it up.