Another newbie question. I am looking for a good sleeping pad for backpacking. Years ago (1995) I bought a Thermarest self inflating pad. I have tried it, and it just wasn't thick enough for me to have good comfort. I ended up buying a much heavier air mattress that I use when I car camp. Not really an option when backpacking. My back is my limiting factor, and I also tend to sleep on my side. When I was younger I could sleep on the ground with no additional pad. Now much older (Not that old though) I want something else to provide comfort, hopefully without adding 10 pounds to my backpack.

I recently purchased the Thermarest Ridge, and I've used it once. It was comfortable, especially with the sleeping bag itself adding another layer of protection. I usually start off on my side, then flop over on my back once I'm deep into sleep.

The pad weighs 14 oz. I looked at air mattresses, and there are some good ones out there, but from what I saw they're all in the 2.5 lb range.

The only drawback is that the Thermarest Ridge rolls up bulky. It rolls up into a cylinder shape, about the same size as a sleeping bag in a stuff sack. The Thermarest Z-Lite folds up into a smaller package, according to the manufacturer, so you may want to consider it instead.


Ridge

Z-Lite

If Steven cannot sleep comfortably on a self-inflating Thermarest of that vintage, I think it is very unlikely he would sleep any better on a Ridgerest.

There are a variety of options that would give him 2.5 inches of padding underneath. There are the Big Agnes air mattresses (both insulated and non-insulated). There's the new NeoAir from Thermarest. There are several brands of DAMs (down-filled air mattresses), which are very pricey, but comfortable.

The main thing about choosing air matresses is knowing what the ground and air temps will be at night. An uninsulated air mattress tends to get pretty cold under you at temps that drop into the 40s. Cold people don't sleep well, as a rule. In summer, at lower elevations, this is not a problem.

The two 'standard' insulated air matresses are Big Agnes Insulated Air core and the Pacific Outdoors Thermo 6. Both will keep you warm down to the upper thirties, colder if you sleep warm or use a closed cell foam pad over it. My Thermo 6 weighs 22 oz. Stephensons DAMs are supposed to be both warmer and lighter but I have no experience with them. For even better sleep I switch to a hammock.

Here are the main backpacking air pads:
Big Agnes insulated air pad
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo/Ether 6 (also insulated)
Thermarest NeoAir
Exped Downmats
Stephenson down mats
POE is coming out with a new insulated pad to compete with the NeoAir, the Ether Elite 6. It's not yet on the market but was on display at the 2009 summer outdoor show.

I personally find my older version of the POE Ether Thermo far more comfortable than either the BA pad or the NeoAir. I use the NeoAir for longer trips because of the weight savings. I can sleep reasonably well on it, but it's just not as comfortable for me. I'm therefore anxiously awaiting the advent of the new POE Ether Elite 6. If I like it, someone will get a bargain on a used NeoAir. I just hope the new POE pad comes out while the weather is cold enough to test it!

Any air pad will be quite uncomfortable if you blow it up all the way--like sleeping on a ridged brick. The trick is to let out just enough air to make it softer but to leave sufficient air to keep your hip and shoulder bones off the ground. I used to do the same with a self-inflating pad, but as I got older and my joints got more pressure sensitive, the self-inflator didn't work for me any more.

Since we all have different builds and sleep habits, you'll have to find what is most comfortable for you.

Whatever pad you get, I recommend sleeping on it at home (on the floor) for several nights before you decide whether or not to keep it. 10 minutes on the floor of the store is not, IMHO, a sufficient test.

The new thermarest neoair is getting a lot of good reviews. I'm a hammock guy but I'm going to pick up a Neoair for trips where I'll be sleeping in a shelter.

KY Chris

My hiking partner complained for years about his pads -- various closed cell foam and thin (light) Thermarests. He has back problems, and never slept well on the trail.

On the last trip he had a new Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad, and said it was the first time ever that he slept well while hiking.

I've used the Big Agnes insulated Air core for 2 years now and it's the most comfortable I've ever been backpacking/car camping. I switched from blue foam to that though. I've only got about 25 nights on it and worry about punctures. No punctures yet and I hope the patch kit will work when I need it.

G.D.

big agnes air core mummy pad is what i use the best ive found so far and i have used it for three yrs without a single leak only been cold once on it but it wasn t the pad at fault
they work awesome

k smith

I have used a Big Agnes before, and I liked it. I worry about inflatables, a little poke and you no longer have insulation. I generally have used a really cheapo simple foam mat. I am actually also in the market for one right now, I will probably just be getting a Thermarest foam mat. I choose based on insulating, not so much padding.

Steven,
Like others, I prefer a hammock. But, I do own a Chinook Trailrest pad. I always use it in shelter or at base camps. It is long enough (long enough for my 6'2" frame) and it measures over 2.5 inches thick when inflated. More importantly, the price is right!
Chad
4 dayer outdoor gear

I'm surprised at all the Pacific Outdoor Ether Thermo 6 recommendations here, just because it is kind of a heavy pad.

But it's what I use, and I love it. I've taken it on 6 trips this year (9 nights), and have had it below freezing. While my sleeping bag isn't made for that temperature and I did sleep a bit cold, any part of me that was on the Thermo 6 was toasty.

I have the long, and it weighs about 24 oz. It also packs down extremely small, which is important because I use a GoLite Jam2 and it only holds 3100 cubic inches.

If you want the comfort of a pad like this, but don't want to carry the weight, they make a 2/3 size pad that only weighs 15 oz. That's pretty reasonable, I think.

But seriously, this pad is SO comfortable. I toss and turn a lot at night and can sleep in any position just fine on this thing. Highly recommended.

You can get it from detourgearzone.com for $68.95 for the regular. If you've never purchased from there before, they'll give you 20% off by signing up for their newsletter, and you get free shipping on all orders over $39. Not bad!

Just a followup on the NeoAir (if you've seen my recent post on it, just skip this):

While I've seen posts from those who claim to have been comfortable in the NeoAir at 15*F with only a 1/8" closed cell foam pad as supplement, I don't recommend it. The NeoAir is rated at 32* and (after experience) I wouldn't use it below that temperature without a really thick (3/8" or 1/2") closed cell foam pad. (That of course negates the weight savings.) On the other hand, I've taken my POE insulated air pad down to 20* without supplement and to a few degrees below that with a 1/8" torso length CCF pad (I haven't had it lower than about 16*).

We all have different sleep styles and our bodies' "thermostats" are all different. I strongly recommend several nights on the floor at home and at least two below-freezing nights in the back yard with any new pad before you decide to keep it. At least test it at cold temperatures before going out on a 2-night backpack in shoulder season!

I was willing to accept less comfort with the NeoAir for the 8-oz. weight savings over my POE pad. In hindsight, this was a lousy decision!

EDIT: My 3/4 length POE pad weighs 17 oz. The pad it replaced, a 2" thick Thermarest LE, also 3/4 length, weighed almost 2 lbs. The Thermarest was colder, too. It finally got too thin (translated, my hip joints got more sensitive).

Well, tell ya what. Heres a really "light" pad - a polyethelene painters tarp.

Now why is it heavy? because it's so darn uncomfortable that I will stay home and sleep in my very heavy bed instead.

I travel as light as I can travel, and still be comfortable enough to enjoy it.

(I don't have a POE but when I'm usually either in a hammock or on a BA insulated aircore - and yes the aircore is *HEAVY*)

That's exactly how I feel. I was just surprised to find that I wasn't in the minority. I've taken my Thermo 6 on every trip I've been on since I bought it. Even when the night temperature didn't dip below 50. A good night's sleep is worth whatever it takes.

The Big Agnes is rated at 30 oz. which I think is pretty reasonable for a pad that comfortable. They are expensive (in the eighty dollar range) but I think they are well worth it. I have had mine for a couple of years maybe I have used it many times and I love it. I can also use it in my hammock when I use the hammock. I think that my next move is to get into a Big Agnes bag so that I can slip it into it's sleeve on the Big Agnes bag.....sabre11004...

I spend some time at Tinny's site and not long ago he did a test on the neo-air pad. He seemed to like the durability of the pad and he said that it was comfortable, but the entire time that he was demo'ing this pad it was making some real noise; enough noise to distract any one from sleeping I would think. This is the main reason that I never even considered the neo-air pad. There is no way that I could tolerate all that noise..My Big Agnes pad makes no noise what-so-ever and I think that's a bonus trade off...in my mind any way...sabre11004...

Interestingly, I didn't have any problem with noise with the NeoAir. That's one of the few things that wasn't a problem! There is a slight mylar-type crinkly noise, but with my head inside the sleeping bag I can't hear it. (I'm still passing my hearing tests just fine--surprising considering my family history.)

I've been using a ridge rest, great for keeping in the heat and really comfortable and lite, downfall i bought a short because i thought i would only be using it in a hammock, go for the regular size or long if you get one