sleeping mat

is it a good idea to use a cheap inflatable lilo instead of a inflatable sleeping mat?

apart from being cheaper it must weigh less. has anybody done this?

What is a lilo?

its a cheap thing you use on beaches and floats in water.
thought it might be useful

I haven’t heard the term “lilo” since I left England. I started with one, but found that after hiking a long way the last thing I wanted to do was blow up an air mattress. I like my Thermorest as it inflates most of the way by itself and then I only need to put in a few puffs of air. In the army we used ones that had a bag that trapped the air to inflate the mattress, but I don't know if those are available any more. In any case they were heavier.

Howie

I would worry that it would not hold up to the first sharp stick or rock under my tent.

It would offer almost no insulation from the cold ground. I bought a twin size inflatable mattress for car camping in a tent. As the night cooled the pressure in the inflatable decreased and I was almost laying on the ground. You would be better off with a closed cell foam from a dept. store. or Try a ridge rest mat. Around 15-20 dollars and will give you a little comfort and insulation.

What are you trying to accomplish: lightweight, comfort, or insulation? I own 6 different sleeping pads/mats for different seasons and surfaces. It all kinds of depends.

Yep. I learned my lesson after an extremely uncomfortable night in the relative safety and insulation of my truck cap, where I have slept often. The bed even has a couple layers of closed foam insulation under the mat, which stay there. Somehow the inflatable managed to rob my body much of its heat. It wasn't even that cold of a night (by Maine standards, probably mid autumn.)

It must be OK to use one of these in extremely hot country, but I'm not sure.

An inflatable is ok in the heat. I throw a full size inflatable in the back of the PU for the occasional Drive in Movie. (Remember those) I used to have a water bed and when the heater failed the cold mass would suck the warmth right out of you. Just don't try to fill your inflatable with water in the woods. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I use a good quality air mat over a z-rest pad. Sometimes I put the z-rest over the air mat depending
on the ground conditions and if I think there is a chance of putting a hole in the air mat.
The z-rest gives me added insulation and protection. Both together are half the weight of a
thermarest pad.

What air mat do you use? I think it would be great for summer at the very least.

thermarest ridgerest 3/4 length is the best pad out there. those air inflated pads are much heavier, more expensive, and less durable.

umm, thermarest ridgerest is the lightest pad i have ever seen. it is definitely lighter than any air mat i have ever seen, and unquestionably lighter than 2 pads.

You might try this
or this..

I have the 1/8" & 1/4".
The 1/8" is difficult for me to use. It's toooo narrow for me and so light that it's like trying to keep tissue paper in place and fragile enough that you have to baby it. It floats instead of lays. It isn't advertised as cushioning or padding, it's strictly for a little insulation. BUT, it is UltraLight and a tough guy could use it during moderate weather.
The 1/4" pad is nice & wide and can be cut down to the width you need. The 1/4" evazote is durable enough, but I don't think it's as durable as the RidgeRest , which I used to own. The R factor for the evazote pad is less than the RidgeRest. If I used multiple pads to bring the R factor up am I really ahead?


I've been keeping the 1/8" at work, using it as a pad to do situps & a couple of other exercises during my breaks, and it has been cut, mutilated & marred beyond what I think a RidgeRest would have been in the same use. I have a book locker at work and the 1/8" rolls up small enough that it fits in nicely with my other stuff.

For several years in 1970s I used a three-quarter-length nylon airmattress. It wasn't extremely light, but it was probably the least bulky mat that I've ever owned. Certainly comfortable, but not warm.

Also not much less bulky, nor much more comfortable, than an ultra-light Therma-rest inflatable.

It never punctured, but I think the valve got hopelessly messed up.

I went with air mattresses and with Big Agnes inflatables. Both are noisy as all get out, the sleeping mat is nice and quiet. Thus, if you are a light sleeper, you will want the sleeping mat.

Stephenson's at warmlite.com makes a down filled air pad (DAM) that uses it's stow bag to capture air to fill it. It works great.