What is best ultralight sleeping pad?

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What is the most comfortable, most popular 3/4 length sleeping pad that you guys use? Z-rest? Ridge Rest? Pac-lite? GG Nightlite? My blue walmart 3/4 is 8 oz. and half an inch thick, but it is too hard with no cush. My wife says I'm developing a "flat bottom". <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I really value all of the nice info, this is the BEST forum!

Ecrow

Ecrow:
What weight are you looking to stay under? I have a Thermarest 3/4 length Ultralight pad that weighs 18 oz. I just got it, so I haven't had a chance to try it out, but I downsized from a full-length Thermarest Prolite 4, that weighs around 26 oz.

Ecrow, go with a Therm-a-Rest. I have used their products for more than two decades and am very pleased with the quality, compactness, weight, and comfort. I have one that is 21 years old and it just recently went flat for the first time when I stuck a cactus spine in it.

I personally prefer a full length mattress, the few ounces in weight savings of a 3/4 does not win out against having a continuous smooth service under my calves and feet with the full length... all night long. Pick a Therm-a-rest mat that fits your budget and body size and know you made a good choice. Brum

I had to switch over to a air pad this season as well, because of my old bones. I did abotu 6 months of research and thought and finally decided on the Montbell UL 90 It only weighs 10oz and fits my just fine. I am 6.1. I went with it over the BPL one just because I am a squirmer and side sleeper and needed the extra width to go in conjuntion with that. Plus it weighed the same.

Ozark,

You could use a closed cell sit pad & toggle attatch it (see the thread on this) to the 3/4 length Thermarest at night for full length comfort. No?
See the thread "attatching pillow to pad" and in particular the link in Trailrunner's reply. That toggle system is absolutely BRILLIANT! Hee,hee

The toggles (purchased at a fabric store) tethered with tent cord are sewn to your 3/4 length lightweight Thermarest corners.Then holes melted thru duct tape-reinforced corners of the closed cell foam recieve the toggles. This sitpad setup meets the UL backpackers goal of "multiple use".

Eric

P.S I carry a full length UL Thermarest in summer B/C I love it and feel the extra few ounces are my ONE concession to luxury. But for winter I've just converted my regular 3/4 length Thermarest to a "toggle & sitpad" system on top and a full length RidgeRest on bottom.

<religious taunting>
A hammock...
</religious taunting>

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In the winter I'm now packing a Big Agnes Insulated AirCore. FWIW I'll take it over
a thermarest any day.

Ok, I'll bite. Let's say I try a hammock. Don't I still need some sort of mat on the underside?

Ecrow

I was interested in ULTRA light. For summer.

Ecrow

Just curious, Ecrow. Are you are back or side sleeper? It will make a difference in what pad will work for you. It would also to be good to know what weight range you are considering.

For UL trips (for long miles), I take vitamin T p.m. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />Wow. I wake up refreshed after that <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. Anyway, here’s my pad. Fyi, I’m 44, 5’8” 150lbs.

I go with the GG Torso pad (3.7oz, bumps down) with an 1.5”x30”x15” egg crate open cell pad (5.5oz, bumps up) on top. I then have my backpack under my legs. There’s a peace of mind not worrying about leakage. And you don’t lose air pressure during a cool night. This is comfy on my back and stomach. I may sleep on my side, but not for long.

If I’m doing short miles, then I take the Woman’s ProLite 4 (24oz). That is the most comfy backpacking pad I’ve been on. My whole family is unique in that we tried BA and similar air mattresses several times and found them to be too hard (even w/ half the air let out!). Plus we never looked forward to blowing them up after a hard day.

In the end, don’t trust any of us. You have to try your pad of choice for a few days to draw your own conclusion.

May everyone find their sleeping zen <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

-Barry

Ecrow jump into the Beginners Forum to read the answers to your posts. You seem to be wanting to update your gear closet IMO. These are posts that have been hashed to death here. Most newbies ask all the same, so see the answers there <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

everything you'd ever want to know about hammocks:
http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCamping.html

or www.hammockforums.net

The short answer... yes.

The long answer... usually, yes. (or an underquilt). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Unless it's very hot at night, hammocks can get chilly. On those hot nights though it's wonderfully comfortable to be in a hammock. On the cold nights it's wonderfully comfortable to be in a hammock, but they do require some sort of insulation underneath to keep you warm, be it a pad or an underquilt.

As far as pads go for sleeping on the ground... I've used a Ridgerest for years, and while it's not super comfortable, it's not terrible either. I also have a Thermarest UL 3/4, which weighs about the same as a full length Ridgerest, and it's more comfortable, but my feet can get cold at night some times.

The best pad is the one that gives you a good night's sleep! If you have to carry more weight to accomplish this, so be it. Are you out there to suffer or to enjoy yourself? I use a 3/4 length Pacific Outdoor InsulMat Max Thermo, which is an insulated air mattress. 17 oz. It's perfect for my old bones! It has been discontinued, but Pacific Outdoor has a very similar model. Your Mileage May Vary!

On the search, everyone new to this forum has trouble with it. Check the date parameter. The default is one week.

>"On the search, everyone new to this forum has trouble with it. Check the date parameter. The default is one week."

Note to Moderators . . .

Could there be a more clear explanation &/or example to introduce the search function? This is a frequent comment and I wonder if we might proactively address this rather than having new users frustrated and then the situation explained by "old hands". <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

But WE Therm-a-Rest users don't NEED a pad called "BIG" anything! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Brum

These are very wise words! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Brum, Big Agnes is a prominent mountain northeast of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where the company is located. I grew up taking horsepacking trips in that area--6 weeks every summer (that was in the 1950's). I'm going back there for a backpacking trip (on foot) this summer. My mother once did some research on some of the place names there, but she had no luck with Big Agnes, who seems doomed to remain anonymous.

According to Summit Post:

Yes, but usually like a ccf foam pad for insulation, not for comfort.

You'll note I do say, I sleep on a nice comfy pad (or three) in the winter. I don't hammock.

If you're interested, try out a test hammock first. read through

This earlier post from this forum. and some of the links it takes you to.

[quote]Brum, Big Agnes is a prominent mountain northeast of Steamboat Springs, Colorado,
[quote]

Ok, I'm familiar with Big Agnes gear, some how I got it confused with a Big Haggis. Wouldn't want to sleep with one of those! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> Brum

OregonMouse wrote:

Brumfield Wrote; OregonMouse, I heard they stopped making it because of a cost prohibitive factor relative to the amount of ink it took to write out "Pacific Outdoor InsulMat Max Thermo" on all the promo material. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Brum