Hi all!

I have been backpacking since I was a teen, and I'm now in my early 50's, and having sleep issues in the backcountry.....

Ahh, the good ole days when I was a kid, I would sleep directly on the ground in the summer, no problemo. Pad? For sissies only!

Then in my 20's moved onto a blue foam pad......worked great back then!

In my 30's doubled the Blue foam pad.....started to have some issues....

Starting in my 40's, I started having more problems with my back, neck, hips, you name it, typical aging mountain man, and my sleep started to suffer in the back country, I haven't had a good nights sleep in the woods for years, yet still love to backpack.....but man, talk about being a physical wreck after a week of no sleep and hiking 100 miles......yikes....

I have tried many different pads/mattresses in recent years nothing yet has solved my sleep issue. Personally, I hate the bouncy slippery feel of every air mattress I have tried, including the Thermo-rests. I need a more firm sleeping surface. The only thing that works fair for me is a 5 (!!!!) POUND 2 inch foam rubber pad . and of course, sleeping on basically a sponge but would be a pain in wet weather....I have lucked out in recent years with all the drought in the west.....

Well, I'm just about to cough up the dough and try the new Big Agnes Q-core, after reading all the good reviews and I'm going to give 'er a go on a trip next week, and see if I can "train" myself to live with the "bounce"......

Anyone out there that has tried it? Anyone have any other ideas for a pad under 2lbs that isn't bouncy? Ok, since I'm dealing with a 5lb sponge for now, how about something under 3lbs? Oh, and as I camp in high alpine areas above timberline - forget about hammocks.....

It sure seems somehow in today's world/technology someone could come up with a nice closed cell type sleeping pad, that is comfortable and lightweight......we have been stuck with these blue pad things for my whole life it seems!

I'm a pretty pitiful site on my trips in recent years, with all my latest top-o-the-line light gear, my Osprey pack, my Western Mountaineering bag, my Black Diamond tent, etc etc....and then strapped to all this, in good ole hillbilly fashion, my monster pad! Yikes!

Thanks for any and all suggestions!


Edited by MountainMan49 (07/01/12 04:02 PM)