When folks comment about needing minimal or even no ground padding at night, my first question is about their age. I find that younger hikers are often fine with just a 3/8" ccf pad, whereas most older hikers have some sort of inflatable, and these days typically a pretty thick one. Of course there are exceptions to this (very loose) rule of thumb.

Squatting: I too am strongly with you there. I consider it quite an important skill for "first-world" male backpackers to learn and get comfortable with(seriously).