# Any sleeping pad recs?



## chunkylover53 (Apr 5, 2007)

I need a new pad. I bought one of those klymit inertia type pads, but it’s not the most comfortable for me. I need something light and small to pack, don’t need it for extreme cold, I want bag for the buck, but if something is significantly better for the long term, I’d be willing to splurge a bit. Right now I have it narrowed down to the Klymit Static V, or (if I splurge) the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite. Any recommendations out there or comments on my short list?


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## Hambone70 (May 8, 2019)

Just bought the insulated Klymit Static V Lite. Fairly comfortable with the right air pressure. Light, packs small, remains to be seen how long it lasts on the thorny & rocky Arizona Trail!

If I bought again, I think I would buy something thicker, and deal with the extra weight & pack size.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Ive used inflatable pads for years. Last summer i had to sleep on the ground for 16 days because my pads valve had a slow leak. Eventually i sourced some 1/8" foam and folded it over a few times. Amazing relief. Memory is still painful. I just got a nemo switchback foam pad, is warmer, smaller and comfier than my previous foam pads. I wish i could bring an inflato pad, comfier and warmer but not ready to sleep on the cold ground again.


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## Carve It Up (Jun 24, 2014)

I have the Static V and love it...light, compact, and cushy enough. I started out on my first Static V, but read about some batches having a slow leak in the valve. I sent it back for a replacement a couple of years ago, and have had no issues with my new one with 50 nights on it.


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

I have the Klymit Static V2. Works great for me. I've even slept on it in mid 20's 2 nights.


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## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

I use a neo-air trekker, it's always warm in the mountains, and I always sleep well, which is a priority for me. Don't mind a couple extra ounces and a couple more cubic inches to achieve that. Mine is still leakproof after 4 years, kind of surprises me as I use it in desert too.


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## Quercus agrifolia (Jan 30, 2005)

I would do a foam pad in a heartbeat if I could sleep on my back, but I am a dedicated side sleeper, so inflatable pad for me.

I've always been curious about the Klymit products due to their very attractive price point, but it seems the quality control is an issue.

The most comfy inflatable I've ever had is my Big Agnes Insulated Q Core...4" thick, insulated, rectangular. Never been cold, never had any issues whatsoever. Only drawback is weight at 22 oz.

This year I splurged on the NeoAir Uberlite. 8 oz (measured) and packs down to fit into my coffee mug. It's a pretty amazing pad, packs down so tiny and yet is full-featured. Have not been cold down into the 40s, but would not push it much past upper 30s. Also seems very prone to puncture so I've always used it with a tent or ground cloth. I just ordered a 1/8" cc foam pad from Gossamer Gear to further protect the pad and give me a few more degrees of comfort (only 2 additional oz, mainly for backpacking).

The X Lite still seems to be the gold standard for light weight and performance, but the noise really is pretty terrible (YMMV). I've also been seeing interesting, well thought-out pads from Nemo and Sea to Summit lately.


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## 101 (Nov 14, 2017)

I use the full length Xlite and, in the winter, an Xtherm. Both in floorless shelters. Tried the 3/4th length a number of times and never could sleep comfortably on it. 
I’ve only had one leak issue and that was on the seam of the Xtherm which I fixed on a trip with my tube patch kit and haven’t had trouble with since.


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## jamatt (Jan 2, 2008)

I use the Exped Syn Mat 3D Long Wide. It's heavy but offers some real advantages. First, it's got a "soft side" so in Spring/Summer/Fall, when my sleeping bag is used like a blanket, it's super comfortable. I anticipate getting a Flex 22 quilt from Katabic for next winter (winter is soft in the Southeast) and the R value of 4.9 should make that a comfortable option as well. It also comes with a bomber repair kit, but also is built (overbuilt) with apparently durable materials. 

And the schnozz sack is pretty cool once you get it figured out.


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## raaden03 (Nov 6, 2017)

I have a Klymit O-Zone and I'm very pleased with it. It's lightweight, very comfy and has a built-in pillow.


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## EatsDirt (Jan 20, 2014)

Perhaps this is a decent option...

https://tillak.com/products/shasta-sleeping-pad

Solid guys who ride hard and great company ethos.


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## evdog (Mar 18, 2007)

raaden03 said:


> I have a Klymit O-Zone and I'm very pleased with it. It's lightweight, very comfy and has a built-in pillow.


I've been using one of these as well for bikepacking. It is quite thin though. I've been bringing a thermarest Z seat pad to put underneath it where my hip is so I can side sleep. That does the trick, and I like that the pillow is attached. Those tiny camp pillows always slide away while I'm sleeping.

I use a Big Agnes insulated air core for regular camping. It's reasonably priced, and comfortable. I think it weighs around 16oz so it isn't super light but I did use it for bikepacking before I got the Klymit. I have had to warranty this pad twice in 7 years when it started losing air, which seemed to happen along seams the entire length of the pad each time. REI replaced one and BA the other.


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## DougA (Apr 3, 2008)

I've gone with the Sea To Summit ultralite insulated. I'm from a mountaineering background where all I used was Z-lite or in the greater ranges, Z-lite plus additional foam pad. So far I'm very happy with the ultralite. Uses a small built in inflation bag. Bonus- not as noisy as the wife's neolite.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

"Eff these effing NeoAir POS's!!"

Paraphrasing, but something similar to the above has been uttered by every one of my trip partners over the last several trips. They are light, but fragile.

I've got a couple different Nemo pads that I like. Not the lightest, but wide enough to sleep on my back without a shoulder dropping off, thick enough to sleep on my side without hips grinding into the ground, and comparable in price to most other inflatables.


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## Johnny Chicken Bones (Jul 13, 2005)

I ran a Big Agnes for years. 
And MikeSee was probably woken up more than once as I added air- not that you could hear it over the nearby Granite or Hermit or whatever terror was downstream. 
It always had a slow leak. I’d sometimes find it, then patch it. Usually never find it. 

Got a Big Agnes AXL Air for LP- and was envious of the small size and how easily it tucked into her bags. 
Damned thing was like a slab of marble. Froze her solid each night. Enough so that she’d wake me to swap. And I’d instantly freeze while she snoozed happily. 
The difference between the older pad and that AXL was astounding. I didn’t know tech existed to so easily pull the heat from me. And it was loud. 

The old Big Agnes sieve and that freezer AXL are gone now, in place of a Q-Core SLX.
Several trips in and they are great. No leaks. Quiet. Warm. Small enough. 
There are plenty of options out there but I’m happy w/ these newer editions of their comfy pads. 
(Though I am sometimes envious of the foot pump pad Nemo that has)

-JCB


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## bigflamingtaco (Oct 26, 2013)

Being in a hurry to replace a busted mat for a weekend hike, picked up a Cabela XPG pad. Was very surprised with the level of comfort.

I never use an insulated pad. Instead of a ground tarp, I place my mid 80's USMC sleeping pad under the tent. Protects the floor and insulates.


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## Davide (Jan 29, 2004)

chunkylover53 said:


> I need a new pad. I bought one of those klymit inertia type pads, but it's not the most comfortable for me. I need something light and small to pack, don't need it for extreme cold, I want bag for the buck, but if something is significantly better for the long term, I'd be willing to splurge a bit. Right now I have it narrowed down to the Klymit Static V, or (if I splurge) the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite. Any recommendations out there or comments on my short list?


I am a backpacker and used a number of sleeping pads including inflatable from Thermarest Neoair and SeaToSummit. Thermarest Neo air lasted two trips (maybe I just got unlucky) before getting a hole. Not very comfortable but light. The SeaToSummit Comfortlight was much more comfortable, had two chambers (providing almost bulletproof insurance against holes), but "significantly" heavier than the NeoAir at 540 grams or so.

But the best is the 2019 SeaToSummit Ether Light. I have the four seasons insulated XT https://seatosummitusa.com/collecti...roducts/ether-light-xt-insulated-sleeping-mat but for bike-packing the slightly ligther and cheaper non-insulated one https://seatosummitusa.com/collecti...ing-mats/products/ether-light-xt-sleeping-mat would work great.

At 3" thick comfort level with this pad is close to a mattress, at just a pound of weight for the XT, 360 grams for the non-insulated.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

I've got a Thermarest Neoair and not had any issues with it. I use it primarily in the BC forest so there are few thorny things to poke holes in it than might be found elsewhere. It's light, packs small, easy to inflate and comfortable. Mine is a few years old so I don't know how it compares to the current Thermarest line up of pads.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

People are referring to experiences with a "Thermarest NeoAir" but this is fairly meaningless as there is more than one type of NeoAir pad and they are quite different from each other.

I got a NeoAir XLite in 2013 or so, and used it for less than a year before frequent punctures from a desert environment (even while always using it on top of at very least a tent footprint) made it unworkable. I switched to a NeoAir XTherm and have been using it since early 2014 with great results and zero problems. It weighs 5-6 ounces more than the XLite, but also offers a much higher r-value (I've slept happily on it in plenty of cold temperatures) and, maybe more significantly, great toughness and durability.

I always carry a patch kit with the pad, but have never used it. I'm wondering how long, exactly, I can expect its lifespan to be, and if I need to preemptively get a new one in case its age manifests in a seam bursting, or something. But so far, so good, and I've spent plenty of nights on it in the last five years, from 10-degree-Fahrenheit nights in the Adirondacks to the goathead-filled American West to the deserts of the Middle East.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

jbphilly said:


> People are referring to experiences with a "Thermarest NeoAir" but this is fairly meaningless as there is more than one type of NeoAir pad and they are quite different from each other.


Mine is a NeoAire XLite. Probably a 2013 vintage as well. I don't recall exactly what year I bought it in. It's still going strong.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

Interesting that yours held up so well. I've heard other tales of the XLite being leak-prone, and I assume everyone in this thread who's badmouthing their "NeoAir" is referring to an XLite too. My experience with the XLite vs. XTherm was night and day. If I were to get back to a place where I'm willing to drop big money to drop a few ounces, I'd probably look into a lighter-weight summer pad as an alternative to the XTherm...but no way I'd get another XLite.


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## chunkylover53 (Apr 5, 2007)

To update this thread - I did end up going with the Klymit static V. Just seemed a nice balance of size, weight, design, and price. Just got back from 4 days in AB/BC. Overall I can't complain too much - blew up easily, very easy to pack down (no concerns about pushing all the air out - seemed to do that easily enough). It's pretty comfortable - definitely more so than my previous pad. And I'm a side sleeper, so good for that. I do wish it was a bit firmer - I'm about 200 lbs, and you do get that sinking feeling a bit (and I couldn't get any more air in there). In sum - I have no reason to be looking for another pad.


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## trekkerman (Mar 27, 2018)

I also have an ether light by Sea to Summit, and I've been pleased with it so far after about 7 sleeps.


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