3/4 sleeping pads

[BackcountryBloodline]

Looks like I either won the idiot of the week award or I may just be on to something. Got a great deal (or so I thought) on a BNIB neoair xlite on craigslist yesterday then got home and realized it's a size small...a whopping 4ft of pad for a just under 6' guy. Was about to call the guy back and lose it for not disclosing that (definitely partially my fault for not double checking before purchasing but come on dude) but I remembered reading about some of these ultralight nuts cutting their pads down to 3/4 length and using their pack/glassing pad for their feet in order to shave weight. The thing does only weigh 7oz and after thinking about it I may just give it a try this spring and see how it goes...worst case scenario I have a cold couple nights, wrap my puffy around my feet, sell the pad when I get home and get the full length. Best case scenario I learned an easy way to shave a decent amount of weight. Anyone else tried this system? Any tips for keeping those tootsies warm? Or should I just go crack open a can of whoop ass?

 

[Poser]

I used to be able to sleep on one in my 20s. I have revisited these 3/4ths pads several times in recent years, as recently as last season on a summer bike trip and, Goddamn, they suck!

The idea is that you put your feet on your pack or other gear. I think that works ok if you are a back sleeper. Also, if you toss and turn, that short pad will dance around on you due to lack of surface area for friction. I had one shoot right out of my floorless shelter in the middle of a storm.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

I used to be able to sleep on one in my 20s. I have revisited these 3/4ths pads several times in recent years, as recently as last season on a summer bike trip and, Goddamn, they suck!

The idea is that you put your feet on your pack or other gear. I think that works ok if you are a back sleeper. Also, if you toss and turn, that short pad will dance around on you due to lack of surface area for friction. I had one shoot right out of my floorless shelter in the middle of a storm.

I had that same slip and slide issue with my full length thermarest last spring, will probably try the seam sealer grid pattern on the pad/tyvek trick this year and see if that helps...I am a back sleeper 90% of the time and figure if I put my feet inside my pack instead of on top I shouldn't be doing too much dancing but I guess time will tell. Thinking there is definitely a high potential for a real suck fest with this one but mountain experiments can be fun...albeit usually more so in hindsight than during the experimentation

 

[jhayes6405]

I'd say the half pads have their place. The do in theory anyway, as I've got a couple but never seem to take them. In the summer time though where a pad is about comfort more than anything else, sure, use your pack/sit pad for the feet and be happy with how light your hiking weight is.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah. They can work.

So I am 6’3” #250 for reference. Tend to sleep on my side with knees up so realistically take up about 4-5 feet of pad most of the night.

I used a 3/4 thermarest (old school) until a few years ago. I would use it in conjunction with a full length closed cell foam pad (ridge rest or zlite) most of the time. It was a great system and allowed max comfort as well as having a solid “sit pad” for around camp. Self inflators got to the point where they were lighter and offered more comfort so I switched. I typically bought long pads for the extra width but rarely needed a 6.5 foot pad in length due to sleep habits.

A few thoughts:

- I use my pack as a head rest and build my pillow on top of it. That reduces the amount of pad I use.
- I like the solid pad under my self inflator - sit pad, glassing pad, pool floaty, back up in case of blow out etc - I still use a ridge rest and zrest but I have become a big fan or seek outsides Mary McMatt face. I have one cut to 25 inches wide and 72 inches long that weighs 5oz.
- my current pad is a sea to summit rectangular wide pad. It is 72 inches and I probably leave a foot or two unused at the bottom.

So...a 3/4 pad can work. I wouldn’t try it without a closed cell foam underneath for your legs. You can add to the length by setting up your pillow off the top of it.

 

[rayporter]

i usually carry 2 pads, one a shorty.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Yeah. They can work.

So I am 6’3” #250 for reference. Tend to sleep on my side with knees up so realistically take up about 4-5 feet of pad most of the night.

I used a 3/4 thermarest (old school) until a few years ago. I would use it in conjunction with a full length closed cell foam pad (ridge rest or zlite) most of the time. It was a great system and allowed max comfort as well as having a solid “sit pad” for around camp. Self inflators got to the point where they were lighter and offered more comfort so I switched. I typically bought long pads for the extra width but rarely needed a 6.5 foot pad in length due to sleep habits.

A few thoughts:

- I use my pack as a head rest and build my pillow on top of it. That reduces the amount of pad I use.
- I like the solid pad under my self inflator - sit pad, glassing pad, pool floaty, back up in case of blow out etc - I still use a ridge rest and zrest but I have become a big fan or seek outsides Mary McMatt face. I have one cut to 25 inches wide and 72 inches long that weighs 5oz.
- my current pad is a sea to summit rectangular wide pad. It is 72 inches and I probably leave a foot or two unused at the bottom.

So...a 3/4 pad can work. I wouldn’t try it without a closed cell foam underneath for your legs. You can add to the length by setting up your pillow off the top of it.

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking, lightweight inflatable pillow or puffy stuffed in the hood of my sleeping bag, pad from shoulders to hips, closed cell sit pad inside my bag underneath my feet and feet inside my backpack pulled up around the base of the pad. Sounds like it's largely personal preference, some love it and some hate it...the comment below that I found on an ultralight reddit thread definitely gave me some hope but obviously the only way to find out if it works for me or not is by getting after it this spring. I've been intrigued by the matty pad for a while now and may just have to grab one of those sooner than later!

"On the PCT I started with a wide, long pad, then switched to the Neoair Xlite. I would stuff the bottom of my backpack with all my extra gear and put the bottom of the pad inside the top of my backpack. This would usually my backpack close to the height of the airpad. Sometimes it would elevate my feet above the rest of my body, which helped my feet feel better the next day. Having the tip of my pad tucked into my backpack made the whole configuration stay in place pretty well and also made it so that my air pad didn't slip and slide against my ground tarp. The other big advantage for me was that it was a lot easier to inflate. Weight difference aside, I started to prefer this configuration over my bigger air pad once I got used to it."

 

[tdot]

I tried the 3/4 pad for awhile, and decided it was fine if I knew I was going to put in long days and fall asleep exhausted, with no chance of being stuck in a tent for any reason.

Worst case, if it doesnt work for you, is it good for your kid?

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

I tried the 3/4 pad for awhile, and decided it was fine if I knew I was going to put in long days and fall asleep exhausted, with no chance of being stuck in a tent for any reason.

Worst case, if it doesnt work for you, is it good for your kid?

Yup pretty much perfect for him, I have a habit of saying I'm gonna sell X piece of gear if it doesn't work out and then either giving it to him or keeping it as a spare...in reality that's most likely exactly what will end up happening if I'm not a fan