What sleeping pads are people running for backcountry hunting in 3-season conditions (doesn't stop before freezing)?
I'm between the Nemo Tensor All Season and the BA Rapide SL, both recently reassigned, but wanted to hear what people actually run for their sleep systems
Depends. Are you sleeping in a tent, hammock, or potentially out in the open? We are potentially dealing with hypothermia, so it’s worth asking and understanding.
The short answer is: get a bag that is rated at least for the coldest temps you’ll encounter, AND make sure you have rain gear (head to toe, including hands) and shelter (tent, tarp, whatever—keep the bag dry, or you are screwed to the shadow realm). You’re going to die of hypothermia due to rain many times over before you die because your bag wasn’t rated appropriately.
On a tent or on the ground, use a pad if you want—it’s really for comfort at that point. If your bag is rated for that temp, you don’t need a pad. There is a phenomenal amount of bad information regarding pads. If you are on the ground, with an appropriately rated bag, you don’t need a pad. Period.
Ask yourself “what are the coldest temps I’ll encounter?”. Get a bag that will cover you for that. If you find yourself using that bag in 80+ degree temps, you just need a second bag. Don’t sweat in your bag. Seriously.
If you want a pad, get one that isn’t inflatable. Trust me. Get one that is foldable. It will weigh next to nothing. They are bulky, but light. Use it and abuse it. When it breaks, buy another. I wouldn’t give it any more thought than the above two sentences.
If you’re in a hammock, and you’re asking this question, then I would say this: do not use a hammock in nighttime temps below 70F until you know what you’re doing. I’m not joking. You can become hypothermic at 70F in a hammock. Too much air circulation. If our body temp is 95F or less, we are in dire straights in the backcountry. 70F is a far off way from 95F.
Once you’ve used a hammock in warmer temps, you’ll know what is needed for colder temps. The basic hammock setup is: thermal pad (foldable 1-inch thick pad, or similar), combined with an appropriately rated bag. If you have those, you’ll probably be fine. Or not. You have to be prepared to jog in a circle all night long if things go south and you become hypothermic. Probably won’t happen. I find the pads do well in hammocks until you get to a night time temp of 50F or below—at these temps, you need an under-quilt for the hammock. The pad/under-quilt removes air circulation beneath you (it makes it equivalent to sleeping on the ground from a thermodynamic standpoint). You always need an appropriately rated bag.
Lastly, I hunt in the backcountry. A lot. I’m nasty by the first night. That sleeping bag is nastier. Hunters usually go through sleeping bags like a cowboy goes through women in a …—you get the point. If you’re using it for hunting, you may not want to buy “top of the line” because you may need to replace it after a year. Sleeping bags do not wash well—you can wash them, but sleeping bags are not made to get wet. Period. If it’s that bad, replace it. If you don’t want to replace it, don’t be a nasty dude.
You can always take layers off or unzip your bag. While not ideal, it’s better than hypothermia. But whatever you do, do not sweat excessively in that bag. You will destroy the thermal regulation quickly (as in days) and risk hypothermia when you need the rating on that bag. So, buy multiple bags.
Good luck.
