Big Agnes Rapide

[Goodelife]

Who’s got one and has used it below 32 degrees? How’d it do?

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Works fine. I also have the quad core which is a bit heavier and similar R value. I think the Rapide is a great pad overall.

I have a 20 degree bag and a down liner also both from big Agnes. I’m pretty good down to probably about 30 with just long johns much below that and I just sleep with more layers and a hat. The coldest I’ve camped in was probably low teens or high single digits. I don’t take a thermometer so I guess I never know the actual temps.

 

[vladkgb]

Used the rapide SL for about a week, lows were in the 20's, did just fine. I use a quilt so it's just the pad insulating me from the floor.

 

[alexnelon]

I've taken mine down to 20 with just a quilt and it was fine. I've used it down to ~10 degrees with an extra z fold foam pad under it and it was still good.

 

[hunthikecamp]

Haven't had any issues with mine either, down to the 20s and teens overnight and its been plenty warm. I usually sleep in my 0 deg bag once temps drop below 30 overnight but using the quilt in the 30s has been no problem for me.

 

[JAshley73]

I bought a 20" x 66" Rapide-SL pad for my son, and Big Agnes' kids 20* synthetic bag, both secondhand for Christmas. That bag has no insulation on the bottom/middle, relying on the pad for warmth.

He's 8, so I was trying to be very conservative when we used it down to the mid 20's. I put a sheet of mylar-bubble wrap insulation under the pad (like what you would use in a pole-barn) and he slept in sweatpants and a hoody.

No complaints the next day. He said he was warm all night.

As far as comfort, if I didn't mind my feet hanging on the end of the pad, I think I could sleep pretty darn well on his 20x66 pad.

My next pad that I buy will be a 25" Rapide-SL. I'm undecided if I'll settle for the 72" or get the 78" length. (I'm 6')

I have some other pads, including the much praised Thermarest Neoloft. I think the Rapide-SL offers the perfect balance of softness vs. firmness. I've tried it side-by-side in stores, against the Nemo Tensor pads, and find it more comfortable than those as well.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

BA pads do not live up to their RA value as well as Thermarest. In my experience using the Rapide, it’s quite cold and I would not personally want to use it much below freezing.

 

[Rancheria]

BA pads do not live up to their RA value as well as Thermarest. In my experience using the Rapide, it’s quite cold and I would not personally want to use it much below freezing.

I would second this. In terms of comfort I think it kicks the competition to the curb but the BA's R value seems to be inflated. I borrowed a friends neoair which has a posted -0.3 R value under my BA RSL and I noticed a difference on a mid October Yukon night. Surprised me with the size difference between the 2.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Agree with @Rancheria. I've never used a more comfortable pad either.

 

[JAshley73]

Thinking on this more, my BA Divide-Insulated pad at a 4.1, feels a little cold to me. It could be anecdotal, or just my restless sleep.

Unfortunately, their Zoom UL pad is notoriously reported to feel much colder than it's 4.3 rating. It's a shame, because it is very light & small when packed down.

That being said, I will probably still go with the Rapide-SL pad eventually. One can always add a CCF pad underneath, but it's hard to supplement "comfort"...

 

[chasekregor]

BA pads do not live up to their RA value as well as Thermarest. In my experience using the Rapide, it’s quite cold and I would not personally want to use it much below freezing.

I have had a similar experience.

I have owned a rapide for a couple of years now and the comfort is awesome but I personally wouldn't take it on a trip where I knew the temperatures would be below freezing for more than one night. Around mid September I transition to a higher R value sleeping pad.

The new nemo eclipse sleeping pad looks to be one of the most promising sleeping pads for a true "one and done" that I have seen in a while, seems to be relatively thick (comfort) all while having a higher R value and not being too heavy.

 

[Nicaburns]

Great pad as has been stated. I’ve used mine at 12 degrees with an outdoor vitals 15 quilt… I was OK and slept but should have had more. I’m a bigger fan of the thermarest Xtherm now even though it is noisier than the BA.