How critical is sleeping pad quality?

[KRATOCT]

I purchased a well rated but Amazon cheap $40 inflatable sleeping pad about a month ago for an upcoming backcountry elk hunt I’ll be going on. I keep seeing so many ads and talk about the higher end sleeping pads that are 4-5 times what I paid. A comfortable sleep is I’m sure critical to performance on the mountain the next day. I also believe mine does not have much of any r value. Do I return and apply that $40 for a higher end pad like a sea to summit of thermarest or is a pad going to be just a pad?
Thanks

 

[highcountrymuley]

do you like to sleep or toss and turn? have you slept on it yet for a test run? do you wear crappy boots too? get a good pad

 

[Bubblehide]

If the ground is cold, and I presume it will be, R-value is EVERYTHING, as is a pad that is long and wide enough for the user. My prediction is that your backside will be cold all night and you will not get much sleep if any at all.

 

[*zap*]

R-value is everything when it gets cold and adequate size/thickness is necessary for comfort. Good luck.

 

[zacattack]

R value is where the rubber meets the road. It’s a measurement of heat flow resistance. Higher the value the less heat flows from the hotter object (you) to the colder object (ground). In other words the ground is going to suck all you body heat away.

 

[Rokwiia]

You could get a -150F sleeping bag but if you sleep on the 0F ground without a pad, you'll eventually die of hypothermia. Sleeping-bag ratings assume you have a pad/mat with an commensurate R-value to be comfortable to the stated temperature rating.

Some of best nights sleeping are when it is below 20F and I'm in a sleeping bag on my ExPed DownMat 9. It feels like there is an electric heating pad beneath me.

 

[go_deep]

How important?
If your sleeping on the ground, about as important as oxygen is to you.

 

[mlgc20]

IMO, single most important piece of hiking/camping gear is your sleeping pad. And I don’t think its even close. There are plenty of other ways to save money. I just wouldn’t do it on my sleeping pad.

I think you’d be better off sleeping on a bed of pine boughs versus those cheap inflatable sleeping pads.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Seems that there are many folks who just like to skimp on the things used the most and splurge on things that are used the least.

Buy a quality pad with a sufficient R rating and then get the best bag you can with what’s left in your sleeping budget. Better to have an XTherm (for example) and a mid-grade bag than a cheap pool float mattress and a WM bag.

 

[BveArea]

Got a cheap sleeping pad for $40 and used it for one night while camping/hunting and I kept tossing and turning, even falling off the pad a couple times and woke up multiple times during the night. Never again going the cheap route.


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[Rob5589]

Think about this, I have hunted mid Sept in snow and down into the high 20's at night. Can that pad and your bag handle that?

 

[Jimss]

I use a neoair that I bought around 15 years ago and sleep like a baby. I've uesd it for everything from truck camping in my topper when it's single digets to summer backpack trips to Sept Alaska backcountry hunts. It's super light and compact for packing. I also have a 30 year old thermarest that also works incredibly well. I really haven't ever worried too much about R-rating. I wear more layers to bed when it's cold and sometimes bring an extra sleeping bag to put below or over me depending upon the conditions. Sleep is important and everyone is a little different in what works the best. You might try your cheap pad a night or 2 at home and see if it works for you? Cheaper pads may leak after a while...and that would be one of my biggest concerns.

 

[Trial153]

Right up there with boots

 

[antlerz]

Just an opinion but:
3 ways to go.

1) Cheap 10mm foam - Reliable, cant puncture, good to sit on, warmish, uncomfortable and need to sleep on front. Biggest disadvantage is bulk and need to store on outside of pack which sucks for hunting. Did it for years and it worked.
2) Any old air mattress with some foam on top - warm and comfy
3) Big R value, big $, MSR X Therm. Decent R value means you carry less feathers and get away with a lighter sleeping bag. Warm and comfy, packs small, seems to be best weight for warmth option. Mine hasn't let me down yet. I prefer the wider model.

Throw a bit of 6mm foam on top of the cheap amazon mattress and your good to go.

 

[KRATOCT]

Alright, open to suggestions

 

[txtransplant]

@antlerz you put the foam on top of the air mattress? I would have thought foam underneath would work better. Have you tried it both ways? I'll have to give it a shot that way.

 

[Rokwiia]

Just an opinion but:
3 ways to go.

1) Cheap 10mm foam - Reliable, cant puncture, good to sit on, warmish, uncomfortable and need to sleep on front. Biggest disadvantage is bulk and need to store on outside of pack which sucks for hunting. Did it for years and it worked.
2) Any old air mattress with some foam on top - warm and comfy
3) Big R value, big $, MSR X Therm. Decent R value means you carry less feathers and get away with a lighter sleeping bag. Warm and comfy, packs small, seems to be best weight for warmth option. Mine hasn't let me down yet. I prefer the wider model.

Throw a bit of 6mm foam on top of the cheap amazon mattress and your good to go.

At best, 6mm (1/4") will provide an additional 1.0 R-value with good foam, which isn't much. Cheap foam will likely provide less. Even the various Thermarest pads need to be 3/4" or more to provide additional R-value of 2.0 or more.

https://www.gossamergear.com/collections/accessories/products/thinlight-foam-pad?variant=30497164620

ttps://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/trek-and-travel/ridgerest-classic-sleeping-pad/ridgerest-classic.html

https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad/z-lite-sol.html

 

[Bearwhisky]

You will loose as much or more heat to the ground as the air temp. The bottom of your sleeping bag is compressed while you sleep, offering little insulation. Your pad is the only thing insulating you from the ground. Sleeping pad is VERY important to staying warm. Also, if your pad doesn’t hold air, you are screwed.


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[neil.hansford]

Test the one you have. If it is comfortable and you want to keep it, you can always put a mylar blanket on top or bottom (or both) of the pad to improve R value. They're cheap, light, and cost almost nothing. If you're going to be using it a lot, I'd opt for an insulated pad. But just for 1 trip, you could make it work.

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[Poser]

I don’t think that expensive = more comfort in terms of sleeping on an air mattress, but as everyone else said, R value is what matters when it’s cold and if you go out with a less than ideal R value you, you will learn a hard, uncomfortable lesson.

I recently replaced my 8 year old Xtherm with a new one as the old one had a slow leak that I couldn’t find (it also had 250+ nights of use). The new valve design is awesome. I use that pad year around. I’ve considered a uberlite for the summer, but the X therm material inspires a lot of confidence over lighter options.