Sleeping pad for Alaska

[blakees307]

Headed on a drop caribou hunt this September and I need to get a new sleeping pad. I am wondering how insulated a pad I should be looking at. I have looked quite a bit at the Big Agnes Q-Core SLX. It has a r-value of 3.2. Does anyone have experience with this pad and would it be warm enough for Alaska or should I look at something with an r-value of 5+? TIA

 

[Wapiti151]

You’d be fine with that r-value (most likely) in September. I use a Klymit pad that has about the same RValue as the one you mentioned above, and it works really well in Alaska. Had it down to the teens this year in the Prince William Sound sleeping directly on snow with a waterproof bivy and I never got cold with a 0° down bag. I’m doing a drop in hunt out of Kotz first week of Sept as well, and average temps aren’t overly low in the early part of Sep. I’ll be confident with my Klymit pad

 

[Voyageur]

As I've aged I tend to sleep colder, so if it were me headed to AK caribou country in September with that pad I would invest in the Matty from Seek Outside and if you find yourself getting cold from the ground up throw the Matty on top of your Big Agnes. If you end up not needing the Matty for sleeping it can serve several other purposes as well.
Hope this helps.

 

[cnelk]

Definitely use a thermal break of some sort between the BA air mattress and your body

 

[rayporter]

i would have an extra foam pad for several reasons.

you could get a hole in you BA.
and if you need extra insulation you will have it.

it will serve other uses, like sit a pad and kneel pad, too.

i found a quarter in pad that i carry a lot. 3/8ths pads are available, also. you can likely shorten it many inches, too. one of mine is only 44 inches long and covers the important part of the torso.

now is when to get the pad and test it so you know if it fits your sleep habits.

 

[rideold]

I have that Big Agnes pad. The R value is optimistic at best. I always use an ensolite pad on top of it unless it's full summer. I have a sea to summit comfort plus SI that is warmer. Anymore I'm a big believer in having an ensolite pad regardless of the inflatable I'm using. rayporter makes a really good point about backup. They don't weigh very much.

 

[7layerburrito]

Im an X-Therm guy but I *always* bring a Z-Lite pad with me as well -- they're just so useful. I use mine as a big glassing seat, I stretch on it after big hiking days, I stand on it to get dressed, and, if my X-Therm gets a hole in it and I can't fix it, I've got something decent to sleep on. Plus, you could double them up if you're in a floorless shelter. Maybe you don't bring it with you if you spike out over night (I do) but I find having it worth me always worth it. Plus, the X-Therm is extremely light so it's not like I'm hauling around pounds and pounds of sleeping stuff when I have them both with me.

 

[Wyobohunter]

What part of Alaska? As a general rule I’d say you’d be safe to use any sleeping pad you’d bring on a high mountain elk hunt in the Rockies during the same time of year. I’d apply that same rule to pretty much everything except rain gear and possibly footwear.

 

[blakees307]

Those are all good points. I will most likely be bringing a z-lite with me as well for a variety of reasons from what @rayporter mentioned above. I could see it being very useful. I should mention that with the transporter I am using they will be providing most of our camp gear and will be bringing a cot for everyone. I am a little nervous about it for the fact that the only time I have ever slept on one I got colder then normal so I might just ditch it and sleep on the ground anyways.

 

[rayporter]

cots require a pad more so than the ground. unless you have heat.

 

[Voyageur]

cots require a pad more so than the ground. unless you have heat.

 

[Voyageur]

cots require a pad more so than the ground. unless you have heat.

Definitely. In my experience cots require more insulation underneath during cool/cold weather.

 

[KyleN]

You’d be fine with that r-value (most likely) in September. I use a Klymit pad that has about the same RValue as the one you mentioned above, and it works really well in Alaska. Had it down to the teens this year in the Prince William Sound sleeping directly on snow with a waterproof bivy and I never got cold with a 0° down bag. I’m doing a drop in hunt out of Kotz first week of Sept as well, and average temps aren’t overly low in the early part of Sep. I’ll be confident with my Klymit pad

thanks for the heads up about the Klymit pad

 

[7layerburrito]

Those are all good points. I will most likely be bringing a z-lite with me as well for a variety of reasons from what @rayporter mentioned above. I could see it being very useful. I should mention that with the transporter I am using they will be providing most of our camp gear and will be bringing a cot for everyone. I am a little nervous about it for the fact that the only time I have ever slept on one I got colder then normal so I might just ditch it and sleep on the ground anyways.

Also, any pad you bring for those cots is going to slide all over hell if it's a typical backpacking/camping bad. I've used one with an X-Therm before and wouldn't recommend it -- I ended up using bungie cord to tie it to the cot but it still was better to just sleep on the ground.

 

[daniellmcquillan]

a foam pad in addition goes a long way like others have said, seems to add more than their R value. Not sure how thats possible but thats my experience living here in AK