Uncomfortable on blow up sleeping pad! Any tips?

[Mike Islander]

EDIT: This thread is for backcountry sleeping, not car camping. Not going to carry a three pound mat into the woods. For car camping I sleep on two layers of memory foam queen mattress toppers.

I have three different sleeping pads and have tried another. They are all fairly uncomfortable for me. Any tips for improving comfort on these pads? I know I can adjust the air to make them mold better to my body. I've also mounded up pine needles under my tent to frame my body. I have a long, heavy torso with relatively short legs. Also have a pokey butt. So on my back I feel like I'm doing a backbend. On my side, I feel like I'm balancing on a beach ball with my lower body up in the air.

1. Neoair X-Lite Wide: Oval-shaped pad. All of the above problems. When I let out enough air to be comfortable on my side my hip gets cold and sometimes touches the ground.

2. Neoair X-Therm Max: Much better, but on my back still feel like I am doing a backbend. When I let out enough air to be comfortable on my side my hip gets cold and sometimes touches the ground.

3. Neoair Trail Lite Large (self-inflatable closed cell foam): Best feeling of the bunch but a thin, silly heavy, and R-value of only 3.2

- Is digging a small hole for my butt a good solution?
- Learn to sleep on them over time?
- Hunt harder and you can sleep anywhere? Actually this one is probably correct.
- Any other suggestions?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Brianb3]

Tagging along.

Only thing I try is not inflating it as much. But honestly some nights I wonder why I brought one as the ground would seem as comfortable


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[sndmn11]

I felt the same until I tried a klymit deluxe sl.

 

[Carrot Farmer]

The more tired, the better I sleep...so true

My best pad is a BA AXL insulated Wide(3.5” thick). When I’m having issues, like yourself. I elevate my legs with my pack/puffy etc. this seems to help the issue for me.


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[Nickjohn44]

Give the big agnes q core deluxe a look. Im a side sleeper so the 3.5 inch thickness made a world of difference for me. Ive tried many pads and this is the most comfortable for me with a reasonably good r value.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

Hammock


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[Mike Islander]

Just tried elevating my legs by putting my empty pack under the pad. This seemed to be a huge improvement. I will try it in the woods soon.

 

[jhim]

I have a similar issue to what you are describing. If I am laying flat on my pad my lower back pinches and becomes very uncomfortable. So I just started laying my boots down under the foot of my pad and that small amount of elevation fixes it.

 

[douglasfir]

I had the same experience with Neoair and Klymit products- switched to a prolite plus and slept like a baby in the woods for the first time since I was a kid.

 

[Rob5589]

Melatonin. I use an Exped that is 3" thick, have some minor back issues, and sleep on my side. It's great for what it is but I wouldn't call it comfortable. One biggie I realized last season, make sure your head is slightly elevated compared to your feet.

 

[*zap*]

The self inflating pads which have foam in the are more comfortable for me but they are heavier, my klymit 30" wide r-5 is not too bad at all for a pad without foam. want to try an exped downmat but the price is kinda steep.

 

[Jbehredt]

You’ve tried 3 pads but none of them are built to be especially comfortable. Sea to summit comfort plus or a thick exped 7 would be my next move. You’ll obviously pay a weight penalty but they were designed to be more comfortable and therefore heavier. I’ve got a big Agnes deluxe and an xtherm rolled up for good on the shelf and use my sea to summit exclusively even though it is nearly twice as heavy.

 

[*zap*]

My thermarest basecamp is very comfy but 3+#. My luxury map is 4+#. Both of those are a solid r-6. The + of a self inflater that has foam is if you have an unfixable leak you still have the foam.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I have back issues and have tried a couple different pads...I put a ultra light cot on my Christmas list...wanna give one a try..

 

[Clarence]

Agree with many of the comments above. All of your pads are on the thinner side. Having a thicker pad would give you the ability to let some air out and allow the pad to contour and support your body better. Putting your puffy and extra clothes in a stuff sak under your legs, to relieve pressure on your lower bag helps me a ton as well. But at the end of the day I would sell those pads to a young person and get yourself something a lb heavier that you will sleep well on! My .02

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[Desk Jockey]

I dumped my neoair because of noise. Tried other thermarest. Tried klymit. Ended up with a sea to summit enter lite. 4” thick and the most comfortable pad I have found. I haven’t slept on anything else since I bought it. I also pair mine with some sort of closed cell pad in most cases. Thermarest z lite or a Marty mcmatface. That doubles as my sit pad and protects the inflatable. Blow outs that you can’t patch can make for miserable trips.

 

[rayporter]

this.
if you are getting cold you need more insulation. you hip is telling you that..

i always have a closed cell with me to pair with my main sleeping pad but i put it on top of the air pad for the max insulation.

I also pair mine with some sort of closed cell pad in most cases. Thermarest z lite or a Marty mcmatface. That doubles as my sit pad and protects the inflatable. Blow outs that you can’t patch can make for miserable trips.

 

[mlgc20]

The Neoair pads are great for saving weight. And the Xtherm Max has awesome R-value. But IMO, the horizontal baffles just aren’t nearly as comfortable as the vertical baffles of Exped or the “quilted” baffles of some of the Big Agnes pads. I still use my Neoair, when weight is the highest priority. But, I can usually talk myself into carrying a few extra ounces to not dread going to sleep.

 

[swampthing]

For me the trick is to not run much air in the pad. I blow it up full and then lay on it and let air out until its comfortable. I probably end up with it 1/3 inflated.

 

[Jeff_Gibbons]

The more tired, the better I sleep...so true

My best pad is a BA AXL insulated Wide(3.5” thick). When I’m having issues, like yourself. I elevate my legs with my pack/puffy etc. this seems to help the issue for me.


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Also a fan of BA pads. Mine rolls up small and is light and comfortable for what it is