Hello my friends, John here, and today we're going to be talking about sleeping pads; perhaps
one of the most important, yet least discussed pieces of gear.
They serve two primary functions.
One, they provide the cushioning that allows you to get a good comfortable night's sleep,
and two, they keep you warm by insulating you from the cold ground.
So, let's take a look at some of the factors to consider when choosing the ideal sleeping
pad for you.
Now, we'll start off by taking a quick look at the three main types of sleeping pads;
the closed-cell foam, the inflatable, and the self-inflating pad.
Now, you're all probably quite familiar with the closed-cell foam pad as they have been
a staple of backpackers for years, and for good reason as we'll see.
What they are is a semi-dense foam which contains thousands of little tiny air bubbles.
This is what provides the insulation and cushioning that keep you from that cold hard ground.
Now, the advantages of the closed-cell foam pads are they're incredibly lightweight, they
are very inexpensive, they provide a pretty good level of insulation for the thickness
of the pad, and they are virtually indestructible.
The disadvantages are, they tend to be quite bulky, and due to their thinness, may not
provide the cushioning that you need for a comfortable night's sleep.
Next in line are the inflatable pads, which are basically a nylon shell that is filled
with air.
Now the advantages to pad like this is that they're lightweight, they are extremely compact,
sometimes down to the size of a 1-liter bottle, and they provide a very generous amount of
loft, sometimes up to two to three inches.
Now, that's a lot of comfort right there.
The disadvantage is they do require manual inflation which can take some time.
They're susceptible to puncture, though they are generally easy to repair in the field,
and they do not provide the best insulation from the cold, although there are models out
there on the market that do provide some type of filler or a reflective barrier, which can
increase the insulation-value dramatically.
And last, but not least, is the self-inflating pad.
These also have a nylon outer shell, but they're filled with an open-celled foam core.
Now the advantage to the self-inflating pad is, well, they're self-inflating.
You open up the valve and let the pad do the work on it's own.
You can't beat that can you?
They're also relatively lightweight and compact, although not necessarily as much so as the
inflatables, and they provide a very generous amount of cushioning and insulation-value
for their size.
The disadvantages to these pads are that they can be relatively bulky, depending on the
model that you get, and they are also susceptible to failure or damage in the field, although
once again, repairs can be fairly easy.
With any of these pads, one thing you'll want to take into consideration is the pad's "R"
value.
The r-value is a number-rated system which essentially just tells you the uh ability
of the pad to insulate you from the ground, i.e. its warmth.
So, if you're looking at a pad that's rated one, it's going to provide you with not a
lot of warmth.
Conversely, if you're looking at a pad that's rated a 6, say, that's going to provide you
a lot more warmth for colder weather camping.
So, you'll want to take that into consideration.
And, some of the other things you may want to take into account is the intended use that
you're going to use the pad for.
If you are comfortable sleeping with a lot less cushioning, you want to go lightweight,
you don't have a lot of money to spend, a good closed-cell foam pad may be the choice
for you.
If you need a lot of comfort and padding from the ground, you know, an inflatable pad might
be the choice for you.
And finally, you'll want to choose a pad that fits your body size and sleeping style.
There are a wide range of pads on the market.
That should easily allow you to find a pad that's perfect for your needs.
Well, I hope you've found this information useful and it helps you choose the right sleeping
pad for your next outdoor adventure.
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Until next time, take the best of care, and thank you for watching.