Backpackers - Sleeping Pads?

[Ben]

Looking for recommendations on the current crop of sleeping pads. I'm working on getting back into backpacking. Probably not for longer trips, but I now live pretty close to good trout waters, and there's a lot of alpine lakes that are a half day hike from the road. A bit too far for a day hike with adequate time for fishing, but good for overnight fast assaults on enemy trout. So looking at semi-ultralight backpacking for the overnights.

The pads I have now are original Thermarests. Holding them now and comparing them weight-wise to the current crop of pads makes them seem a little heavy for the minimal cushioning they give (I'd never been totally happy with it when I backpacked more frequently, but lived with it when I was younger). I'm seeing a lot of 2" pads out there that seem to be air filled. I'm assuming the manufacturing process has improved a lot in twenty years to make them lightweight and puncture resistant. I'm just perusing the various models and would like to hear APS opinions and recommendations.

I'm seeing that Klymit is quite popular, and there's some pretty good "deals of the day" on them at Aamzon this week. Anyway, just looking for input.

[charby]

Exped

http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats

Spendy but worth it, I'm getting one after I get moved.

[mtnbkr]

I mostly use a hammock for warm (40 and above) weather camping, but when I do sleep on the ground, I use a 2/3 length Thermarest.  This is car or bike camping though, not backpacking.

Chris

[Ben]

I mostly use a hammock for warm (40 and above) weather camping, but when I do sleep on the ground, I use a 2/3 length Thermarest.  This is car or bike camping though, not backpacking.

Chris

I've been seeing that hammock camping is getting quite popular. A good portion of the lakes I want to hit though, are at >10K feet, so few trees, and I've been up there in the early Summer where lakes are still half frozen and the tent is pretty frost covered in the morning.  The hammock seems like a comfortable way to go though, where you have good weather and a place to hang it.

I just got an Alps Lynx one person tent (should be showing up this afternoon, $70 Amazon Lightning Deal). I have a Cabelas one man bivvy, but it's not freestanding, so also not practical for these lakes, where it can be hard to find dirt that will take pegs.

[bedlamite]

Haven't done much backpacking, but motorcycle trips use similar gear where space and weight is a premium. I've used mylar coated bubble wrap, cheap, very light, and works. Easy to find a replacement, but not necessarily the most comfortable though. I've used it under a shooting mat too.

[Ron]

For three? years now I've been using the REI Stratus in long wide and it is light years way more comfortable than the closed cell foam or self inflating style of pad. The downside is you have to blow it up. It is pretty much the same style of pad as the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core if you are familiar with that pad.

We are close to the same age so if you have been as hard on your body as I have over the years you will appreciate a more comfortable sleep pad. You spend 6-8 hours, a third of each day in the backcountry on your pad. Bad place to skimp IMHO.

I'll probably replace the Stratus at some point with the REI Cirrus. It has a hand pump built in so no more blowing up your pad with your mouth and it seems a bit cushier than the Stratus even. I use the Exped Downmat 7 that also has a built in hand pump for my winter trips and find that while I prefer the hand pump it can be a drag after a long day having to pump up your pad. Better than blowing up a pad with your breath for sure though.

Exped, Nemo and REI all have pads with pumps built in. Both Big Agnes and Thermarest make stuff sacks that can be used to pump up pads as well as be used as a clothes or sleeping bag stuff sack.

http://www.rei.com/product/870758/rei-stratus-insulated-air-sleeping-pad

http://www.rei.com/product/879232/rei-cirrus-insulated-air-sleeping-pad

[Ben]

We are close to the same age so if you have been as hard on your body as I have over the years you will appreciate a more comfortable sleep pad. You spend 6-8 hours, a third of each day in the backcountry on your pad. Bad place to skimp IMHO.

Yes, that is certainly one of the drivers in my search for a new pad. 

In High School I slept on the ground. In my 20's I went to Ensolite and felt bad about being wimpy. In my 30's I went to the Thermarest and didn't feel bad at all. In my 50's I'm shopping for a nice cushy pad and feeling pretty dang happy about it. 

[Ben]

Okay, the images of that 3" Cirrus are looking pretty dang comfy. I have an old 3/4 Ridge Rest that weighs basically nothing that could do well as extra insulation under the air bed in late Spring, when it's still in the 20's at night.

[Scout26]

http://www3.hilton.com/en/index.html