When Keri and I first started camping, she would be having a great time until we crawled into the tent to sleep. The party was over. She would toss and turn throughout the night and just could not get into a deep sleep. This really bummed me out because I felt like I had let her down. I was the gear guy. If something didn’t work I had not done my research properly. I set off to make sure that every night moving forward she would sleep like a baby in a kid carrier. That’s a weird way to put it, but if you’ve ever carried a child on an extended hike through nap time, you know what I’m talking about. I set to work and over the years have tried most major brands and different styles of construction and materials. I think we’ve settled on two sleeping pads that have ticked as many possible boxes for us and we’ve been sleeping soundly for years.
Our family backpacks and car camps, so we found it works best for us to each have two sleeping pads.
The car camping pad can have a focus more towards comfort with packed size and weight being less of a concern.
Backpacking pads need to be light and pack small with comfort coming in behind those two.
What we use for car camping:
This mat is the real deal. We have three that we use to fill the entire tent floor. It makes the tent into a giant bed and has been great for wrestling with the kiddos. Each mat is 30” x 78” and is 4” thick. The pack size is a little big as they are a self inflating foam mat. Each mat comes with a repair kit and stuff sack which is nice. These are in top three of the best camping equipment I’ve ever purchased. We sleep so soundly on them and look forward to going to be each night we’re out. They’ve been super durable and we’ve put over 100 nights on them. Another nice option is they make a great bed for when company comes or if you want to make a large mat at home and watch a movie as a family. I couldn’t recommend these any higher.
What we use for backpacking:
When the NeoAir was released it was a game changer. How could a mat pack this small, be so light, and still be warm? It’s all those things and more. The kids use the “women’s” version which is smaller, lighter, and has a higher R-value than the regular X-light. Because they are so light and small they easily fit in the kid’s backpacks. Keri and I use the large sized mats for a little more wiggle room in the torso area. They are 2.5” thick and that is plenty to provide a comfortable night’s rest. Therm-a-Rest designed these with packed size and weight in mind, so there are some tradeoffs that had to be made. The thin reflective material does make some noise when you move around and it is a little more fragile than other pads. Some people compare the noise to wrinkling a chip bag. They are rather expensive as well. Beyond those things, this is one of the best backpacking pads out there.
When looking at sleeping pads there are numerous things that need to looked at before making a purchase.
They are: Thickness, R-value, Weight, Size/Shape, Material/Construction, and Price.
- Thickness in pads can vary from 1 inch to over 5 inches. Usually the thicker the mattress is the more comfortable the pad will be. If you tend to sleep on your back you can typically get away with a thinner mat. Side sleepers need a little more cushion to keep their hip off the ground. We use a car camping mat that is 4” thick and a backpacking pad that is 2.5”.
- R-Value has to do with the insulating properties of a sleeping mat. This year a standard was set in the outdoor industry that now requires all manufacturers to test their pads in the same manner which makes it much easier to compare different models. It’s important to know what temperatures you will be camping in and buy a mat that is rated for those temps. It really sucks to have an under-insulated mat when the temperature drops below freezing. Most companies that make backpacking pads will make different versions of the same pad that will be insulated and uninsulated, so be careful when shopping. The uninsulated mat will be lighter and would be great for summer desert trips, but in the mountains it’s not always your best bet. Here’s a chart that gives a basic outline of what value is appropriate for a given season:
- Weight is a very important consideration for backpacking, not so much for car camping. It’s not hard to find a 3-4 season pad that easily weighs under 1 pound nowadays. The pad that our kids use weigh only 12 oz! It’s pretty crazy how light they have become. Our camp pads lie on the other end of the spectrum at 70 oz (5 lbs. 10 oz). Understand that the lightest pads will be made of more fragile material and durability goes down along with the weight.
- Size and shape are important in relation to how big or small a mat is when inflated and when it is packed away. The “regular” backpacking pad size has been 20” x 72”. In the past 5-10 years sizing has really expanded you can get the exact size that you need. This is great as you don’t have to carry a larger pad that can weigh more when you only need a torso pad. For backpacking our kids use a “Women’s” mat which is 66” x 20” and Keri and I use a large mat that is 25” x 76”. Mats also come two different shapes: Mummy and Rectangular. A mummy shaped pad will taper from the torso down to the feet. A rectangular pad will carry it’s width from top to bottom. It’s also possible to get double mats which are great for couples that like to cuddle and cut down on weight. Keri and I prefer two mats 😉
- The construction and materials of sleeping pads also varies greatly. The most basic pads are just closed cell foam. They’re cheap and can’t pop because they contain no air. Self inflating mattresses contain open cell foam that is covered with a air tight material. These are nice because they don’t require too much air when inflated, but you can fine tune the firmness. Next we have air mattresses. They pack small and when inflated can be pretty comfortable. They need a lot of air depending on the size and if they start to leak, you’ll wake up flat on the ground. As you go towards the lighter side of sleeping pads you’ll be looking at air mattresses with very thin outer material and super small pack sizes. To push the envelope on weight manufacturers have come up with amazing innovations in construction with welding seams and creating reflective materials to boost the R-value without adding bulk and weight.
- Price can be the #1 determining factor when buying a sleeping pad. Buy what you can afford and get out there. With that said, a good night’s sleep can pay major dividends when on an extended trip or when you’re enjoying strenuous days outside. I have been through many pads trying to save money and buying something that might be good enough. Personally this where I would not skimp and spend the money. Don’t ever pay retail though. REI, Backcountry, Campsaver, and many other companies offer deals around major holidays and 20% off coupons are usually available at these times. I personally prefer to buy used gear when I can and look on eBay, craigslist, and geartrade.com. At REI garage sales you can save a lot of money when you buy a used pad that has a leak. This is great because they are not hard to fix and you’ll learn the skills you need when leaks crop up again.
A lot of people get turned off to camping because of sleeping like crap. I think a good pad goes a long way to changing people’s mind.
If you have a small car I would look into buying a backpacking pad because the size difference can be substantial between that and a dedicated car camping mat. That will free up more room for other gear and food. Some air mats are even available with a separate memory foam topper to increase comfort when weight is not a concern and they can be left behind when weight is. If possible head to your local outdoor store and they might have a good selection of mats that are already inflated for you to test out.
As far as brands go I’ve had good luck with Therm-a-Rest, Exped, N.E.M.O, Sea to Summit, Big Agnes, and REI. They all have extensive lineups and should be able to meet your needs.
I love all things related to camping gear, so if you have any questions or suggestions to make this article better please let me know!
– SCOTT