Hit 50 nights in my tent this year and changed my mind about sleeping pads

I always thought cheap foam pads were fine since I'm a tough sleeper, but after night 48 in Olympic National Park I woke up with my hip digging into a root and realized I was done. So I finally grabbed a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir at REI for like $180 and now I get why people spend the money. Has anyone else held out on upgrading something basic for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer15d ago

And the puffy jacket thing is so real... I did that for years too until I woke up one morning in the Smokies with my ear folded over and a stiff neck that lasted three days. For me it was upgrading from those old school aluminum camp cups to a simple silicone one. I always thought metal was tougher but after burning my lip on coffee one too many times I finally caved. Now I actually enjoy my morning brew without that weird metallic taste or worrying about dropping it on a rock. Sometimes you just gotta admit the cheap way isn't always the best way for your own sanity.

jenny4716d ago

50 nights on a foam pad? Your hips must have the structural integrity of a wadded up napkin by now. I held out on getting a good camp pillow for three years, just balling up my puffy jacket every night like a caveman. Finally dropped $40 on a compressible pillow and woke up feeling like an actual human being instead of a bag of smashed rocks. Sometimes your back just screams at you until you listen, you know?

avery_flores1710d ago

Gonna have to disagree a little there. I upgraded from a crummy foam pad to a self-inflating one and honestly my hips still ache on rocky ground, it just takes a little longer to kick in. A good pillow is nice but your sleeping pad is doing way more of the heavy lifting than people give it credit for, especially if you're a side sleeper like me. The puffy jacket trick works fine if you shove it into a stuff sack and use that as a pillow, saved me from buying anything extra.