That cheap sleeping pad I laughed at actually saved my trip

I was dead set against those foam folding pads, you know the blue ones that look like a yoga mat? Thought they were for kids or people who didn't know better. I always used my inflatable one with the R-value of 5.2. Well last month up in the Smokies my inflatable got a tiny hole around 2am and I woke up on the ground freezing. A buddy had an extra foam pad in his truck and I was desperate. I used it the next night alongside my repaired inflatable and honestly I slept better on just the foam. It didn't slide around at all and I wasn't worried about popping it on a stick. Has anyone else switched back to foam after years of using air pads?

2 comments

2 Comments

henryp401mo ago

Did you really sleep better on a foam pad with zero padding? Ive had those blue ones too and theyre just terrible for side sleeping. My hips were screaming after one night. But hey, maybe I'm just getting old and need more cushioning. I still carry my inflatable everywhere even though fixing holes is a pain.

wesley_jones1mo ago

Wait, are you telling me I've been hauling around a heavy inflatable and waking up on the cold ground for nothing? I've got the same story, man. I finally ditched my fancy air pad after years because I kept waking up with it flat as a pancake. Now I'm just using a chunk of blue foam and my old man back hasn't complained once. Guess my hips were just tired of sleeping on a puddle of cold disappointment.