Camping

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. . . A Little Extra Comfort Goes A Long Way

Hikers are a pretty hardy bunch really, well, they have to be, pitting their wits against the great outdoors, back packing into the wilderness whilst carrying all of their survival needs in their backpacks, but that doesn’t mean that people who love hiking and backpacking don’t love sleeping too. You do need a good nights sleep after a long day hiking the trails, and whilst the sleeping bag is an extremely important piece of their sleeping hiking equipment, a sleeping pad or mat can make their comfort complete.

Hiking sleeping pads and mats have come a long way since somebody rolled up a bit of foam rubber and tied it to the top of their pack with a bit of string, they are available in many different forms, shapes, sizes and designs, but they all have one aim . . . to give the hiker a good nights rest whilst not taking up too much space (or adding too much weight) to their backpack. The sleeping pad or mat is again a trade off . . . comfort versus weight. The more comfortable sleeping pads do tend to be more bulky and weigh a little more than the mats which the minimalist ultralight hikers might plump for (if they decide on a sleeping mat at all on their hiking adventures), so how much weight are you prepared to carry in your backpack for a good nights shuteye? That’s the question really.

Types of Sleeping Pad

There are 4 different basic types of sleeping pad to choose from:

• Air Mattress – I’ve started with these but I’m not sure why really, although they do ensure a comfortable nights sleep they are much more suited to car camping, or even as a spare bed at home for when you get unexpected visitors. You won’t find many hikers who are willing to lug one of these babies around in their backpacks.
• Foam Pads – are still a popular option to this day, but some of them are now scientifically designed with clever foam in ridges and valleys so that the warm air will be trapped, and an aluminized surface which reflects your body heat to keep you warm and comfy. They’re pretty light too, and can come in handy before it’s even bedtime but they tend to be quite bulky even when they are rolled up real tight. Watch this, Chris certainly likes them . . .

See, told you they were his favorite. Kneeling pad, comfortable for sitting on plus they’re small and lightweight . . . but they’re not every hikers sleeping pad of choice . . .

• Air Pads – now you’re talking. Like an air mattress but smaller and lighter, designed for packing in your backpack and taking with you on your hike.  They are generally comfortable, lightweight, durable, and easily compressed to pack up small and compact. What more could you ask for in a sleeping pad . . . oh yes, a good nights sleep. You’ll get one of those too, whatever ground you lay your sleeping pad on (sometimes it’s dark you know, and you can’t always clear away the rocks and twigs when you’re backpacking). One word of warning, air pads can puncture (if you lay down on something sharp by accident on your back packing trip), and although puncture repairs are not that difficult, even in the field, it’s one more potential problem to think about. One more  question, what if you don’t have enough “puff” to inflate the sleeping air pad after backpacking up and down trails all day? Fear not, I’ve left the best until last . . .
• Self Inflating Air Pad – oh my word, have I died and gone to heaven . . . no, you’ve just hiked to the top of the world (or so it might seem) and are going to actually get a very comfortable nights sleep for your trouble. They’re a bit more expensive than the other air pads (and they can still puncture) but hey, thousands of hikers think that they are totally worth it. Only problem is packing your self inflating air pad up again, I mean, these “blow up” things are all well and good in my experience, but trying to pack them back into the little stuff sack they arrived in is almost impossible. Hang on, this guy seems to have a good technique for us hikers to follow . . .

. . . thanks Jason, I’ll remember that!