Shoutout to the cheap sleeping pad I almost returned

I picked up a $30 inflatable sleeping pad from a big box store last year and figured it would pop on the first night. I’ve always used those thick foam pads or spent over $100 on insulated ones. Gave it a try on a rainy trip near Lake Placid three months ago. Ground was rocky and cold, but that cheap pad kept me off the dirt and I actually slept decent. No leaks, no air loss overnight. I’m still skeptical it’ll last a full season, but it’s held up for six trips now. Has anyone else found a budget piece of gear that worked way better than expected or is it mostly luck?

3 comments

3 Comments

willow_garcia11d ago

Wait is that the one from that big box store with the weird valve? I grabbed one too and it's somehow still alive after a dozen trips.

jones.brooke11d ago

Oh man, actually I think that valve thing isn't a valve, it's some kind of pressure release button. I looked it up after I nearly broke mine trying to twist it off. It's supposed to self-seal when you unscrew the hose, not let you control water flow or anything. My neighbor's a plumber and he laughed at me when I showed him, said those things are just cheap gimmicks that break in a season. But yeah, somehow mine's still kicking too after like 15 trips, even though the plastic feels all brittle now. Kind of impressive for something that probably costs them like two bucks to make.

amybarnes11d ago

A cheap gimmick that breaks in a season? That thing has been through hell with me and still works just fine. My camper's hose connection is all rusted and bent and the plastic valve hasn't cracked yet, even after getting kicked around in the mud. Maybe your neighbor just got a bad batch or doesn't know how to use it properly because the one I've got has outlasted two hoses so far. Sounds more like a design that gets the job done than some overpriced brass valve that would probably rust out anyway.