andrew778•19d agoMost Upvoted

Switched my sleeping pad setup after a rainy night in the Smokies

I used to just grab whatever foam pad was cheapest for car camping, never thinking about insulation values. But after a 40 degree night on the ground near Clingmans Dome last October, I woke up shivering with my back frozen. Now I use a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm with an R-value of 7.3, and it's a total game changer for cold weather trips. Has anyone else had a rough night that made them upgrade their sleep system?

2 comments

2 Comments

kais6719d agoMost Upvoted

God yes. I had a brutal night on the Laurel Highlands Trail a few years back. Temps dropped to like 35 and I had this old cheap pad that was basically a foam pool float. I woke up every hour with my hip digging into the ground and my back felt like a frozen brick by morning. I switched to an Exped Downmat and it's insane the difference a decent R-value makes. Never going back to that nonsense.

cameronb5219d ago

Back felt like a frozen brick by morning" is exactly why I think people overhype this whole R-value thing. I've slept on a closed cell foam pad in 30 degree weather with just a decent bag and a thermal blanket underneath and was totally fine. Spending over 200 bucks on a NeoAir or Downmat seems like overkill when a little extra layering or a better sleeping bag does the same thing for way less money.