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Pad under sleeping bag?


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Hi Guys, great ideas!

 

Our winter camping trips always end up being car camping. The best way we've found to keep the boys off of the cold ground is to bring along a few bales of hay to spread between the ground cloth and the tent. No matter how much they roll, the hay stays under the boys.

 

For myself, after a car accident a couple of years ago I had some trouble with my back, and after trying a cot and still having moderate discomfort I decided to try a sleeping pad. I had heard good things about the self inflating pads and discovered one that tapers, thicker at the head and back, ranging from 3" down to 1" at the feet, cutting down the weight for backpacking significantly. After using it her first time on a trip with us, my mother in law insists on sleeping on it when visiting our home every time now, instead of a bed.

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Therm-a-rest is the only way to go, regardless of budget. They make a full range of self-inflatable pads that roll smaller than closed-cell foam. You can pay anywhere from about $30 to close to $200 for one, depending on width, length, inflated thickness, etc.

 

Uncle Sam bought my last several for me -- $70 for the latest, 2 1/2" thick, 76" long, and 30" wide. Sleeping on the ground has never been better. I bought my son a 1 1/2" thick, 72" long, and 24" wide TAR pad for $39.95...he doesn't leave home without it.

 

KS

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Good choice.

I have two original 3/4 standard thermarests and they are going strong after all these many years.

Here are some care and feeding thoughts:

Store them unrolled, valves open and at indoor room temperature. (I keep ours under the bed.) This way the foam will not retain any memory and the air will circulate.

When using, overinflate (by blowing it up)the pad, lay on the pad on your side and let out a the air until your hip just barely touches the ground.

Then close the valve and sleep well!

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My advice on pads is as follows:

 

When you have the weight and room to spare use a full size self-inflating foam pad like a ThermARest. Buy one that is long enough and wide enough for you. It is worth it.

 

For Philmont I bought a RidgeRest that was narrower and slightly shorter than the thermarest I usually use. (Still able to fit on it, but just barely.) However it saved quite a bit of room and made breaking camp faster and easier. I also purchased a small conversion kit that I can put the RidgeRest into and make it into a stadium style chair. The pad and chair kit weighed less than the inflatable pad by itself.

 

Also, if you want your self inflating pad to continue to self inflate you should store it inflated. Under a bed is a good place for this. This prevents the foam from being compacted over time. This really does work. Others in my troop had to blow up their pads after a while, but I just role mine out and open the valve.

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Good morning all

 

Wow, some great post on ground pads and storing them properly. I just wanted to add that sleeping bags need to be store the same way, either unstuffed laying out, or hanging up. With each use, the pile in sleeping bags breakdown and become less efficient. keeping them unstuffed in storage helps extend the life of the material in the bag. Down bags hold up a little longer than man-made fibers, but they also need to be stored unstuffed and hanging up.

 

Also, clean you bag as much as the manufacture allows. The more the bag breaths, the warmer it is. Oils in our skin can clog the pores of the sleeping bag fabric which keeps the miosture in the bag and on our skin. Liners can help a lot.

 

Great stuff

 

Barry

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  • 2 weeks later...

My son got back yesterday from his first cold-weather campout with his new gear, so I thought I'd report if anybody is interested. He reported that a full-length Therm-A-Rest would have been better than the 3/4, because his feet were cold until he stuffed some more clothes into the bottom of his sleeping bag. He had an REI down bag rated to 20 degrees, and although I doubt it got down that cold, he said it wasn't warm enough without the fleece liner he also took along. Thanks again for the suggestions from this group.

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As a Michigander, cold weather camping gets cold! One thing that works very well is to go to the hardware store and buy chimney or flue insulation. The exterior is a shiny "aluminum foil" looking surface. Put this on the ground. Then put down your Therma-rest or other mattress pad and then your sleeping bag. A fleece line is a nice touch. If your bag tends to slip of the mattress pad, a small thin closed cell mat between the bag and pad helps reduce slippage. Don't forget the proper headwear to complete the ensemble.

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