Inflatable sleeping pads are the favored development amongst backpackers right this moment. I get it. They’re comfy, and the fashionable designs have turn out to be fairly sturdy. However don’t overlook the standard closed-cell foam pad so shortly. They take no time to inflate, by no means deflate within the evening, double as a butt pad, and don’t take up room in your pack. And, I’d argue that they’re extra comfy than they get credit score for. By now you’re most likely assuming that I’m a foam pad purist. However that’s not precisely true.
After personally utilizing a wide range of inflatable pads after which testing the highest closed-cell foam pads to seek out the finest backpacking sleeping pads, I’ve come to the conclusion that there isn’t a single finest sleeping pad for each state of affairs. All of it will depend on what attributes are most vital to you.
There are professionals and cons to each piece of drugs in your pack; right here’s an in depth take a look at the tradeoffs of closed-cell vs inflatable sleeping pads.
Closed-Cell Foam Pads
Execs
- Light-weight
- Cheaper
- No time to arrange or take down
- Gained’t fail
- Versatile
- Doesn’t take up room in your pack
Cons
- Colder
- Much less comfy
- Can get caught on issues
- Solely good for one season
My present favourite sleeping pad is the closed-cell foam Nemo Switchback. Not having to deflate, roll, and pack a pad saves me time every morning, which is invaluable on massive mileage days.
Facet-sleepers might have already stopped studying, nevertheless, I continuously catch z’s on my facet within the backcountry on closed-cell foam pads. Granted, I have a tendency to show and generally go to sleep on my abdomen or again as properly. Consolation is at all times going to be a private choice. However don’t low cost all closed-cell foam pads on this one situation; take the FlexMat Plus as proof that not all closed-cell foam pads are created equally. At a whopping 1.5 inches thick, this pad is essentially the most comfy CCF pad I’ve slept on.
One other frequent grievance for foam pads is their low R worth. An R worth is a standardized ranking of how properly your pad resists the chilly. The key to heat is air. Jackets and sleeping baggage aren’t puffy simply because they’re filled with insulation. The air trapped inside these downy outer layers is definitely what retains you heat, like a private bubble of scorching air. Sleeping pads aren’t any totally different, which is why inflatable pads usually have greater R values than closed-cell foam pads.
The best way closed-cell foam pads lure air to maintain you heat at evening is by using nodes and simulating an egg carton sample. The air is trapped within the depressions between nodes supplying you with a heat air buffer towards the chilly floor. One of the best closed-cell foam pads additionally provide some form of metallic coating to mirror chilly air again to the bottom and heat air again to you. When the nodes in your pad begin to flatten out, it reduces the quantity of area for heat air to occupy, and your pad will lose extra warmth. At this level, it’s time for a alternative.
Inflatable Pads
Execs
- Snug
- Heat
- Good for 3 seasons
Cons
- Can fail
- Takes time to inflate and deflate
- Costly
Whereas inflatable pads might need the chance of failure, when you do your analysis, put money into a top quality pad, and handle it, odds are low that you just’ll expertise a failure. Carrying one light-weight pad suited to your sleeping model and the situations is likely to be finest, particularly with patch kits and discipline repairs that might save the day.
Inflatable pads are additionally far much less cumbersome than closed-cell foam mats. CCF pads need to be strapped to the skin of your pack. Whether or not secured horizontally to the highest or backside of your pack or vertically in a pocket or by way of bungee straps, tight squeezes and bushwhacking might catch your further floor space, scratching the pad and slowing you down. I’ve turn out to be accustomed to my pack’s further width and top due to the closed-cell foam pad, however scrambling by way of slot canyons nonetheless poses a problem.
An inflatable pad may very well be all you want, relying on the terrain. Sharp rocks, branches, thorns, or cactus needles all pose threats, however your tent backside ought to present ample safety for a sturdy inflatable pad. The load of 1 heavier pad in comparison with two lighter pads will, in fact, be comparable, and nothing can substitute a strong sleep earlier than a double-digit mile day.
Dearer, extra comfy, and hotter, inflatable pads are definitely worth the funding if it’s the one means you’ll get some shut-eye. Whether or not you select a CCF pad, inflatable pad or double up, take note of what options matter most to you within the backcountry.
Twin Sleep System
Execs
- Snug
- Heat
- All-season sleep system
- Again-up choices
- Versatile
Cons
- Have to purchase two pads
- Have to hold two pads
Even when you can’t quit your plush inflatable pad on the grounds of consolation alone, there are a couple of the explanation why even inflatable fanatics may complement their sleep system with a closed-cell foam pad. As team-closed-cell-foam as I’m, I actually received’t be doing winter desert journeys armed with solely an R worth of two. You possibly can set your self up for all seasons whereas saving your self the burden when the climate is heat by rooting for each side of the nice sleeping pad debate.
R values will be mixed, so including a CCF pad beneath an inflatable will hold you hotter and extra comfy. An additional advantage to a twin pad sleep system is that your inflatable pad is much less prone to puncture or deflate when it’s protected against rocks and sticks by the froth pad. If the worst occurs and your inflatable pad does expertise a problem, you a minimum of have a closed-cell foam pad to fall again on fairly than subjecting your self to the chilly laborious floor, or worse, reducing your journey brief.
The flexibility of closed-cell foam pads can also’t be underrated. Just lately, after cresting a go I used to be greeted with a sharply declining talus discipline. As an alternative of slowly working my means down shifting and slippery rock, I discovered a line of snow working the size of the go. I hopped on my closed-cell foam pad like a magic carpet and put in an ice axe for a brake earlier than sledding down the mountain, saving myself valuable time and vitality (and having a rattling good time doing it). If I’d solely had an inflatable pad, I’d have needed to dig it out of my bag (instantly no), inflate it, after which handle to get down with out popping it earlier than deflating, rolling, and changing it within the ultralight model of Mary Poppins’ purse. Although if I’m being sincere, nobody goes to threat a poppable and expensive sleeping pad to save lots of half-hour on day three of a seven day journey.
Closed-cell foam pads may also be used as a scorching pad whenever you’re too hungry to let your pot cool (each meal), a butt pad for breaks, and further insulation in a pinch. Versatility, reliability, and effectivity are the keys to deciding on backpacking gear, making a closed-cell foam pad a simple selection in my thoughts. But when the thought of carrying two sleeping pads appears ludicrous, let’s take a look at the professionals of an inflatable pad alone.
