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As a child camping in the Smokies with my family, I don't think I even slept on a camping mattress. I just hopped in my sleeping bag and slept like a log.
Fast forward to college and I still didn't need a sleep pad. I'd sleep on top of an extra sleeping bag if needed but I really don't remember ever being uncomfortable. Oh, the things you take for granted in your youth!
I finally purchased my first sleeping pad for a road trip out west. My small, lightweight Thermarest worked like magic. It kept me warm and dry on an otherwise cold and hard tent floor. I used this camp mat for years and have recently bequeathed it to my daughters.
The Thermarest is a fantastic (and super durable) inflatable pad for kids and those who can sleep anywhere. It just wasn't working for me anymore once I moved out of my twenties.
After adding yet another decade of living to my body, I needed to up my sleeping pad game. Since we were now a car-camping family with young kids that no longer worried about extra weight (I mean you are already bringing all the things once you camp with toddlers), I graduated to a longer, thicker Kelty pad.
The Kelty sleep pad was definitely more comfortable than my first sleeping mat, but I still woke up sore and stiff. Like Goldilocks, this one wasn't right either.
So I did what many thirty-something car campers do and purchased a Coleman single size inflatable mattress. I know my fellow campers appreciated the shrill whining sound emanating from my camp site as I happily inflated my bed with my battery-operated inflatable pump.
And the mattress was decently comfortable, at least at first. As the night went on though, it would gradually begin to lose air and I still woke up in the morning well aware of the hard ground below me. Plus, one of the biggest problems with the big inflatable mattress is that it wasn't insulating enough for camping when the nights got cool. My love for tent camping certainly began to wane during this time.
So let's take a look at how you can use a sleeping pad to improve your nights in the Great Outdoors!
Why do you get cold when sleeping in a tent?
While the surrounding air is a factor, the majority of your body heat is actually lost through the ground you are laying on. The main role of a sleeping pad, aside from comfort, is to insulate your body from the ground.
This is measured with the R value. It is the measure of how fast heat can pass through a barrier, so the higher the value, the slower the passage of heath. The R value is not totally dependant on the thickness of the pad, more on the internal structure and materials, and generally you'll find this info indicated on the packaging.
To keep it simple, remember these average values:
R 0 - 1: Very low insulation, only good for warm temperatures (above 20°C / 68°F)
R 1 - 2: Low insulation, good for warm to mild temperatures (20°C - 15°C) / (68°F - 59°F)
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R 2 - 3: Medium insulation, good for mild to cold temperatures (10°C - 5°C) / (59°F - 41°F)
R 3 - 4: High insulation, good for cold temperatures (5°C - 0°C) / (41°F - 32°F)
R 4 - 5: Very high insulation, good for very cold temperatures (0°C -5°) / (32°F - 23°F)
R 5 and above: Maximum insulation, good for extremely cold temperatures (-5°C / 23°F and below)
Also keep in mind that because a pad will insulate you without providing extra heat, a model with a high R value is not limited to the temperatures I indicated and can also be used in warm climates.
The only disadvantage is that models with very high insulation are usually either light and expensive or heavy and bulky.
Foam sleeping pads are a good option for sleeping outside without a tent, or simply if you're on a budget.
They are bulky but light, and because they do not need to be inflated, you don't have to worry about them being punctured or damaged. High-end models can offer enough insulation for mild to warm temperatures, but remember to always check the R value when possible! Also keep in mind that, because they are not as thick, you'll likely have the same level of comfort as with an inflating pad.
If you like the idea of a foam pad, the best model I can recommend is the Alps Foam Pad.
It's light, doesn't take up too much space and offers a very reasonable level of comfort and insulation, especially for the price. I would definitely consider it for anyone who wants to travel light and doesn't want to worry about a punctured pad.
A self-inflating pad is exactly that, it self-inflates without needing an air pump.
It does this through a layer of specialised chambers and foam that allow it to suck air inside itself. All you need to do is unroll the pad, open the valve and wait. This usually takes only a few minutes, but might take between ten and twenty the first time, as the foam needs to decompress.
Contrary to a self-inflating model, an air pad requires you to manually blow air into it to inflate it, or to use an air pump.
Let's see the main differences:
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