Too many pads.....

I must confess that in my search for decent sleep I have collected quite a number of pads including 3 thermarest, a BA insulated Air core and an Exped downmat 9. I like the standard thermarest for ease of use and warmth, but tending to sleep on my side, I wake with sore hips. I bought the Big Agnes to reduce weight and pack size - it is quite comfortable, but I find blowing it up to be a chore- it's size and weight and slightly more padding than the thermarest gave it favor- I did find that below 30 degrees it did not seem to insulate as well. Last year I bought a thermarest Trail Pro- another 1/2 inch of cushion over the standard and no penalty in weight or bulk- however despite it's extra thickness it allows more cold to come through than the standard.

This year a friend convinced me to try an Exped. It has an integrated pump (not as hassle free as the thermarest but much easier than the Big Agnes). It is more comfortable than any pad I've used, but considerably more bulky than the Big Agnes. It is amazingly warm. On my last outing I had quite a few nights in the twenties but used the bag only as a blanket- to get into it was to roast.