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.

Anyone that was/is interested in the Big Agnes Lost Ranger 15 down sleeping bag - it's on sale thru  11/29 for 149.99 during the REI Winter sale.  I've had my combo for about 3 years and it's great.  BA is about the roomiest mummy-type bag out there...great for "rollers".

btw....they have an Attic Sale on Dec. 4th...see your local store for the details.

portage dog

butthead wrote on Oct 29^th, 2010 at 5:00pm:


BH? Same tent (volume of space to heat) and time of year (similar ground temps)?

Specs I found, Thermarest TrailPro @ 2" and ProLite @ 1.5" thick were the same r value 3.8. With the BA Insulated AirCore only slightly warmer r value of 4.1.
Exped DownMat r values are much warmer, 7cm thick (r 5.9) & 9cm thick (r 8).

But I think the old standard Thermarests are fool proof too.

I've heard of failures for Exped too. One guy I know is on his 3rd one. Another guy swears by his BA Insulated AirCore, but he had to rig a bag type pump. So where's the big weight savings then? More comfortable, maybe,,,pack space, yes. He did notice what he thought was a leak, but was really just an air temperature change. Same as airbags in a whitewater boat after hitting cold water and later re-inflating tight in the warm sunshine.

I picked up a 15 deg BA bag and I guess I'll need to do some pre-trip experiments. From what I've read online, sleeping bag temperature ratings are standard from brand to brand. The material against your skin can feel very different though.

"BH? Same tent (volume of space to heat) and time of year (similar ground temps)? " yes CCS Lean1+ used year round, BA mattress and Lost Ranger for 5 years, Exped last year.
BA Lost Ranger has been updated since I bought mine, bafles over the chest area now run the long way instead of accross the chest (allowed down to shift to the sides).
My Exped 9 Downmat has a built in pump.

butthead

Awesome, we should adopt their existing standards.  I'll be sure to ask when I'm next buying a bag, which is soon as I need one for next year.